As the leader of the ACT Greens and a member of our Legislative Assembly in government with ACT Labor for more than 13 years, I know that voting the Greens into a minority government with the Labor Party leads to very different, and much better, outcomes.

Consider some of the milestones in the ACT, born from the Greens' role in government, such as world-leading climate change action.

At the 2008 election, the Greens promised ambitious, science-based greenhouse gas emissions targets. Labor campaigned on a less ambitious platform, while the Canberra Liberals, as usual, did not have a serious climate policy at all. Voters chose to elect Labor and the Greens into government, which meant we were able to include our world-leading 40 per cent target greenhouse gas reduction target into our power sharing agreement. In 2020, we met the target, as promised.

At the 2012 election, we again put ambitious climate policy at the core of our commitments, including striving for 90 per cent renewables. In the end, we exceeded that target, achieving 100 per cent renewable electricity supply by 2020, becoming only the eighth jurisdiction in the world to achieve that, and the first outside Europe.

At the 2012 election, the Greens campaign for real improvements in public transport and stated a clear policy to begin developing Canberra's light rail network. After years of earlier governments and political parties delivering half promises, feasibility studies and stalling, our 2012 power sharing agreement committed to commencing construction. Stage 1 is now complete, with passenger numbers exceeding expectations until the pandemic hit. Planning and preliminary work is now well under way for Stage 2.

In the last election, 2020, it was the Greens promising strong policies to support the uptake of EVs and to phase out fossil fuel gas - the next frontiers of local climate action. Canberra voters approved. They now recognise that having Greens in government gives greater priority to people and the planet, and to climate change action, the greatest challenge of our time.

In 2020, we went from having two Greens MLAs in the Assembly to six, including three ministers in Cabinet. Consequently, climate action is again atop the government's agenda. A $300 million climate change program in the first budget after the election, many of our EV incentives now in place, a much-expanded EV charging network on the way, and we're leading the country on the phase out of gas, showing the world how to transition to an exemplar sustainable city. Registration of electric vehicles has doubled in the past year.

The ACT provides ongoing proof that cooperation between Labor and the Greens in the federal parliament will not paralyse the parliament, kill the weekend, force farmers to shoot their hundred-dollar lamb roasts, or whatever other manufactured horror voters are supposed to be so afraid of.

And, yes, I'm not surprised that the Coalition would foster these kinds of fears, but why Labor, too? It's potentially dishonest, in that they may have no choice if they want to form government, and voters deserve to know that. It's also anti-democratic. Voters - Greens voters, all voters - deserve to have their vote taken seriously.

Nationwide, the Greens first preference vote is usually around 10%. If we had proportional representation, this would deliver roughly 15 seats in the House of Representatives to the Greens, and a strong Federal voice. As the electoral system stands, we have just one.

One lower house voice, representing almost one and a half million voters.

Meanwhile, the Nationals' falling vote share still delivers them not only 16 seats in the lower house but also, as we've recently seen in the context of COP26, the ability to scuttle anything remotely resembling a future-focused and responsible climate and energy policy. To most rational people, this is a far more terrifying reality than anything that could be laid at the Greens' door.

Roughly 80 per cent of Greens voters deliver their second preference vote to Labor, boosting Labor's two-party preferred vote by around 1.2 million. A high percentage of these Greens voters are trying to send Labor a message both of support and one of urging towards stronger climate ambition and more investment in the public good. Labor should be willing to listen, in their own interests as well as the country's.

Canberra voters know there'll be no Green monster hiding under the bed if they kick out the federal Liberal-National government. They know that the Greens can act effectively to push Labor on policy, and deliver outcomes that Labor themselves grow to be proud of and are happy to celebrate as achievements.

Voters across Australia should know it, too.