FEDERAL Labor and the Greens may have joined forces yesterday in the hope of forming a minority government, but in Julia Gillard's home state of Victoria the two parties continue to trade blows ahead of the November state election.
Only hours after Labor and the Greens signed a deal in Canberra yesterday, the parties' slanging match in Victoria intensified.
State Greens MP Greg Barber hailed the federal alliance as a sign to voters that the Greens were a powerful force and could deliver on its promises.
''For many people, a barrier to voting Green is that they don't believe we have much power. So from that point of view, we've demonstrated what we can achieve''.
But while the Greens have sided with Labor federally, in Victoria Mr Barber reiterated the party would be willing to negotiate a power-sharing deal with Labor or the Coalition.
The comments prompted a renewed attack by the Brumby government that the Greens - who are a chance of snatching up to four inner-city seats from Labor - were ''selling out'' its left-leaning supporters.
''Greg Barber is betraying Greens voters by continuing to position themselves for a Coalition with the right-wing Liberal and National parties in Victoria,'' said state Treasurer John Lenders. However, Coalition leader Ted Baillieu argued that the opposite was true.
''The reality is a vote for the Greens has become a vote for the Labor Party and today's development, following similar developments in Tasmania, simply confirms this,'' he said.
State Labor is worried. If new federal Greens MP Adam Bandt's 10 per cent swing is replicated at the November poll, four prized inner-city state seats - Melbourne (held by state Education Minister Bronwyn Pike); Richmond (held by Housing Minister Dick Wynne); Brunswick and Northcote - are under serious threat.
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