That well-known political strategist Kermit the Frog once declared that “it’s not easy being green” – as federal shadow environment minister Anthony Albanese and his wife, NSW Minister, MLC and candidate for Marrickville, Carmel Tebbutt, are learning.

“Labor, suddenly in the box seat in next Saturday’s three by-elections after the Liberal Party’s implosion, is accusing the Greens of a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign against the Education Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, in the seat of Marrickville,” reports The Sydney Morning Heraldtoday.

“Labor has accused the Greens of labelling Ms Tebbutt a homophobe, of making an issue out of her marriage to Federal MP Anthony Albanese and of following Ms Tebbutt to campaign appearances and disrupting them.

“In their polling in the seat, Labor included a question as to whether voters were concerned about the tag ‘king and queen of Marrickville’, to see if the Greens are gaining traction.”

It must be a harsh awakening for Albanese. The Greens have had high hopes for his seat of Grayndler for a while now, so he has followed their lines so closely that Albo and Bob Brown now sound like the same speech in stereo.

Will Albanese now strike back by devising an environment policy of his own? It won’t hurt. The Greens’ preferences are going to flow to Labor no matter what they do. And besides, this is one area where Labor needs to really demonstrate that they are serious about good policy as distinct from placating special interest groups.