In the 2001 federal election , Brown was re-elected as a senator for Tasmania , and a second Greens senator , Kerry Nettle , was elected in New South Wales . The Greens opposed the Howard Government 's Pacific Solution of offshore processing for asylum seekers , and opposed the bipartisan offers of support to the US alliance and Afghanistan War by the government and Beazley Opposition in the aftermath of the 11 September terrorist attacks in 2001 , describing the Afghanistan commitment as " warmongering " . This contributed to increased support for the Greens by disaffected Labor Party voters and helped identify the Greens as more than just a single-issue environmental party . On 19 October 2002 the Greens won a House of Representatives seat for the first time when Michael Organ won the Cunningham by-election
11 September terrorist attacks
September 11 attacks
Australian Greens