FORMER Maribyrnong Mayor Janet Rice could be one of the Greens’ first-ever Victorian Senators after being pre-selected on the Greens Senate ticket.

Ms Rice, who helped found the Greens in 1992, is thought to have a high chance of making it into the Senate if the Federal Government calls a double dissolution election this year.

“In our assessment, Janet has a 50-50 chance of getting elected as a senator in the case of a double dissolution election,” electorate officer for Colleen Hartland, Elizabeth Ingham said.

In a regular election, however, Ms Rice stands “no chance”, Ms Ingham said. A double dissolution effectively sacks both houses of parliament. A double dissolution election can be called after the senate twice rejects the same Bill, or passes it with amendments the House of Representatives doesn’t agree to. In a regular federal election, the entire House of Representatives and half of the senate go up for election.

“It’s looking more likely now than it was a couple of months ago (the Federal Government calling a double dissolution), and particularly because Labor want to get their climate Bill through the senate,” Ms Rice said.

Ms Rice, who spent two terms at Maribyrnong City Council after being elected in 2003, said she was keen to push the Greens’ climate change agenda, adding that the Federal Government needed to “green up” the emissions trading scheme.

“We need to have representatives in the parliament to be enacting the changes that are needed to be taking real serious action on climate change. Just look at what Labor and the Liberals are doing; they’re not serious.”

Ms Rice said the Federal Government’s locked in five per cent target and “massive payouts to the big polluters” were two big bones of contention in the current climate change legislation.

Ms Rice unsuccessfully stood for the federal seat of Gellibrand in 1996 and the state seat of Footscray in 2002. Most recently, Ms Rice received 22 per cent of the primary vote in the 2007 Williamstown by-election.

Greens party member Richard Di Natale is the number one Greens Senate candidate.