David Shoebridge has been elected leader of the Australian Greens, winning the party's first ever contested leadership ballot after Queensland senator Larissa Waters stepped down from the role due to deteriorating health. The result was announced in Sydney on Wednesday, following a two-day policy meeting at which the party's 10 senators and sole lower house MP cast their votes.
Shoebridge, a former barrister and longtime NSW state politician who entered federal parliament in 2022, secured six primary votes to defeat senators Mehreen Faruqi, who received three votes, and Sarah Hanson-Young, who received two. Victorian senator Steph Hodgins-May was elected deputy leader, replacing Janet Rice on a joint ticket with Shoebridge.
A combative pitch to fill Labor's "policy vacuum"
Speaking after the ballot, Shoebridge struck an assertive tone, vowing to expose what he described as Labor's failures and to "fill the policy vacuum" left by the government. He positioned the Greens as the natural home for Australians frustrated with the major parties and disillusioned by One Nation's rise.
"People are desperate for material change," Shoebridge said. "They don't want another meaningless message being delivered by some Labor hack that they know isn't going to change their lives. They want to take on the vested interests."
He also took aim at what he called the undue influence of powerful interests on Australia's political system. "We're not punching down on migrants. We're taking on the 1 per cent that have bought our parliament. They've bought the Labor Party. They've bought the Liberal Party. They've bought One Nation. Well, they bloody well haven't bought the Greens," he said.
On One Nation specifically, Shoebridge accused the party of offering a "short-term sugar hit, building on and feeding off people's quite legitimate anger" without delivering real solutions. He pledged the Greens would not only highlight Labor's shortcomings but would put forward concrete policy alternatives. For more on Shoebridge's agenda, see our earlier coverage of David Shoebridge's election as Greens leader and his vow that the party will replace Labor as the progressive force in Australian politics.
In a joint statement released before the vote, Shoebridge and Hodgins-May declared: "We are excited by what we can and must do as Greens. This is the time to build our movement as the home for every Australian who want action on the climate crisis, a fair return from our resources, a secure home and income, and to not sell out our independence to the US or the one per cent."
Who is the new Greens leadership team?
Shoebridge is well known for his combative style in Senate Estimates hearings and at press conferences, as well as for his strong positions on defence and foreign affairs — most notably his outspoken opposition to the AUKUS submarine agreement. Before entering federal politics, he spent nearly 12 years in the NSW state parliament.
Deputy leader Hodgins-May, who has been a senator since 2024, has built a following among younger voters through sharp social media engagement and her role in driving the push for a 25 per cent gas tax. Before entering parliament, she worked for the United Nations and Greenpeace.
The pair announced their joint ticket on Wednesday morning ahead of the ballot, signalling a coordinated campaign to reposition the party after a turbulent period.
Waters steps aside after difficult stretch for the Greens
Larissa Waters had taken over the Greens leadership following a bruising 2025 federal election in which the party lost three of its four lower house seats, including the electorate held by then-leader Adam Bandt. The party subsequently lost senator Dorinda Cox, who defected to Labor, further reducing its numbers.
Waters announced her resignation from the leadership on Tuesday, citing ill health. Despite the diminished parliamentary presence she inherited, the Queensland senator presided over a period in which the Greens' leverage in the Senate actually increased — the party now holds the sole balance of power in the upper house on legislation not backed by the Coalition.
Shoebridge thanked Waters and outgoing deputy leader Faruqi in his post-ballot remarks. Faruqi, for her part, said she was "disappointed the party room chose another direction" and acknowledged that "many others will feel the same way". She confirmed she had not stood for the deputy leadership, saying she believed she could best serve the party in a different capacity.
Treasurer signals willingness to work with new leadership
Treasurer Jim Chalmers responded to the leadership change with a measured statement, saying he had not yet met either Shoebridge or Hodgins-May but anticipated productive engagement in the Senate. He indicated the government's primary focus remained on the threat posed to workers and the broader economy by One Nation, the Liberal Party and the Nationals.
The Greens currently hold a primary vote of around 12 per cent in most opinion polls and, despite their reduced lower house presence, retain significant influence in the Senate. Shoebridge's election marks the beginning of a new chapter for a party that, after significant setbacks, is seeking to reassert itself as a genuine political force — and to capitalise on disillusionment with both the government and the hard right.
