Greens leader Larissa Waters stepped down due to chronic kidney disease, stating that her health requires a slower pace than leading allows. The party will hold a secret ballot among its MPs later this week to choose a new leader from contenders like deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi and Senator Nick McKim. Despite facing challenges post-election, the Greens have maintained steady support with significant achievements in environmental reforms.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-28,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Larissa Waters, the federal leader of Australia's Greens party, announced her resignation on Monday night due to health issues related to kidney disease. Waters took over as leader from Adam Bandt just over 15 months ago after Bandt lost his seat in Melbourne to Labor in the May 2025 election. The party plans to hold a secret ballot among its MPs later this week to elect a new leader, with David Shoebridge seen as the frontrunner.
Waters revealed that her condition had recently worsened and required her to step down for the sake of her health. She expressed optimism about recovery but emphasized that leading the party demands too much energy at present. The Greens have struggled in recent years, losing several seats and seeing their influence diminish with Labor's increasing numbers in the Senate.
Waters intends to return to the Senate after taking medical leave, emphasizing that handing over leadership will allow a healthier candidate to better serve the party's goals leading up to the next election. Some members of the Greens have criticized the party’s recent performance under Waters' leadership, noting difficulties in connecting with voters amid growing support for parties like One Nation.
Written for “Larissa Waters Resigns Greens Leader” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Greens leader Larissa Waters has quit the party’s top job due to illness.
asserted
Waters → quit → illness
The party will hold a secret ballot of its MPs later this week to elect a new leader.
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party → hold → leader
“For some time now I’ve been quietly managing chronic kidney disease alongside doing the work I love.
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I → manage → work
But recently it’s taken a downturn, and I need to be honest with myself about not being invincible,” Waters said in a statement.
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Waters → take → statement
“My doctors have been clear: my prospects for recovery are good, but the best path forward means a slower pace of life than leading a political party allows.”
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leading → mean → party
Waters took on the job just over 15 months ago at a tumultuous time for the Greens.
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Waters → take → Greens
At the last election, the party’s then-leader Adam Bandt lost his previously safe seat of Melbourne to Labor.
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leader → lose → Labor
The Greens also lost Max Chandler-Mather’s seat in Brisbane, leaving the party with only one lower house seat and devoid of Chandler-Mather’s firebrand energy.
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Greens → lose → energy
One of their senators, Dorinda Cox, defected to Labor shortly after the election, and as Labor picked up numbers in the Senate, lost sway over the numbers along with crosssbench kingmakers David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie.
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Labor → defect → kingmakers
Waters, 49, plans to return to the Senate after time away dealing with her health, so her resignation as leader does not open a vacancy.
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resignation → plan → vacancy
She said the minor party had achieved significant wins including protecting native forests in a deal with Labor to reform Australia’s 25-year-old environmental laws.
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party → say → laws
The Greens’ primary vote has remained steady since the election as voters have flocked to One Nation.
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voters → remain → Nation
Some Greens MPs including deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi have expressed frustration that the party has not tapped into the same populist-left wave that has boosted the careers of New York City’s socialist Democrat Zohran Mamdani and UK Greens leader Zack Polanski.
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that → include → Democrat
But the steady vote indicates the party’s support base is at least solid, unlike Labor’s shrinking support.
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base → indicate → support
Contenders for the party leadership include Faruqi, Sarah Hanson-Young (a dealmaker considered too moderate by the party’s hard-left), environment-focussed Tasmanian senator Nick McKim, and hard-left NSW Senator David Shoebridge.
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Contenders → include → party
Steph Hodgins-May, a young new senator who features heavily on the party’s social media, is a dark horse for the leadership as the party tries to appeal to younger generations where its vote is strong.
uncertain
vote → feature → generations
Another senator, Penny Allman-Payne, is also well liked internally.
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senator → like → ?
“Friends, you know that we don’t have time to waste.
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we → know → time
The battle for a safer climate, a fairer country, and against the corporate greed gripping Australia is here, and it’s urgent.
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it → grip → Australia
It can’t waste a day, and nor can the Greens,” Waters said.
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Waters → waste → day
“I’m really sad that illness has cut my time as leader short.
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illness → ’m → leader
But our Greens movement is too important, and I want to pass the torch over to someone who is ready to take up the fight.
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who → want → fight
I’ll be taking some medical leave, and I’ll be back in the Senate as soon as I can, as one of your two Greens Senators for Queensland.
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I → take → Queensland
“Being your leader has been an extraordinary experience and an honour, and I want to thank you for what we’ve achieved together.”
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we → want → what
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