Story summary
The Australian Greens elected David Shoebridge as their new federal leader after a three-way contest at a two-day retreat in Sydney this week. The decision followed the unexpected resignation of incumbent leader Larissa Waters, who cited worsening chronic kidney disease. At the retreat, Shoebridge secured seven votes to defeat fellow contenders Mehreen Faruqi and Sarah Hanson-Young, with Victorian senator Steph Hodgins-May elected as deputy leader.
Waters stepped down on Monday night, leaving the party in a leadership vacuum ahead of an anticipated election. Shoebridge, known for his outspoken views on AI, AUKUS, and fossil fuel issues, emerged victorious despite some criticism over his lack of appeal to younger voters. The vote was unusual for the Greens, who typically seek consensus before leadership ballots.
Faruqi expressed disappointment with the outcome, indicating she would pursue radical action outside the party's constraints. Shoebridge’s election marks a significant moment in the party's history as it recalibrates its strategy amidst rising concerns about One Nation and seeks to replace Labor's influence in politics.
Written for “Greens Leader Contest Outcome” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.
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The Greens have found their answer to a political system dominated by pale, stale males…a pale, stale male of their very own.
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Greens → publish → own
David Shoebridge's elevation is a reminder that you don't have to be especially impressive to lead a political party in this country.
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you → lead → country
Sometimes you just have to be the person enough colleagues can agree to get behind.
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colleagues → have → ?
The former barrister defeated Sarah Hanson-Young and Mehreen Faruqi to succeed Larissa Waters, who stepped down on health grounds.
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who → defeat → grounds
At 55, he hardly screams generational renewal in a party that's supposed to appeal to today's youth.
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that → scream → youth
Shoebridge has plenty of aggression.
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Shoebridge → have → aggression
Whether he has the appeal to turn that into votes is another matter, however.
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has → turn → votes
Faruqi seems distinctly unimpressed with where things landed.
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things → seem → ?
The outgoing deputy publicly expressed disappointment at the result, declining to seek her old job and declaring that she will pursue radical action outside 'the constraints of the leadership team'.
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she → express → team
Apparently the constraints become considerably more unacceptable when somebody else is leading the party.
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somebody → become → party
She also complained about the selection process, only after she lost, declaring: 'Without a member vote, we cannot call ourselves a grassroots party.'
There is a legitimate argument for members playing a role in choosing their parliamentary leader, although it does risk dividing the membership and the parliamentary party.
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it → complain → membership
Coming straight after her defeat, Faruqi's whinge sounds rather like toys hitting the floor beside the cot.
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toys → come → cot
Sarah Hanson-Young sent a message to supporters on Thursday night noting 'friendships made and lost' in politics
Hanson-Young also acknowledged the brutality of the result - cryptically noting 'politics can be brutal - friendships made and lost, it takes all types' - but promised to support the new leader nonetheless.
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it → send → leader
It was a more adult response from someone who understands that losing an internal contest doesn't remove the obligation to win voters outside the partyroom.
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losing → understand → partyroom
She's been in the Senate since 2008, has substantial public recognition and understands how to attract attention beyond the rusted-on party faithful.
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She → have → faithful
Her unsuccessful deputy leadership bids stretch right back to 2010 and 2012.
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bids → stretch → 2010
Yet again, her colleagues have looked elsewhere for some reason.
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colleagues → look → reason
You don't have to agree with Hanson-Young's politics to recognise the combination that she offers: experience, an activist edge and an ability to sound reasonable to people who aren't already marching behind a Greens banner.
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who → have → banner
That last quality matters in the current political environment.
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quality → matter → environment
Too much commentary about the Greens confuses what people who would never vote Green might want, with what the minor party's potential voter base is capable of supporting.
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base → confuse → what
The modern Greens are no longer just about saving the trees.
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Greens → save → trees
Maintaining such support requires an appeal to the inner-city activist constituency that now helps sustain them, even if the rest of the country aren't fans of what today's Greens represent.
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Greens → maintain → what
Say what you will about Mehreen Faruqi - and I believe her brand of politics is bad for the country's public debate - but she knows her constituency
Faruqi understands this constituency.
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Faruqi → say → constituency
In my view, her brand of politics is bad for public debate in this country: too quick to turn disagreement into a test of moral virtue, for example.
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brand → turn → example
But she would energise parts of that base, even while driving other potential voters away, especially environmentalists who aren't radical on other issues.
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who → energise → issues
So it may turn out that amongst the triumvirate of leadership candidates, the parliamentary party picked the least useful option.
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party → turn → option
Hanson-Young offered a better chance of holding the activists together while also retaining more reasonable voters: people who want a third party keeping the bastards honest, occupying some of the space the Australian Democrats once filled.
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Democrats → offer → space
Shoebridge risks offering abrasiveness without the broader appeal of Hanson-Young, or indeed the activist energy of Faruqi.
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Shoebridge → risk → Faruqi
That said, Albo already seems irritated.
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Albo → say → ?
He described it as 'somewhat concerning' that Shoebridge criticised Labor when a 'far right' party was on the rise.
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party → describe → rise
Apparently the job of the Greens is to attack Hanson while leaving the government alone.
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job → attack → government
Shoebridge could make life uncomfortable for the PM if he stays relevant.
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he → make → PM
David Shoebridge could cause trouble for Anthony Albanese.
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Shoebridge → cause → Albanese
The signs are already there, explains Peter van Onselen
Labor's troubles create an opportunity for the Greens.
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troubles → explain → Greens
Voters angry with the government from the right will consider One Nation.
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Voters → consider → Nation
Those angry from the left are unlikely to find Pauline Hanson an inviting destination.
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Hanson → find → left
The Greens should be waiting with a compelling alternative to snaffle up such voters.
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Greens → wait → voters
Faruqi might have been too radical for this cohort, but Shoebridge risks being too bland.
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Shoebridge → risk → cohort
He says he wants to replace Labor, growing on the left the way that One Nation has grown on the right.
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Nation → say → right
But winning over 11 parliamentary colleagues divided between three leadership candidates is one thing.
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winning → win → candidates
…and 2 more, not listed.
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