The Greens are expected to select a new leader today or tomorrow.
asserted
Greens → expect → leader
The Greens will meet this morning to settle on a new leader following the sudden resignation of Larissa Waters, who took on the job only a little over a year ago.
asserted
who → meet → job
Senator Waters said she was stepping back due to difficulties managing a chronic kidney disease, leaving the party again in search of a leader after losing Adam Bandt in a shock election upset in 2025.
asserted
she → say → 2025
The party has been recalibrating since that election left just one Greens MP in the lower house.
asserted
election → recalibrate → house
Senator Waters, well-regarded and well-liked within the party and across the parliament, was chosen to reunite the party after its election drubbing.
asserted
Waters → regard → drubbing
Greens sources say whoever is chosen next will face more pressure to "take the leadership and run with it", with a central question being how directly the party takes on a surging One Nation.
asserted
party → say → Nation
While senators Sarah Hanson-Young, Mehreen Faruqi and David Shoebridge are considered the most likely contenders, in a small party room of just 11, the Greens can also turn out unexpected results.
asserted
Greens → consider → results
Among them is newer senator Steph Hodgins-May, who is seeking a leadership role, including potentially as deputy.
uncertain
who → seek → deputy
The small party room means personal relationships can also heavily influence the outcome, often more-so than questions of policy or strategy — though differences of opinion do sometimes emerge.
asserted
differences → mean → opinion
A recent example is the split on the Senate floor earlier this month when senators Nick McKim, Vanessa Bleyer, and Jordon Steele-John voted against the party over a carbon credits scheme.
asserted
McKim → vote → scheme
While there are processes for a leadership vote if the issue cannot be resolved, the Greens generally prefer to resolve the leadership by consensus in a fluid process that can also involve picks for deputy leadership, though a leadership change does not require a spill of the deputy role, currently held by Senator Faruqi.
asserted
change → be → Faruqi
Greens senators and the party's lone federal MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown will come together in Sydney over two days for a pre-arranged meeting, with hopes the leadership can be resolved quickly.
asserted
leadership → come → hopes
The victor will lead a party which has 10 seats in the Senate, where it wields some influence as a voting bloc, as well as Ms Watson-Brown's lower house seat.
asserted
it → lead → bloc
Former leader Bob Brown told ABC Afternoon Briefing that he felt "very confident" in whoever is elected, given the calibre of candidates.
asserted
whoever → tell → candidates
"What I can say is it now has a depth of talent for leadership.
asserted
it → say → leadership
There are three or four people in there who would make excellent leaders," Mr Brown said.
asserted
Brown → be → leaders
He said whoever was chosen would be able to "take on" One Nation's Pauline Hanson in a debate on a matter of topics and "wipe the floor with her".
asserted
chosen → say → her
With the party hoping it can find a way to replicate the successes of UK and US counterparts, former MP Max Chandler-Mather said that would require opening the leadership vote to all Greens members.
asserted
that → hop → members
"People often ask how to recreate the political success and energy of UK Greens leader, Zack Polanski or New York Mayor, Zohran Mamdani," Mr Chandler-Mather wrote in an open letter to the party room.
asserted
Mather → ask → room
"The recipe for their success doesn't just lie in their policies, rhetoric or even organising strategy.
asserted
recipe → lie → policies
It lies in the process by which they won their elections.
asserted
they → lie → elections
"In both instances they were elected by direct member elections."
Who are the potential contenders?
So who are the likely contenders for the leadership?
Senator Hanson-Young, from South Australia, and Senator Faruqi, from NSW, both confirmed they would stand for the leadership on Tuesday afternoon, with Tasmanian senator Nick McKim to run on the latter's ticket.
asserted
McKim → elect → ticket
The pair both threw their hats in the ring last year.
asserted
pair → throw → ring
Senator Shoebridge, from NSW, ruled himself out of contention last year, but this time said he would not rule himself in or out.
asserted
he → rule → himself
Other dark horses could emerge in the race, like Senator Hodgins-May, who became a senator for Victoria only two years ago, following a career as an environmental lawyer.
uncertain
who → emerge → lawyer
Senator Faruqi, 63, is the current deputy leader of the Greens — a post she has held since 2022.
asserted
she → hold → 2022
She was the first Muslim woman elected to federal parliament in 2018.
asserted
She → elect → 2018
Senator Faruqi grew up in Lahore, Pakistan, and is a former engineer and academic.
asserted
Faruqi → grow → Lahore
The senator has previously been considered as a stronger voice of protest for the party, who might take a more hardline stance in negotiations with government.
uncertain
who → consider → government
She has been a vocal critic of the war in Gaza, leading a walkout of Greens colleagues from the Senate in a protest for Palestinians in 2023, and last year holding up a sign at the governor-general's address which read: "Gaza is starving.
asserted
Gaza → lead → address
Words won't feed them.
asserted
Words → feed → them
She also yelled out to the prime minister as he left the chamber, calling on him to sanction Israel.
asserted
he → yell → Israel
Those actions were deemed "utterly disrespectful" and Senator Faruqi was subsequently banned from taking part in overseas parliamentary delegations.
asserted
Faruqi → deem → delegations
In 2024, she won a racial discrimination case after One Nation senator Pauline Hanson told her to "piss off back to Pakistan", which Senator Hanson has said she will appeal.
asserted
she → win → which
Senator McKim, 61, is currently the Senate whip and will be running as her deputy on a joint ticket.
asserted
McKim → run → ticket
Announcing their candidacy, the pair said the Greens need to grow to "meet the moment".
asserted
Greens → announce → moment
"Our politics is unapologetically bold, and we want to lead with hope over hate and people over profit."
asserted
we → want → profit
Senator Hanson-Young, 44, is the current manager of business in the Senate and the longest-standing federal Green in the mix.
asserted
Young → stand → mix
She was elected to the Senate in 2007 at 25 years old — the youngest person elected to parliament at the time.
asserted
She → elect → time
The South Australian senator has been a successful negotiator for the party in discussions with government, particularly in last year's environmental reform negotiations — and is seen as a more pragmatic option for the party.
asserted
senator → see → party
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
