Australian Greens co-founder Drew Hutton has launched an extraordinary attack on the party he helped create, challenging new leader David Shoebridge over the Greens' stance on Hamas, transgender issues and the slogan 'globalise the Intifada'.
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he → launch → Intifada
In a pointed social media post following Shoebridge's elevation to the leadership on Wednesday, Hutton said he wanted to ask the new Greens leader a question he had previously posed to former deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi.
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he → follow → Faruqi
Hutton is little known outside of political circles, but was instrumental in formalising the Greens as a force, founding the Queensland Greens in 1990 and later helping create the national party alongside environmental activist Bob Brown in 1992.
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Hutton → know → 1992
'I'll ask the new Greens leader, David Shoebridge, the same question I asked Mehreen: will he issue a statement supporting a two-state solution, condemn Hamas and criticise the use of 'globalise the Intifada'?' Hutton wrote.
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Hutton → ask → Intifada
He went on to question the party's ability to win over voters outside its traditional base.
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He → go → base
'And how are the Greens going to fight One Nation when they think a man can be a woman, won't criticise Hamas and continually wear keffiyahs and have no idea how to communicate with ordinary Australians who aren't young, live in the inner-city and have university degrees?' he said.
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he → go → degrees
Hutton's intervention comes just months after he dramatically severed ties with the party in Queensland, arguing the Greens had abandoned the principles that first inspired him to enter politics.
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that → come → politics
The 79-year-old resigned in June - despite successfully fighting to have his life membership reinstated by the party over a drawn-out internal dispute over transgender rights and social media comments.
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membership → resign → rights
Drew Hutton (on right) is little known outside of political circles, but he co-founded the Australian Greens with environmental activist Bob Brown (left) in 1992
Hutton (pictured) challenged new leader David Shoebridge over the Greens' stance on Hamas and trans issues
In his resignation letter, Hutton wrote: 'As the party's founder here in Queensland, it grieves me to have to do this but I feel I have no choice.
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I → know → choice
I still believe in green politics but I feel the party has left me.'
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party → believe → me
His departure came after a bitter clash with the Queensland Greens, who expelled him for refusing to remove comments, deemed transphobic by the party, that were made by others on a Facebook post he published in 2022.
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he → come → 2022
Speaking to ABC's 7.30 in 2025, Hutton accused the party of shutting down debate on gender policy.
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Hutton → speak → policy
'What I disagree with vehemently is the way that anybody who actually voices any dissent with that policy and does so from a credible position, that there is such a thing as biological sex and there are two sexes, is forced out of the party,' he said.
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he → disagree → party
Shoebridge won the Greens leadership in a 7-4 party room ballot on Wednesday after former leader Larissa Waters stepped aside due to health issues.
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Waters → win → issues
But the result sparked an immediate backlash from failed leadership contender Senator Mehreen Faruqi, who argued that the party's grassroots membership should have a say in its leadership elections.
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membership → spark → elections
'I've long advocated publicly that Greens leaders should be elected by members with enough time for thoughtful deliberation,' she said.
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she → advocate → deliberation
David Shoebridge denied that there was a rift between himself and Mehreen Faruqi (pictured).
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Shoebridge → deny → himself
She pointedly failed to congratulate the new leader following the ballot
New Greens leader David Shoebridge and his deputy Steph Hodgins-May.
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She → fail → Shoebridge
Shoebridge's office did not respond to Mr Hutton's question
'I share members' frustration that the opposite happened this week.
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opposite → respond → frustration
Without a member vote, we cannot call ourselves a grassroots party.'
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we → call → ourselves
'I call on the new leadership team to set a timeline for one member, one vote.'
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I → call → member
Faruqi did not contest the deputy position after losing her tilt for the top job, saying it would allow her to pursue 'radical action ... outside the constraints of the leadership team'.
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her → contest → team
The comments fuelled speculation about divisions inside the parliamentary party - and that Faruqi could freelance on her own policies.
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Faruqi → fuel → policies
However, Shoebridge sought to play down suggestions of a rift when asked about Faruqi's remarks during an interview on ABC Radio National on Thursday.
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Shoebridge → seek → Thursday
'The Greens are unusual in that pretty much every member of our team is a frontbencher with a huge portfolio load to get out and work in that portfolio,' he said.
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he → get → portfolio
'I am looking forward to Senator Faruqi getting out there and campaigning on matters that she's clearly got a passion and a talent to connect with big parts of this country.
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she → look → country
And I think that's great.'
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that → think → ?
The Daily Mail approached Shoebridge and Hutton for comment.
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Mail → approach → comment
The Aporia
