Greens leadership showdown: Faruqi and McKim take on Hanson-Young as members demand a say

Greens communications spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young is the first MP to put her hand up to become the next leader of the federal party, as her colleagues prepare to descend on a Sydney retreat this week to pick their third leader in less than two years.

The party’s leadership was unexpectedly thrown into contention when current leader Larissa Waters announced her resignation on Monday night, citing worsening chronic kidney disease.

“I am speaking with my colleagues about the best way to help the Greens and have asked for their support to be the next leader,” Hanson-Young said in a statement.

“We are at a defining moment. Australians are doing it tough and are looking for hope and courage. People deserve better than the failed policies and weak excuses from the Labor and Liberal parties and the hate peddling from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.

“Our communities and environment are being hammered by a rigged system and they want politicians that will fight for them. I will fight with everything I’ve got.”

Waters has yet to speak publicly, but is expected to address a press conference alongside the newly elected leader following a pre-planned party room meeting on Wednesday or Thursday.

None of the other possible contenders have publicly pitched themselves for the leadership, though NSW senators Mehreen Faruqi and David Shoebridge – and Tasmanian senator Nick McKim – appear to be frontrunners for the top job alongside Hanson-Young.

Those close to the leadership deliberations anticipate that contenders will seek to come to a consensus position before this week’s meeting, as some seek an uncontested ballot. After former leader Adam Bandt’s loss at the 2025 election, Waters took the leadership unopposed.

Shoebridge didn’t rule himself out of the leadership while addressing a pre-planned press conference in Wollongong on Tuesday, saying the decision of who becomes leader will be a matter for the party room.

“This isn’t a moment to rule anything in or out, but what I would say is Larissa has done an extraordinary job,” Shoebridge said.

“Our federal party room is absolutely united on making sure that whoever is chosen, they are going to be leading this progressive challenge, building the Greens as the genuine progressive alternative.”

A spokesperson for Faruqi said the senator, who currently serves as the party’s deputy leader, was considering her options. First appointed to the Senate in 2018, Faruqi has 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 Mayor Zohran Mamdani and UK Greens leader Zack Polanski.

Hanson-Young, the party’s longest-serving senator, has become the main negotiator for the passage of legislation, particularly in the communications space, where she is pushing for a toughening of Labor’s digital duty-of-care laws. Some in the party consider the senator, who has served the federal Greens for 18 years, too moderate.

Victorian senator Steph Hodgins-May’s office said she had no comment to make on the leadership but the senator has drawn focus with an extensive traditional and social media presence.

Other senators Penny Allman-Payne and Jordon Steele-John, alongside lower house MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown, are unlikely to challenge for the leadership, though the former two could be considered for deputy depending on who becomes leader.

South Australian senator Barbara Pocock has already announced her retirement at the next election, expected in early 2028, making her and Waters the only MPs ruled out of contention. In a post to Instagram on Tuesday, Pocock said she was “deeply saddened” that Waters had to step down, as Waters had demonstrated “tremendous leadership” over her tenure.

Newly appointed Tasmanian senator Vanessa Bleyer is yet to decide if she will challenge for the leadership but is unlikely to nominate after just two months in the job.

The offices of all sitting Greens MPs have been contacted for comment.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said he had spoken to Waters and “wished her well”, saying the senator was attending further health checks on Tuesday.

“I just wish her all the very best on a personal level. I obviously have differences with the Greens political party but this is a human issue and I can also have compassion, and I have a good relationship with Larissa,” Albanese said.

Waters took on the job just over 15 months ago at a tumultuous time for the Greens. At the last election the party’s then-leader Adam Bandt lost his previously safe seat of Melbourne to Labor. The Greens also lost Max Chandler-Mather and Stephen Bates’ seats in Brisbane, leaving the party with only one lower house seat and devoid of Chandler-Mather’s firebrand energy.