Search for new Greens leader begins ahead of partyroom vote next week

Australia Broadcast Center

08-05-2025

The Greens partyroom is expected to cast votes for a new federal leader late next week, with the minor party left stunned by Adam Bandt's shock loss in Melbourne.
Debate over who should take over the Greens leadership will take place against the backdrop of the Liberal Party leadership contest, which has narrowed to two likely contenders.
Mr Bandt, who was lauded by the party after steering it's best-ever election result in 2022, officially conceded defeat to Labor's Sarah Witty in his long-held seat of Melbourne on Thursday.
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The toppling puts an end on Mr Bandt's 15-year career in federal parliament and leaves the Greens unexpectedly in search of a new captain.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young — who is seen as a potential successor — paid tribute to the outgoing leader on Thursday, saying "Greens all over the country are in shock".
"We are grieving for what feels like the most unfair of outcomes," she said in a statement.
"Adam's leadership has just delivered a huge result, putting the Greens into sole balance of power in the Senate, but he won't be in the parliament with us."
The South Australian senator, who is the party's environmental spokesperson and the longest-serving federal Greens member, said she would not be making any further comment at this stage.
Prior to Mr Bandt's concession, the party's current deputy leader, Mehreen Faruqi, told the ABC she had not been canvassing support within the party but did not categorically rule out putting herself forward if the leader lost his seat.
"Adam is still leader and, can I say, Adam is a fantastic leader and we work really well as a team," she told ABC's RN Breakfast.
"And I am hoping that he gets back in and we can continue on with that leadership team."
Federal Greens rules dictate that all leadership positions are vacated and re-selected following an election. That typically occurs at the first partyroom meeting after the results are locked in.
Mr Bandt said every member of the Greens partyroom was "incredibly capable" of taking over as leader and that he would not comment from the sidelines.
"I'm going to leave it up to them," he told ABC Radio.
"One of the things about being a smaller party, is that everyone is incredibly capable and everyone has been a frontbencher … there's no room for dead wood in a small party."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who days ago was re-elected in a landslide, on Thursday said the Greens had "lost their way during the last term", singling out Senator Faruqi for her attendance at a pro-Palestine sit-in outside his electorate office in Sydney's inner west.
"I find it incredible that someone who is an elected office holder in the Senate thought it was appropriate to attend those meetings," he said.
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The deputy leader was among the Greens' most vocal critics of the government's response to the war in the Middle East, with the party's messaging on the issue driving away some voters.
The party is projected to lose at least three of its four lower house seats, with the Brisbane seat of Ryan, held by Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown, still too close to call.
It is expected to hold the balance of power in the Senate.
Mr Bandt was the second federal party leader to lose his seat at this election, which also saw Coalition leader Peter Dutton ousted in Dickson.
The Liberal partyroom will hold a ballot to elect a new leader on Tuesday morning, with Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley and Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor emerging as the likely contenders.
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