Greens leader Larissa Waters wants a new term of parliament with 'heart'

Australia Broadcast Center

15-05-2025

Larissa Waters never imagined she would end up the leader of her party when she became the first Queenslander to win for the Greens in 2010.
Senator Waters was chosen unanimously by her party yesterday to be its fifth federal leader, after days of zealous internal conversations on whether she, Mehreen Faruqi or Sarah Hanson-Young would succeed as leader after the unexpected defeat of Adam Bandt.
In one of her first interviews as leader, Senator Waters emphasised to the ABC her desire for the next parliament to be more constructive, and have "heart", but said she would not shy away from the tough stance the Greens took on issues like housing in the past term.
"I want to see a progressive parliament, and I want to see politics with heart again. I think people are fed up with the shoutiness, they're fed up with politicians talking about themselves all the time," Senator Waters said.
First-term Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather rocketed to prominence over the past term with his uncompromising stance on the government's signature housing commitment to establish a $10 billion fund to enable thousands more social housing properties.
But Labor campaigned heavily on the idea that the Greens had obstructed housing progress in the party's three Queensland seats in the months leading up to the federal election.
Mr Chandler-Mather and Stephen Bates both lost their seats at that election, with the former Greens housing spokesperson also suffering a swing against him.
Senator Waters, who has emphasised she will take a "firm but constructive" approach to this term, said the Greens took the right approach with housing.
"There are people now who are going to have somewhere to live because of those tough negotiations. I'm proud of that," Senator Waters said.
"No one can argue with $3.5 billion extra dollars for social housing."
On one of the most heated political issues of last term, the conflict in Gaza, Senator Waters held fast to the Greens' stance.
"Anyone watching what's happening in Gaza, their hearts break. And our government at the moment is still in a two-way arms trade with that regime. We need peace, we need a ceasefire, of course we need those hostages released, but we need to make sure that Australia and every other country is increasing the pressure to make sure the genocide which is unfolding before us can stop," she said.
"We're not doing this because we think it's good for votes. We're doing this because we think it's the right thing to do."
A United Nations report earlier this year accused Israel of "genocidal acts", which was rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as false, biased and antisemitic.
But while the Greens have a broad policy platform, Senator Waters signalled her focus this term would be on the "daily needs" of people and the environmental and climate concerns at the heart of the party.
Senator Waters is considered within the Greens as one of its strongest policy heads, informed by a legal mind developed as an environmental lawyer.
While colleagues say she is able to be tough, she is less combative than others within the party, and she is seen as a unifying choice after the Greens lost its leader.
Senator Waters said that choice was still sinking in, but it was one that "thrilled" and "humbled" her.
In her press conference yesterday, the senator attached two labels to herself, 'environmental lawyer' and 'feminist', that have guided much of her parliamentary career.
And over her tenure she has held the environment and women's portfolios for the Greens.
The Greens leader said she looked forward to "getting stuff done" in a new term of parliament.
"Our emphasis will continue to be making sure people's daily needs are met, and making sure the planet is looked after," the senator said.
Senator Waters made headlines globally in 2016 when she became the first woman to breastfeed in parliament.
She was a fierce campaigner to end the "tampon tax" — the GST applied to menstrual products that was ultimately lifted in 2019 — and has also pushed for more access to reproductive healthcare and menopause treatments for women.
The senator said she would continue to fight on women's inequality as Greens leader.
"We've got more than one woman still being killed every week by a partner or a former partner, and those rates are not coming down," she said.
"And we still have women's refuges who are having to turn people away because they don't have enough funding to provide a bed for everyone who needs one.
"In a wealthy country like ours, that is appalling and it needs to be fixed. I look forward to having some constructive discussions."