Queensland Greens founder considers legal action after being expelled from party

The Guardian

21-07-2025

The founder of the Queensland Greens is considering both his legal and political options after being officially expelled from the party over what it considers his pursuit of debate harmful to trans people but that he frames as an issue of free speech.
The decision to terminate Drew Hutton's life membership of the Greens was upheld by delegates of the state branches on Sunday, who voted to back the findings of the party's Constitution and Arbitration Committee (CAC) and reject Hutton's appeal.
'This decision reflects the Greens' position as endorsed by its membership – that trans rights are non-negotiable human rights, a position publicly reaffirmed in 2022,' Queensland Greens convener Gemmia Burden said in a statement.
'No one should be subjected to violence or hate speech on the basis of their gender, nor their race, sexual identity, ethnicity or religion.
'It is disheartening to see that Mr Hutton has prioritised his perceived right to free speech over the safety of others.'
Hutton issued his own statement declaring that the party he founded had 'lost its way'.
'They have abandoned the historic mission I believed they had when I founded the party, a mission to help bring about an ecologically sustainable world,' he said.
Hutton told the Guardian he was seeking legal opinion and also considering 'political options'.
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The official story of the termination of Hutton's membership began in June 2022 when Hutton took to Facebook with a series of posts and comments weighing into moves to annul the election of the state convener in Victoria and expel a member from the New South Wales party over what the Greens deemed to be their transphobic comments and writings.
Hutton labelled these moves 'authoritarian and antidemocratic' and his post generated heated discussion, some of which he himself deemed 'hurtful and disrespectful'.
After a complaint against him, the CAC found that while Hutton himself had not demeaned trans women, he had provided a platform for others to do so and it suspended his membership until such time as he deleted a post criticising the Greens and removed the offending comments made by others.
A near two-year standoff ensued in which Hutton abided by the CAC's directive he remain silent but refused to delete the comments on the grounds of free speech, during which time he had no recourse to an appeal.
The deadlock broke open in March 2025 when Hutton spoke to the Saturday Paper and later to the Guardian in July. In the interim, Hutton began increasingly sharing articles and opinions on Facebook that criticised what he called 'trans extremists'.
These actions saw his membership terminated, enabling Hutton Sunday's avenue of internal appeal.
Burden said Hutton's conduct had breached the Queensland Greens code of ethics.
'Throughout this process the former member has refused to engage fairly with the party, sought and expected special treatment and used the media to prosecute his case,' she said.
'The party maintained confidentiality in accordance with its rules.'
The Queensland Greens convener said the weekend's decision confirmed 'that party rules apply to everyone' and that 'whether you're a new member or have been one for a long time', the Greens party was a place where everyone would be 'free from discrimination'.
'No member is above the need to treat others with respect, and seeking to weaponise internal processes to pursue personal grievances does not advance the Queensland Greens' work on environmental, climate, economic and social justice,' she said.
Hutton said he believed his expulsion signaled 'a crisis point' for the Greens, who have seen their political gains erode in Queensland in recent state and federal elections.
'People are starting to see the Greens as weird and unlikable,' Hutton said.