The Greens could have a new leader by Wednesday, at a two-day party meeting starting in Sydney. The former leader, Adam Bandt, has stated that the new leader will face growing pressure from members to block government projects approved by Anthony Albanese in any way.
Bandt told Guardian Australia that the new leader would not be allowed to let the government approve any new fossil fuel developments. He cited key climate flashpoints ahead of the next election, including whether the government would approve the Woodside gas project near Scott Reef in northern Western Australia, whether it would allow gas fracking in the Beetaloo basin, and whether data centres would be allowed to use fracking gas. Band highlighted that there is no parliamentary blocker to stop new coal and gas mines, nor to stop deforestation.
The leadership change follows the announcement by Larissa Waters on Monday evening that she would step down from the leadership of the Greens. She revealed that she is dealing with chronic kidney disease and that her health has 'deteriorated significantly in recent months'. She stated that the pressure of leading the party, including additional travel requirements, had detracted from her focus on her health, but she stated that her prognosis for recovery is positive.
On Tuesday, South Australian senator Sarah Hanson-Young announced her candidacy for the leadership of the Greens. The senator from New South Wales, David Shoebridge, did not rule out or confirm his own candidacy, while deputy leader Mehreen Farquhar announced her intention to run on a joint ticket with Nick McKinnon.
Former leader Bob Brown described Waters as an 'excellent' leader, but warned that the new leader would need to show they can extract significant reforms from the government. He said the next leader has the opportunity to face not only One Nation but also the failures of the government, and that they must be able to deal with Anthony Albanese and Pauline Hanson. 'A very, very strong negotiator is needed, not just for incremental changes but for major changes,' Brown said.
Band added that the progressive movement has grown overall, pointing to strong public support for the gas tax. He said the government had abandoned any reform of this tax, and that the campaign for the gas tax had mobilised over 70,000 people to call for a review of the decision to drill gas at Scott Reef. Band and Brown defended the reach of the party, stating that the Greens are reaching the public, comparing this to the rise in support for progressives such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Brown said that the Greens are 'an antidote to people who are desperate for politics' and that they have grown in the polls under the leadership of Larissa Waters, and he expects this trend to continue, or even escalate. 'There will be surprises between now and 2028, and one of them will be the Greens, who are often taken for granted,' he said.
Polling data shows a mixed picture for the party. The Greens received 12.22 per cent of the primary vote in 2025, compared to 12.25 per cent in 2022. Newspoll in 2026 showed a primary vote for the Greens of 13 per cent in August and September, while the poll of the newspaper recorded 15 per cent in March, falling to 13 per cent in July and August, and falling to 11 per cent in September. The Redbridge Group and the poll in the Financial Review showed the Greens at 14 per cent in June, falling to 12 per cent in August. At the same time, One Nation is seeing a rise in popularity in 2026, while the base of the Greens has not increased significantly.
The former representative of the Greens, Max Chandler-Mather, used an open letter to call on the party to elect a new leader, not just representatives. The member of the upper house of the New South Wales state parliament, Sue Higginson, said that her party was finding it harder to break through in the media against other parties with significant financial resources. Band, meanwhile, has become the chief executive of the Australian Conservation Foundation.
