2025 Australian Greens leadership election

2025 Australian Greens
leadership election

←  2022 15 May 2025

Leadership election

Candidate Larissa Waters Caucus vote Unopposed Seat Senator for Qld

Leader before election Adam Bandt Elected Leader Larissa Waters

Deputy leadership election

Candidate Mehreen Faruqi Dorinda Cox Caucus vote 9 3 Percentage 75% 25% Seat Senator for NSW Senator for WA

Deputy Leader before election Mehreen Faruqi Elected Deputy Leader Mehreen Faruqi

The 2025 Australian Greens leadership election was held on 15 May 2025 to elect the leader of the Australian Greens. ^[1]

Larissa Waters was elected unopposed to replace Adam Bandt, who resigned the leadership after losing his seat of Melbourne at the 2025 federal election. ^[2] Mehreen Faruqi was re-elected deputy leader after defeating Dorinda Cox nine votes to three. ^[3]

The Greens hold an automatic leadership election following every federal election. ^{[4] [5]} The leadership is decided by consensus within the party room (or a party room vote if consensus cannot be reached), and all previous Greens leaders have been elected unopposed. ^{[6] [7]}

Background

Following the federal election held on 3 May 2025, the Greens conceded defeat in Brisbane and Griffith, but were expected to retain Melbourne on the night of 3 May. ^[8] Bandt also said he intended to remain Greens leader, "but obviously that's up to my colleagues". ^[9]

On 7 May 2025, major media outlets projected that Bandt would lose Melbourne to Labor candidate Sarah Witty. ^{[10] [11]} He conceded defeat the following day. ^{[12] [13]} Tasmanian senator Nick McKim was appointed acting leader and stated that he would not contest the leadership election. ^{[14] [15]}

Candidates

On 14 May 2025 (one day before the leadership vote), news.com.au reported that Faruqi, Hanson-Young and Waters could all three be declared as co-leaders. ^[16]

Leader

Declared

Candidate			Electorate	Portfolio(s)
		Larissa Waters [17] [18]	Senator for Queensland	Leader of the Greens in the Senate (2020–present) Co-Deputy Leader of the Greens (2015–2017; 2018–2022)

Declined

Candidate			Electorate	Declined	Portfolio(s)
		Nick McKim [19]	Senator for Tasmania	9 May 2025 [15]	Acting Leader of the Greens (2025) Senate Whip (2021–present) Co-Deputy Leader of the Greens (2020–2022)
		David Shoebridge [20]	Senator for New South Wales	11 May 2025 [21]

Speculated

Candidate			Electorate	Portfolio(s)
		Mehreen Faruqi [22]	Senator for New South Wales	Deputy Leader of the Greens (2022–present) Spokesperson for: Education – Tertiary Anti-Racism Animal Welfare International Aid and Global Justice Republic Climate Adaptation & Resilience
		Sarah Hanson-Young [19]	Senator for South Australia	Manager of Business in the Senate (2022–present) Spokesperson for: Environment and Water Arts and Communications
		Jordon Steele-John [20]	Senator for Western Australia	Spokesperson for: Health Disability Rights and Services Foreign Affairs Peace and Nuclear Disarmament

Deputy leader

Declared

Candidate			Electorate	Portfolio(s)
		Mehreen Faruqi [3]	Senator for New South Wales	Deputy Leader of the Greens (2022–present)
		Dorinda Cox [3]	Senator for Western Australia

Speculated

Candidate			Electorate	Portfolio(s)
		David Shoebridge [19]	Senator for New South Wales	Spokesperson for: Digital Rights and IT Justice Attorney-General's Department Drug law reform Defence and Veterans' Affairs Home Affairs, Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs

Endorsements

Bandt stated prior to the vote that he would not endorse any candidate. ^[19] The Australian Young Greens formally opposed Hanson-Young becoming leader, but did not make an endorsement. ^[23]

Mehreen Faruqi

List of Mehreen Faruqi endorsements

Internal Greens groups

• Australian Greens First Nations Network ^[23]
• New South Wales Young Greens ^[23]

Sarah Hanson-Young

List of Sarah Hanson-Young endorsements

Media personalities

• Hannah Ferguson – CEO of Cheek Media ^[24]

See also

• 2025 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election
• 2025 National Party of Australia leadership spill

References

1. "Greens Leadership" (Press release). Australian Greens. 9 May 2025. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
2. Butler, Gavin (8 May 2025). "Australia Greens leader loses seat, cites 'Trump effect'". BBC News . Archived from the original on 8 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
3. Ireland, Olivia (15 May 2025). "Greens provide party update in Melbourne". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 15 May 2025. Retrieved 15 May 2025. Senator Dorinda Cox contested the deputy leader position, but only received three votes compared with Mehreen Faruqi who won nine votes.
4. "Australian Greens reaffirm leadership team". Australian Greens Victoria. 9 August 2016. Archived from the original on 12 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025. All Australian Greens parliamentary leadership positions were today spilled and reaffirmed, following routine procedures after an election.
5. Bandt, Adam [@AdamBandt] (10 June 2022). "I thank my colleagues for their strong and continued support" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 12 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025– via Twitter.
6. "Plebiscite: Method of electing the Australian Greens Leader" (PDF). Australian Greens. April 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
7. Knott, Matthew (9 May 2025). "'It's uncomfortable': Greens in uncharted territory as leadership contenders jostle". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on 9 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
8. "Greens secure highest ever vote in history, to continue to push for action on housing, climate, cost of living". Australian Greens. 3 May 2025. Archived from the original on 4 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
9. Brown, Melissa (6 May 2025). "Goldstein and Melbourne federal election counts continue to go down to the wire". ABC News . Archived from the original on 6 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
10. Evans, Jake (7 May 2025). "Greens leader Adam Bandt projected to lose in Melbourne, leaving party without its captain". ABC News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
11. Basford Canales, Sarah (7 May 2025). "PM launches attack on Max Chandler-Mather as Greens leader Adam Bandt projected to lose seat". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
12. Butler, Josh and Basford Canales, Sarah (8 May 2025). "Adam Bandt concedes defeat in seat of Melbourne as Greens leadership talks loom". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
13. Staszewska, Ewa; Ritchie, Hannah; Aidone, David (8 May 2025). "Dutton fires back at Bandt, says he is 'proud' to have helped oust Greens leader". SBS News. Archived from the original on 8 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
14. "Statement on the results for Melbourne". Australian Greens. 8 May 2025. Archived from the original on 9 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
15. Truu, Maani and Viñales, Pablo (9 May 2025). "Nick McKim rules himself out of leadership and calls for 'unity' after Bandt loss". ABC News. Archived from the original on 9 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
16. Roulston, Amy; Godsell, Oscar (14 May 2025). "Greens consider historic three-way leadership team of Faruqi, Hanson-Young and Waters after Bandt election defeat". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 15 May 2025. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
17. Holloway, Josh (8 May 2025). "Greens' election hubris – how the minor party lost its way and now its leader". The Conversation . Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
18. McKay, Jack (13 May 2025). "Senator Larissa Waters won't rule out leadership tilt as Greens claim Ryan". ABC News. Archived from the original on 13 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
19. Morton, Adam; Butler, Josh; and Basford Canales, Sarah (9 May 2025). "Former Greens leaders urge party to stand up to Labor 'arrogance' as jockeying begins to replace Bandt". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
20. Tillett, Andrew and Hall, James (8 May 2025). "Bandt's defeat unleashes scramble for Greens leadership" . Australian Financial Review . Archived from the original on 9 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
21. Godsell, Oscar (11 May 2025). "Greens leadership battle unfolds with 'big shoes' to fill after Adam Bandt failed to be re-elected in formerly safe Melbourne seat". Sky News Australia . Archived from the original on 11 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
22. Gould, Courtney; Rawling, Caitlin; and Thorpe, Andrew (8 May 2025). "Federal politics: Mark Dreyfus and Ed Husic dumped from Labor frontbench in factional carve-up — as it happened". ABC News. Faruqi denies she's been canvassing to be next Greens leader. Archived from the original on 13 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
23. Ison, Sarah; Taylor, Paige (14 May 2025). "Lidia Thorpe eyes outcome of Greens leadership". The Australian. Archived from the original on 14 May 2025. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
24. "Cheek Media chief Hannah Ferguson to run for Senate, endorses Sarah Hanson-Young". The Guardian. 14 May 2025. Archived from the original on 14 May 2025. Retrieved 14 May 2025.