Larissa Waters

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Waters was forced to resign from the Senate on 18 July 2017, after it was uncovered that she was a dual Canadian-Australian citizen, thereby making her ineligible to be elected under section 44 of the Australian Constitution. [12] [13] Her resignation came four days after her fellow Greens co-deputy leader Scott Ludlam had resigned from the Senate over dual citizenship, which prompted several other MPs and Senators to clarify their citizenship status. [14] Waters stated that she had previously believed she was solely an Australian citizen, and if she had wished to gain Canadian citizenship she would have needed to take active steps before age 21, but had recently discovered she had in fact held dual citizenship since birth. [15] Her seat was filled by a recount, which saw former Australian Democrats leader Andrew Bartlett, who held the second position after Waters on the Greens' 2016 Senate ticket in Queensland, return to the Senate. [16]

On 8 August 2017, Waters announced that she had renounced her Canadian citizenship and declared her intent to stand for Greens preselection and return to parliament at the next federal election. [17] The High Court handed down its decision on 27 October 2017 and ruled that Waters was invalidly elected. [18]

Return

On 3 April 2018, Waters was announced as the Queensland Greens lead Senate candidate for the next federal election, with Andrew Bartlett instead opting to contest the lower house seat of Brisbane. [19] On 16 June 2018, Bartlett announced that he would resign from the senate at the end of August, and Waters was preselected to fill the resulting casual vacancy ahead of the election. [20] On 6 September 2018, the Parliament of Queensland re-appointed Waters to the Senate. [21] The Greens party room returned Waters to the co-deputy leadership on 4 December 2018. [22]

Waters was re-elected as a Senator for Queensland at the 2019 federal election, where she received 9.9% of the state's vote, as well as a 3.12-point swing in her favour. [23]

In February 2020, Greens leader Richard Di Natale resigned and was succeeded by Adam Bandt.[ citation needed ] Unlike his predecessors as Greens leader, including Di Natale, Bandt was a member of the House of Representatives and this resulted in Waters, as one of the co-deputy leaders, becoming the leader of the Greens in the Senate. [24] This made her the second woman to lead the Greens in the Senate after Christine Milne. [13]

In March 2021, Waters issued an apology to federal minister Peter Dutton for comments made on Twitter accusing him of being an "inhuman, sexist rape apologist". [25] In her apology, Waters said that there was no basis for those allegations. [26]

Leader of the Australian Greens

Waters became the leader of the Australian Greens following Adam Bandt's loss of the seat of Melbourne during the 2025 Australian federal election. Waters was selected from 11 other senators, including Mehreen Faruqi and Sarah Hanson-Young, who also ran for candidacy, and one lower-house MP. [27]

As of May 2025, Water is second-longest serving Green in parliament, after Sarah Hanson-Young. [13]

Political concerns

Waters' political concerns include environmental protection, gender equity, ending gender-based violence, and addressing the influence of and large donations by corporations. [13]

Personal life

Waters has one child with journalist Brendan O'Malley, born in 2009. Waters and O'Malley separated in 2013. [28] Waters has another child born in 2016, who made Australian political history by becoming the first baby to be breastfed in the Senate chamber in 2017. [29]

References

  1. ↑ Glasgow, Will; Lacy, Chris (9 February 2017). "Aussie Post chief Ahmed Fahour loves his privacy". The Australian. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  2. ↑ Crowley, Tom (15 May 2025). "Larissa Waters becomes Greens leader in 'consensus' decision". ABC News.
  3. ↑ "Senator Larissa Waters". Parliament of Australia. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  4. ↑ Dennehy, Kate (25 July 2010). "History beckons for Greens Senate contender". Brisbane Times . Fairfax Media. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  5. ↑ Crockford, Toby; Holdsworth, Matty (12 June 2023). "Old school ties: Where Qld powerbrokers went to school". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  6. ↑ Gillett, Patrick (5 February 2009). "Queensland state Green party to run environmental lawyer in treasurer's electorate". Wikinews . Wikimedia Foundation. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  7. ↑ "Elections – 2006 State General Election – Brisbane Central – District Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  8. ↑ "QLD State Election Results – Mount Coot-tha". Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  9. ↑ "Senate Results – Queensland – 2010 Federal Election". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  10. ↑ "Newly elected co-deputy Larissa Waters wants Greens to stick to environmental ethos", ABC News, 7 May 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  11. ↑ "Federal Election 2016: Senate Results". Australia Votes. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  12. ↑ Jabour, Bridie (17 July 2017). "Larissa Waters quits as Greens senator over dual citizenship with Canada". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Fioritti, Nathan (15 May 2025). "Fresh start for the Greens, with new leader Larissa Waters". The Conversation . Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  14. ↑ Berlinger, Joshua (18 July 2017). "Larissa Waters, other Australian senator resign for citizenship violations". CNN. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  15. ↑ Waters, Larissa. "Statement from Senator Larissa Waters". GreensMPs. Australian Greens . Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  16. ↑ Belot, Henry (18 July 2017). "Larissa Waters, deputy Greens leader, quits in latest citizenship bungle". abc.net.au. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  17. ↑ Yaxley, Louise (8 August 2017). "Larissa Waters: Former Greens deputy plans Senate comeback after renouncing Canadian citizenship". ABC News. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  18. ↑ "Live: Turnbull loses majority but keeps control as High Court boots Joyce out". ABC News. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  19. ↑ Remeikis, Amy (3 April 2018). "Larissa Waters closer to Senate return after winning Greens preselection". Guardian Australia . Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  20. ↑ Gribbin, Caitlyn (16 June 2018). "Andrew Bartlett to quit as Greens senator to make way for Larissa Waters' return". ABC News . Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  21. ↑ "Waters to return to Senate". Illawarra Mercury. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  22. ↑ "Larissa Waters returns to Greens Co-Deputy Leader role". Australian Greens. 4 December 2018.
  23. ↑ "Senate Results – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". ABC News. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  24. ↑ "Senator Larissa Waters". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  25. ↑ Whitbourn, Michaela (26 April 2021). "Peter Dutton sues refugee advocate over 'rape apologist' tweet". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  26. ↑ "Apology to Peter Dutton". Larissa-waters.greensmps.org.au. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  27. ↑ "Larissa Waters chosen as new Greens leader". ABC News. 15 May 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  28. ↑ "Senator Waters: 'Sometimes I think I'm failing at motherhood'". Mamamia. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  29. ↑ Merhab, Belinda (20 May 2017). "History made as Larissa Waters breastfeeds baby daughter in Senate". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
Senator
Larissa Waters
Larissa Waters 2019.png
Leader of the Australian Greens
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 May 2025
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Australian Greens
2025–present		Incumbent
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