David Shoebridge is one of parliament’s best operators. His new task as Greens leader is far broader

David Shoebridge has been appointed as the new leader of the Greens party, with Steph Hodgins-May appointed as deputy. The decision was made by the party room in Sydney following a three-way contest that included former deputy Mehreen Faruqi and Sarah Hanson-Young, the Senate business manager for the Greens. The contest followed the sudden resignation of party leader Larissa Waters, who stepped down due to her chronic kidney disease.

Senator Shoebridge, a senator for New South Wales since 2022, won the vote with seven votes. He stated that the Greens aim to address the vacuum left by the Labor Party as it moves further to the right, and to fill the void created by the current political climate. Senator Shoebridge highlighted issues such as corporate greed, the gas lobby, AUKUS, artificial intelligence, and fossil fuel billionaires as areas of concern.

At a press conference, he emphasized that this is a pivotal moment in politics, and the party is ready to take on the challenges that people are desperately seeking answers for today.