New Greens leader David Shoebridge declares Greens ‘here to replace’ Labor
Shoebridge at a post-ballot news conference focused on the Greens going after Labor, arguing it had left a vacuum by ‘rushing to the right’.
New Greens leader David Shoebridge has declared that the Greens are here to replace the Labor party, in a strong critique of the party after they chose him to succeed ill-health-afflicted Larissa Waters. Speaking at a post-ballot news conference, Shoebridge argued that Labor had "rushed to the right" and that the Greens were the best positioned to combat One Nation.
He insisted that the Greens were not there to make Labor any better, but rather to replace them. Shoebridge, 55, was elected to the Senate in 2022 and has been a strong communicator in the media. He is seen as a compromise choice by the party, which holds the balance of power in the Senate. The Greens' new deputy leader is Senator Steph Hodgins-May, 41, who has been in the Senate since 2024.
The Greens currently have ten senators and one lower house MP. In the leadership vote, Shoebridge received seven votes and Hodgins-May secured six. The source of the story also mentions that Waters intends to return to the Senate after taking medical leave.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 5 other outlets
- Breaking: David Shoebridge named new Greens leader after three-way contest abc.net.au
- David Shoebridge launches leadership bid ahead of Greens ballot at party retreat theguardian.com
- Can David Shoebridge revive the Greens? crikey.com.au
- New Greens leader vows party will "replace Labor" theage.com.au
- New Greens leader vows party will "replace Labor" smh.com.au
