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| Larissa Waters elected new federal Greens leader with Mehreen Faruqi chosen as deputy | |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Queensland senator chosen after minor party’s 11 senators and lone MP meet in Melbourne | Queensland senator chosen after minor party’s 11 senators and lone MP meet in Melbourne |
| Queensland senator Larissa Waters has been elected the new federal Greens leader. | Queensland senator Larissa Waters has been elected the new federal Greens leader. |
| The minor party’s 11 senators and lone MP met in Melbourne on Thursday afternoon to agree on its fifth parliamentary leader after Adam Bandt was unexpectedly ousted from Melbourne at the May election. | The minor party’s 11 senators and lone MP met in Melbourne on Thursday afternoon to agree on its fifth parliamentary leader after Adam Bandt was unexpectedly ousted from Melbourne at the May election. |
| Waters was unanimously elected and the leadership ballot was uncontested, the Greens said in a media release. | |
| NSW senator Mehreen Faruqi was re-elected as deputy leader. Nick McKim will continue as the party whip with Penny Allman-Payne as deputy whip and party room chair. | |
| South Australian senator Sarah Hanson-Young, the longest-serving Greens member in the federal parliament, had been expected to nominate herself for the top role. Hanson-Young will be the Greens manager of business. | |
| Ahead of Thursday’s meeting, party sources told Guardian Australia Waters would be a reluctant but effective next leader. She was described by insiders as a good character to unify the party. | Ahead of Thursday’s meeting, party sources told Guardian Australia Waters would be a reluctant but effective next leader. She was described by insiders as a good character to unify the party. |
| One party source, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said Waters had both “depth” and “integrity”. | One party source, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said Waters had both “depth” and “integrity”. |
| “Leadership is bigger than a single individual or a single soundbite. Larissa has got the skills and the character to carry our collective forward,” they said. | “Leadership is bigger than a single individual or a single soundbite. Larissa has got the skills and the character to carry our collective forward,” they said. |
| Waters was first elected to the Senate in 2011 but was forced to resign in July 2017 after discovering she held Canadian citizenship during parliament’s eligibility crisis. | Waters was first elected to the Senate in 2011 but was forced to resign in July 2017 after discovering she held Canadian citizenship during parliament’s eligibility crisis. |
| The Queensland senator returned to the upper house in September 2018 to fill a vacancy upon renouncing her citizenship. | The Queensland senator returned to the upper house in September 2018 to fill a vacancy upon renouncing her citizenship. |
| Waters was previously a co-deputy leader to Bandt, and to former leader Richard Di Natale at various times between 2015 and 2022. She holds the Senate leadership position. | |
| As the party’s spokesperson for women, Waters played a role in shaping the independent parliamentary workplace watchdog based on recommendations from Kate Jenkins’ report into the culture in Parliament House. | As the party’s spokesperson for women, Waters played a role in shaping the independent parliamentary workplace watchdog based on recommendations from Kate Jenkins’ report into the culture in Parliament House. |
| The Greens have been reduced to a single lower house MP – Ryan’s Elizabeth Watson-Brown – after the May election, with minor primary vote swings against Bandt and two Queensland incumbents, Max Chandler-Mather and Stephen Bates. | The Greens have been reduced to a single lower house MP – Ryan’s Elizabeth Watson-Brown – after the May election, with minor primary vote swings against Bandt and two Queensland incumbents, Max Chandler-Mather and Stephen Bates. |
| The Greens have maintained the losses were due to a drop in votes for the Liberal party favouring Labor candidates, as well as reduction in favourable preference flows. | The Greens have maintained the losses were due to a drop in votes for the Liberal party favouring Labor candidates, as well as reduction in favourable preference flows. |
| In a statement on Thursday afternoon, Di Natale described the Queensland senator as a “terrific deputy” during his time as leader. | |
| “Larissa has fifteen years experience in Parliament working hard to strengthen our democracy, create a more just society and uphold the rights of women. She was a terrific deputy during my time as Leader and I always appreciated her policy expertise, friendship and her sheer hard work.” | |
| Di Natale told Guardian Australia’s Full Story podcast on Thursday it was important the party united behind the new leader. | Di Natale told Guardian Australia’s Full Story podcast on Thursday it was important the party united behind the new leader. |
| “It’s really important that it’s a united team and that that team support the leader and help them through what’s a bloody tough job,” he said. | “It’s really important that it’s a united team and that that team support the leader and help them through what’s a bloody tough job,” he said. |