Australian Greens begin leadership transition after Larissa Waters steps down

Larissa Waters has stepped down as leader of the Australian Greens after a chronic kidney condition worsened. The Queensland senator said doctors expect her to recover but advised a slower pace than party leadership allows. She will take medical leave and intends to return to her Senate duties rather than leave parliament.

The Greens are expected to select a new leader at a party-room meeting next week. Deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi and senators Sarah Hanson-Young, David Shoebridge and Nick McKim have been identified in Australian reporting as possible contenders, but no successor had been chosen when Worldbrief published this article. ABC News, the Guardian and SBS independently reported Waters' announcement and the planned transition.

Waters became leader in May 2025 after Adam Bandt lost his lower-house seat. During her tenure, the party negotiated changes to environmental legislation and used its Senate position in debates over gun laws and disability funding. Her departure therefore affects more than the party's public profile: the next leader will inherit a parliamentary group capable of influencing legislation when the government needs additional Senate support. Waters' health prognosis is described as positive, but the timing of her return remains a personal and medical matter.