In a shock announcement, Queensland Senator Larissa Waters has announced she is stepping down as Leader of the Australian Greens.
In a statement to supporters, Senator Waters said, ‘For some time now I’ve been quietly managing chronic kidney disease alongside doing the work I love. But recently it’s taken a downturn, and I need to be honest with myself about not being invincible.
‘My doctors have been clear: my prospects for recovery are good, but the best path forward means a slower pace of life than leading a political party allows.
‘Friends, you know that we don’t have time to waste. The battle for a safer climate, a fairer country, and against the corporate greed gripping Australia is here, and it’s urgent. It can’t waste a day, and nor can the Greens.’
Significant wins
‘Across the past year and a half, the Greens movement has had some significant wins.
In November 2025, after years of false starts and weeks of hard negotiation, we secured the long-overdue overhaul of Australia’s 25-year-old environment laws.
‘Because of the Greens, native forest logging is being brought under national environmental standards, land clearing has been restricted, and we kept coal and gas projects out of the fast lane for approvals.
‘After the horrific antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach, we moved quickly to make gun safety a priority. We backed the reforms and pushed the government to separate them from a rushed and flawed omnibus bill so they could pass without delay. In January this year, parliament passed laws funding a national gun buyback that promises to save lives and make our communities safer.
‘I’m really sad that illness has cut my time as leader short. But our Greens movement is too important, and I want to pass the torch over to someone who is ready to take up the fight
‘I’ll be taking some medical leave, and I’ll be back in the Senate as soon as I can, as one of your two Greens Senators for Queensland. Being your leader has been an extraordinary experience and an honour, and I want to thank you for what we’ve achieved together.
‘The Greens are a people-powered movement: members knocking on doors, volunteers staffing polling booths, supporters chipping in what they can, and communities who refuse to accept that politics has to serve corporate interests rather than people. That’s our strength, and it’s why I know this party is in good hands.
‘Look after each other. The best days of this movement are ahead of us.’
In coming days, the Greens will hold a partyroom meeting to decide who will succeed Larissa Waters as leader. With Ms Waters not having had enough time to stamp her authority on the role, it may be a crucial decision for the future of the party.
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