ACT Greens leader quits after controversial push to join forces with Liberals
A 17-year-long career in politics has sensationally ended in a resignation after a controversial move to make a working agreement between the Greens and the Liberal Party.
ACT Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury is leaving politics after a 17-year political career and just weeks after party members rejected a controversial push to enter a power-sharing arrangement with the Liberals to end Labor’s dominance in the territory.
Announcing his departure on Monday morning, the former Attorney General and member for the inner-Canberra electorate of Kurrajong described serving in the ACT Assembly as the “privilege of my life”.
“For my entire time in this place, the Greens have held the balance of power, and that has been such an interesting journey,” he said.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“It’s had its challenges and it’s certainly had its sense of responsibility, particularly the terms where there were eight Liberal members, eight Labor members and just me.”
“This job requires an enormous amount of dedication, as all my colleagues in this place know, and the opportunity to have different weekends to spend time with people to celebrate those things, to not miss some of the things that happen, is something I’m really looking forward to.”
In the last ACT election held in October 2024, the Greens lost two of their six seats and ended their coalition arrangement with the Labor Government which has been in power since 2001.
Earlier this year Mr Rattenbury confirmed he had discussed the idea of a power-sharing arrangement with Canberra Liberals leader Mark Parton, but the idea was voted down by Greens party members.
“It was a robust discussion, no doubt about it, but certainly at this point in time, there is no support for more formal arrangements with the Liberals in the current context,” Mr Rattenbury said in January.
At the time Federal Greens Leader Larissa Waters also told the ACT branch that a deal to govern with the Liberals to oust ACT Labor would not be in the best interests of the party in Canberra or anywhere else.
A spokesperson for Senator Waters said she had shared that view with the ACT Greens and believed the Australian Greens needed to be a strong and independent voice.
