Federal election 2025: Greens relish powerful position despite losing leader

Soul-searching after losing their leader, the Greens believe there’s still one way they can push the government hard.

Adam Bandt’s loss in Melbourne, which he had held since 2010, has left the Greens without a leader - colleagues Chandler-Mather and Stephen Bates also lost their lower-house seats.

Senator Nick McKim has taken the interim position of acting leader but has ruled himself out of the leadership race.

The Greens will hold a partyroom meeting on Thursday to decide their next leader.

Senator McKim, who previously led the Tasmanian Greens and served as co-deputy nationally, said it was “not his time”.

“If you’re going to lead a political party you have to be prepared to give it 120 per cent,” he said in Hobart on Friday.

Deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi and Sarah Hanson-Young are early frontrunners for the party’s top job, along with Senate leader Larissa Waters and high-profile senator David Shoebridge.

“(We have) a number of terrific leadership candidates. A number ... (will) throw their hat into the ring,” Senator McKim said.

“There are already conversations under way, but I’m not going to make any predictions.”

Elizabeth Watson-Brown is expected to retain the seat of Ryan in Queensland and will be the sole Greens MP in the lower house.

Despite the party losing ground in the lower house, it has maintained its 11 seats in the upper house and now boasts sole balance of power in the Senate.

Senator McKim took a shot at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has called on the crossbench to “get out of the way” of Labor’s housing policies.

“(He’s shown) more than a whiff of arrogance and hubris,” Senator McKim said.

“The Greens were not elected to the Senate to get out of the way.

“We were elected to hold Anthony Albanese to account and make him act on issues of the environment, climate and social and economic justice.”

The Greens, who campaigned heavily on housing and the war in Gaza, have faced criticism for straying from their core principles of advocating for action on climate change and environmental protections.

Greens co-founder Drew Hutton says the party needs to address internal issues and broaden its appeal to voters, while former Greens senator Andrew Bartlett is urging for a thorough post-election review.

While the Greens have been wounded by the loss of their leader, their power in shaping legislation has arguably increased.

Despite having four lower house MPs in the previous parliament, Labor’s majority in the House of Representatives essentially made them redundant.

But with Labor increasing its Senate numbers and the Greens holding onto 11 seats, the minor party has the balance of power.

Labor can pass legislation opposed by the coalition with only the support of the Greens and without needing the help of independent senators.