Queensland senator Larissa Waters unanimously elected as new Greens leader, calls for ‘progressive Parliament’

New Federal Greens leader Larissa Waters has vowed to “get s..t done” with Labor, while also maintaining her party’s hard-line stance on ”calling out genocide”.

The minor party’s 11 senators and lone MP met in Melbourne on Thursday, when the Queensland senator as been unanimously elected as Greens’ fifth parliamentary leader after Adam Bandt’s shock defeat in the seat of Melbourne.

NSW senator Mehreen Faruqi will remain on as deputy leader, while Sarah Hanson-Young will be the Greens’ manager of business.

Senator Waters, who was first elected in 2011 after a career as an environmental lawyer, is seen as a unifier of the party and takes over after the Greens lost three of its four lower-house seats in this month’s election.

The party held steady in the Senate, and now holds the sole balance of power in the Upper House.

Senator Waters said she was “thrilled” to be appointed leader, the first from Queensland, and acknowledged the party had “a lot of work to do”. She said she would take a “different approach” to Mr Bandt.

She said she wanted to see a “progressive parliament” and “politics with heart”, as she rejected criticism the minor party had gone too hard on social justice issues over the recent years - especially on Gaza.

“We stand firm always on social justice and human rights, whether that’s First Nations justice, whether that’s a free Palestine, whether that’s peace and human rights globally, we will always be there calling out atrocities, calling out a genocide and standing strongly on social justice and human rights,” Senator Waters said.

She said the Greens would remain “firm but constructive” against Labor, but hoped the Government was “bold” and made the most of the opportunity the senate now presented it.

“There’s a chance now for real reform that helps people, and that’s what the Greens want to encourage and work with the Labor government to do,” she said.

“They can’t blame anyone else now, because we’re saying here, we will give you the numbers in the Senate to pass good reforms that helps people and helps the planet. People elected us to get shit done, and that’s what we intend to do.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has claimed the Greens were punished by voters for their hard-line stances on housing reform, Gaza, and the environment.

Senator Faruqi, who has attracted criticism from Mr Albanese for her role in a months-long protest outside his electorate office, said the Party “will not be taking a step back”. She said that voters had “backed us for speaking the truth and standing against the genocide in Gaza”.

“People want us to fight for them and the planet, and that is exactly what we will be doing,” she said.

“People have voted for the Greens to hold the sole balance of power in the senate, and we will not let them down.”

Nick McKim will be party whip, supported by Penny Allman-Payne as deputy whip and party room chair.

Former Greens leaders Bob Brown, Christine Milne, Richard Di Natale and Mr Bandt all congratulated Senator Waters on her appointment.

Mr Brown said the world was facing an “existential crisis”, and it was imperative there was a strong Greens’ party.

“With the Albanese Government saying it intends to address our weak and outdated Nature laws, it is critical that there is a strong Greens voice injecting the dire state of the natural world into the debates. Larissa will do that splendidly,” he said.

Mr Bandt, to whom Senator Waters paid tribute on Thursday and said she intended to “strong arm” him to return to the party, said she was the right person for the job ahead.

“As Australia faces a growing climate crisis and as inequality gets worse, Larissa’s integrity, intelligence and strong sense of justice are just what this country needs,” Mr Bandt said.