Will Mehreen Faruqi become the next far-left leader of the Greens? What insiders say about her chances after Larissa Waters stepped down
Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi has emerged as a leading contender to replace Larissa Waters following the latter's resignation due to kidney disease. Faruqi commands strong support from the party's activist base, particularly those advocating for a more confrontational stance towards Labor and greater emphasis on social justice and Palestinian rights. The race reflects deepening divisions within the party between incrementalists willing to negotiate policy wins and activists sceptical of compromises, with the leadership outcome likely to determine the Greens' strategic direction going forward.
Several candidates are being considered, though Faruqi appears to be the grassroots favourite. Sarah Hanson-Young faces activist opposition partly owing to her husband's connections as a political lobbyist, whilst David Shoebridge is also regarded as a potential strong contender, particularly if party members seek a unifying leader. The leadership race comes at a challenging time for the party, which lost three of its four lower house seats in 2025, including Melbourne, its former stronghold, and is currently riven by internal disputes over climate policy and carbon offsets.
- Mehreen Faruqi frontrunner to lead Greens after Larissa Waters steps down
- Party divided between activists wanting confrontational stance and incrementalists accepting compromise
- Greens lost significant electoral ground in 2025, now facing leadership transition
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Greens' authenticity and electoral strength rest upon grassroots activists and members demanding principled stances on social and environmental justice. Faruqi represents this genuine voice—the animating force behind party volunteers and voters who seek clear moral leadership on climate action and Palestinian rights. The party's electoral decline cannot be arrested by drifting rightward toward Labour incrementalism; voters hungry for substantive alternatives deserve a leader who refuses compromises on core values, offering the Greens genuine differentiation in the political marketplace and a foundation to rebuild trust with their committed base.
The case against
The Greens have shed three lower house seats, including their former stronghold of Melbourne, which suggests that confrontational positioning and purity politics do not translate into electoral success or legislative influence. Effective leadership requires the party to mature beyond activist performance and focus upon practical coalition-building—negotiating concrete policy wins with Labour rather than engaging in symbolic opposition. A unifying candidate such as Shoebridge can heal the party's internal rifts, appeal to swing voters, and ensure the Greens actually implement environmental policies through genuine influence rather than merely virtue-signal about them from the margins.