Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi is being viewed as a front-runner to succeed Larissa Waters, who announced on Monday that she would leave the leadership after revealing she has kidney disease.
Faruqi is expected to seek the top job with strong backing from the party’s activist wing, including members calling for a tougher stance towards Labor and greater emphasis on social justice and Palestinian rights.
The Pakistani-born NSW senator has built considerable support among grassroots Greens organisations over several years.
In 2025, the Blak Greens, a group made up of First Nations members, formally endorsed Faruqi. The organisation also signed an open letter coordinated by the NSW Young Greens that backed her leadership ambitions.
Her position was strengthened further when the Blak Greens passed a motion urging that Faruqi replace Indigenous senator Dorinda Cox as the party’s spokesperson on First Nations issues.
The motion stated: “The First Nations portfolio (must) be moved to Senator Mehreen Faruqi.”
The meeting also took aim at Cox, a former police officer whose moderate political outlook has faced sustained criticism from sections of the Greens’ left faction.
Those divisions ultimately played a role in Cox’s move to Labor, following her growing dissatisfaction with parts of the Greens membership and the party’s internal culture.
Mehreen Faruqi (pictured) is regarded as one of the leading candidates to become the next Greens leader
The Blak Greens also sought to rule out another potential successor, passing a resolution opposing a leadership bid by South Australian senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
The group argued that Hanson-Young would not be effective in advancing Greens policies on First Nations affairs, racial and social justice, or Palestinian liberation.
The Australian Young Greens adopted a comparable motion rejecting the possibility of Hanson-Young taking over the leadership.
Despite her experience and lengthy Senate career, Hanson-Young continues to face reservations among some members of the party’s grassroots base.
The South Australian senator is married to political lobbyist Ben Oquist, a partner at DPG Advisory Solutions. The firm has listed Rio Tinto, Wesfarmers, Uber and Ausgrid among its clients.
Some Greens activists see the relationship as representing what they regard as the party’s increasing closeness to established political and corporate circles.
Although Faruqi currently appears to have the strongest support among activists, she is not the only figure from the Greens’ left being considered for the leadership.
Several party sources believe David Shoebridge could become a serious contender if he decides to nominate. He may appeal particularly to MPs and senators looking for a unifying figure after a difficult election campaign.
David Shoebridge (pictured) is also expected to be in the running for the Greens leadership
The Greens suffered a major setback in 2025, losing three of their four lower house seats, including Melbourne, once considered the party’s strongest base and previously held by former leader Adam Bandt.
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Shoebridge’s standing within the party was highlighted earlier this month when he publicly supported Waters during a highly visible internal revolt.
The dispute erupted when senators Nick McKim, Vanessa Bleyer and Jordon Steele-John crossed the floor to support a Coalition disallowance motion targeting a proposal for a future NSW Koala National Park and Australia’s carbon offset framework.
The move came despite Waters and the leadership having negotiated amendments with Labor, prompting Energy Minister Chris Bowen to publicly thank her for helping secure a deal.
Although the disallowance motion was defeated, the sight of Greens senators voting against their own party’s position fuelled speculation about divisions.
The episode exposed a growing split between MPs willing to accept incremental policy wins and activists who remain deeply sceptical of market-based climate policies like carbon offsets.
Waters rejected suggestions that the vote reflected wider leadership problems when questioned by the Daily Mail.
‘I’m really pleased that we were able to secure some important improvements,’ she said.
Larissa Waters (centre) on Monday announced her resignation as leader of the Greens
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‘We will work every single day to end native forest logging and to stop coal and gas projects from using dodgy ACCUs as a get-out-of-jail-free card. So I feel very pleased and confident about the fight that’s coming.’
Shoebridge, standing beside her, defended Waters.
‘On the question of leadership, when tough decisions needed to be made, Larissa made them last week,’ he said.
‘She showed leadership. It’s something that a less effective leader could easily have walked away from, but she didn’t.’
The comments have only added to speculation that Shoebridge could emerge as a unity candidate if the contest becomes a choice between the party’s activist wing and more pragmatic parliamentarians.
Shoebridge is also seen as the most outspoken and effective performer within the party on issues of artificial intelligence, AUKUS, defence and the Middle East, all considered key concerns for Greens members.
While Shoebridge also comes from the party’s left wing, his supporters believe he would be better at connecting the Greens with mainstream voters.
A vote to decide the new party leader will be held at a party room meeting in Sydney later this week, with the result expected by Thursday at the latest.