In a statement released Monday evening, Waters described the burden of her role as incompatible with the demands of her recovery. “It has been a tremendous honour to be leader of the Greens, fighting for people and the planet,” she said. “I’m really sad that illness means my time as leader has been cut short, but our movement needs a leader in good health to lead us to success at the next election.”
Waters explained that the additional travel requirements inherent to the leadership position were detracting from her ability to focus on her health. She noted that her prognosis for recovery is positive, but that the pace of parliamentary life required a slower approach to ensure her well-being. Following her announcement, she will take a period of medical leave with the intention of returning to parliament to continue representing Queensland in the Senate.
Second leadership contest in twelve months
The resignation marks the second leadership contest for the Greens in just over a year. Waters assumed the position in May 2025 after former leader Adam Bandt lost his lower house seat in a shock result during the 2025 federal election. Waters secured the leadership by defeating Sarah Hanson-Young, who subsequently serves as the party’s manager of business in the Senate. Mehreen Faruqi was elected as deputy leader alongside them.
The transition creates immediate political questions for the party, which has faced scrutiny regarding its electoral performance. Since the 2025 election, some Greens members have expressed frustration with the party’s standing, particularly as major parties have lost support to the right-wing One Nation. The leadership vacuum, coming at a time of shifting voter allegiances, places pressure on the incoming leader to stabilize the party’s message and electoral strategy ahead of the next federal election.
Waters, 49, remains the Greens’ second-longest-serving member in parliament after Hanson-Young. Her departure is viewed not as a political ouster but as a health-driven necessity. She thanked her colleagues for their understanding and the medical professionals who supported her during this period, emphasizing that the party’s fight for climate action and social justice requires sustained energy that she is currently unable to provide.
“Passing the torch on to the next leader of the Party will put them in the best position to take the Greens to the next election, fighting for people, not the corporate interests that run Labor, Liberals and One Nation. Our fight is too important, and it needs more time and energy than I am able to give while I focus on my recovery.” — Larissa Waters
The Greens’ party room is expected to meet within days to formalize the leadership process. While the exact structure of the ballot has not been fully detailed in initial reports, the timeline suggests a decision will be made “sooner rather than later” to minimize disruption to the party’s parliamentary operations. The new leader will inherit a party navigating a complex political landscape, where maintaining voter confidence against both major parties and emerging challengers is a critical priority.
Waters’ return to the Senate is anticipated once her health permits, where she plans to continue her work focused on women’s safety and climate policy. For now, the focus shifts entirely to the internal democratic process of selecting the Greens’ next flag-bearer, a role that will be pivotal in defining the party’s trajectory for the remainder of the parliamentary term.
