New Greens Leader Calls for Bold Action as Party Looks Toward the Future

Larissa Waters has issued a rallying cry for the Australian Labor government to embrace boldness, marking her first public statement since being elected leader of the Greens. Her appointment follows a tense and lengthy deliberation by the party’s 11 senators and one MP, who on Thursday selected Waters to succeed Adam Bandt after his unexpected defeat at the recent federal election.

After nearly two hours of discussions, Waters emerged with a firm resolve to lead a “strong Greens team in parliament.” She emphasized the urgency of the issues confronting Australians, stating, “The issues that people are facing are getting harder and are getting worse. We need strong action on the climate, on nature, on the housing crisis, on the cost of living crisis, and we need our parliament to work to actually meet the needs of the people that it’s been elected to represent.”

Ahead of the election, the Greens had laid out a series of demands if Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government failed to secure a majority and had to negotiate support. Their priorities included blocking new coal and gas projects, expanding Medicare to include dental care, reforming negative gearing and capital gains tax, ending logging in native forests, and establishing free universal early childhood education.

Despite their clear agenda, the Greens faced setbacks at the polls, losing three of their four lower house seats, including the seat held by their former leader, Adam Bandt. As the party charts its course forward, Waters’s call for boldness signals a renewed push to influence national policy amidst a challenging political landscape.