The Australian Greens are staring down a major political crossroads. Following Larissa Waters stepping down as leader due to ongoing health challenges involving chronic kidney disease, the party is picking its next top brass at a high-stakes Sydney retreat. Senators Sarah Hanson-Young and Mehreen Faruqi are throwing their hats into the ring, while veteran figures like former leader Adam Bandt and party founder Bob Brown are shouting from the sidelines.
Their message to whoever takes the crown is simple. Stop treating the Labor government with kid gloves.
Grassroots activists and senior movement leaders want an aggressive stance. They expect the new leadership team to block major fossil fuel projects by any means necessary. If you look at what is happening across the country, the pressure on Canberra is mounting. The climate movement isn't in the mood for incremental compromises or quiet backroom deals anymore.
The Major Fossil Fuel Flashpoints Ahead
You cannot talk about the current political climate without looking at the massive projects sitting on the federal desk. The next leader has to face down Anthony Albanese's government on several massive environmental battles before the next election cycle rolls around in 2028. As extensively documented in latest articles by NBC News, the effects are widespread.
Take Woodside's Browse gas project near Scott Reef off the coast of Western Australia. It is a massive environmental threat that has galvanized tens of thousands of people into mobilization. Then there is the push for gas fracking in the Beetaloo Basin in the Northern Territory. On top of that, power-hungry datacentres are eyeing up fracked gas sources to keep their servers running.
Adam Bandt, now heading the Australian Conservation Foundation after stepping down from federal parliament, put it bluntly. He noted that there are zero excuses left for parliamentary blockers. The movement expects the new parliamentary team to get things done, whatever style they need to adopt on the floor of parliament.
Bob Brown chimed in with his usual fiery critique. He praised Waters for a strong tenure but warned that the incoming leader needs to be an elite negotiator. They cannot just extract minor concessions. They need to wrestle major structural reforms away from Labor while simultaneously handling the surging right-wing populist challenge from Pauline Hanson and One Nation.
Stagnant Polls Meet Rising Grassroots Energy
Here is the awkward tension inside the party right now. While progressive groups can mobilize 70,000-plus people for campaigns like a heavy gas export tax, the actual primary vote for the Greens has flatlined.
Official electoral data shows the Greens hovering around 12% to 13% of the primary vote. In 2022, they pulled 12.25%. In the 2025 election, they landed at 12.22%. Recent polling across Newspoll, Resolve, and Redbridge shows the party bouncing between 11% and 15%, but unable to break out into a permanent, dominant surge. Meanwhile, minor right-wing parties are pulling big numbers in the current political landscape.
Some party insiders argue that the mainstream media narrative and dark money interests make it brutally hard to cut through. Sue Higginson, a New South Wales state upper house member, points out that pushing back against well-funded corporate narratives takes an immense toll.
Yet, party veterans remain upbeat. They point to international progressive movements, such as the energy around figures like New York's Zohran Mamdani, as proof that grassroots momentum can build quietly beneath the surface. Max Chandler-Mather, a prominent federal MP, even pushed for rank-and-file members to have a direct say in choosing the new leadership rather than leaving it entirely to the Canberra bubble caucus.
What the Next Leader Must Do Next
If you are stepping into the leadership role in Sydney this week, you cannot afford to waste time on internal factional squabbling. The playbook is wide open, but the demands from the base are non-negotiable.
- Draw a hard red line on every single new coal and gas approval coming out of Canberra.
- Push aggressively for a high gas export tax that resonates with cost-of-living and climate anger.
- Balance sharp parliamentary activism with ruthless negotiation tactics against the major parties.
The window to stop these industrial projects is closing fast. The next leader will either harness the fury of the grassroots movement or watch their voter base look elsewhere for a real fight.
