Greens leader Larissa Waters has announced her resignation due to ill health. Ms Waters revealed on Monday night that she has been managing a pre-existing kidney disease, which has "declined significantly over the course of recent months."
While her prognosis for recovery is positive, Ms Waters stated that the pressures of party leadership, including additional travel, were detracting from her health focus. She will take a period of medical leave before returning to parliament to represent Queensland in the Senate.
A party room meeting is scheduled for next week to choose her successor. Deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi, along with senators Sarah Hanson-Young, David Shoebridge, and Nick McKim, are potential contenders for the leadership ballot.
Ms Waters was elected Greens leader after the 2025 election, succeeding Adam Bandt. She was first elected to the Senate in 2011 but resigned in 2017 due to dual Canadian citizenship, returning in 2018 after renouncing it.