The Australian Greens Party Elect a New Leader, David Shoebridge, After Larissa Waters Resigns For Health Reasons

New Leader of the Australian Greens,
David Shoebridge.

When I first heard Larissa Waters was resigning as leader of the Australian Greens party I cynically thought 'f**k, what scandal is she caught up in?' because I'm just so used to leaders from all sides of politics resigning amid scandal or being metaphorically knifed in the back by some impatient or disgruntled successor.

Thankfully Larissa is putting her health first, though she's only resigning as leader at this stage, not resigning from her seat.

Still, a little disappointing for everyone, as she hadn't been leader for that long, but at least seems to have been around long enough to steer the party into a new era of clarity and unified messaging. As highlighted by my previous post, The Australian Greens Show How a Political Campaign Ad Should Be Done - More Parties Should Use This as a Template.

While the Greens democratically elect their party leaders it was likely a surprise to no one that David Shoebridge came out on top. He's the most vocal, and high profile of all currently sitting Green members, and he's more than capable of holding people to account.

Personally I think he's one of the most annoying and abrasive politicians on the left side of politics right now, which can be a good thing, or it can put people off too. I think he's a really great politician, he just needs to work a little more on giving out the vibe that he's approachable, as well as being a no nonsense, attack guy.

That said, his first promotional video as leader of the Greens gives me some hope that he is very much in line with the direction Larissa was taking the party. Watch the video below.

What Does Replacing Labor Actually Mean?

This interview David did with 6 News (below) after becoming leader is also worth your time as it gives more insight into David's views on Australian politics today, and how we got here.

David Shoebridge speaks to 6 News after becoming Greens leader

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