Larissa Waters Elected New Australian Greens Leader

Larissa Waters has been unanimously elected as the new leader of the Australian Greens after Adam Bandt lost his seat in a surprising electoral defeat. Waters, a Queensland senator, was chosen over Sarah Hanson-Young and Mehreen Faruqi, with the party seeking greater unity and a less polarising direction following significant seat losses. The Greens lost three lower house seats but continue to hold substantial power in the Senate. Party members are calling for a review of tactics and a potential strategic shift to regain influence similar to their 2010 balance-of-power position. Waters is recognized for her pragmatic and collaborative leadership style, which colleagues believe will help rebuild the party against strong industry opposition. She has pledged to uphold core Greens principles while adapting the party's approach to the evolving political landscape.