Shoebridge to woo same angry voters as One Nation — but from the left

The elevation of NSW Senator David Shoebridge to the Greens top job is the clearest indication the party is prepared to swing further to the populist left and fight harder to demolish Labor, especially in its inner-city heartland.

He wasn't the only contender to lead the party — Sarah Hanson-Young and Mehreen Faruqi also put their hands up for the top job.

Faruqi is reportedly divisive inside the party and Hanson-Young, despite being the longest serving Greens senator, is seen as too moderate, according to sources.

Greens leadership talks are usually done under a cloak of secrecy, driven by consensus. But today's contest broke convention.

Greens whip Nick McKim read out the results of the leader and deputy leadership ballots — a sign the Greens have head the concerns they are too secretive.

Transparency can't be something you bang on about if you don't reveal your cards. And the cards they revealed today tell you everything about how they believe politics needs to be played.

Shoebridge moves to the left

The Greens have been frustrated at an inability to capitalise on public anger at the big end of town and that One Nation have been the only big winners, despite a collapse in support for the two big parties.

The Greens want to replicate the success of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's progressive campaign.

Shoebridge may not have the charisma of Mamdani (let's be honest, few do), but he came straight out of the blocks with over-the-top rhetoric indicating he would focus the party's direction on the cost of living and a strident left-wing economic agenda.

After more than a decade in NSW politics, he entered federal parliament when the Albanese government was elected in 2022 and is known for his relationship with hard-left Greens MP Lee Rhiannon. He holds the Greens' defence and foreign affairs portfolios.

The Greens have long had a tension between the so-called watermelons — those who are more economically-focused, old-school lefties — and those who are a product of the environment movement.

The Greens are desperate to seize the moment rather than go down the road of the Australian Democrats, a past Senate balance-of-power party that collapsed due to a combination of a deeply unpopular policy compromise on the Goods and Services Tax and ugly infighting.

This is a moment that will test the party. Can they stay together and unite around a more radical leadership?

Path is harder for Labor

Yesterday Shoebridge vowed to take the fight to both Labor and One Nation and positioned the left-wing party as needing to become the alternative for a growing base of disaffected and raging voters.

His framing is all about Labor and One Nation.

Shoebridge said voters wanted to see some drastic political changes, rather than gradual reform.

"That is the dead politics of Labor, it's the dead politics of the Coalition, and when you really test it, it's the dead politics of One Nation," he said.

"People are desperate for material change. They don't want another meaningless message being delivered by some Labor hack that they know isn't going to change their lives. They want to take on the vested interests."

In a statement on social media, Faruqi said she was disappointed by the result.

"Globally, people are struggling against genocide, wars, surging fascism and the twin crises of capitalism making working life too expensive and climate breakdown threatening our future," she said.

"This struggle calls for bold politics and radical action. I did not stand again for deputy leader today because, on reflection, I believe I can best play my part in that action outside the constraints of the leadership team."

Under Larissa Waters, the Greens supported the government to pass nature laws, including the establishment of a federal environment watchdog, and Labor's changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax. She vowed to be the leader who would get "shit done".

Shoebridge wants to hold Labor's feet to the fire. He will be a thorn in Labor's side rather than a deal maker.

The government's pathway through the Senate just got a whole lot harder.

Patricia Karvelas is host of ABC News Afternoon Briefing at 4pm weekdays on ABC News Channel, co-host of the weekly Party Room podcast with Fran Kelly and host of politics and news podcast Politics Now.