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Queensland senator Larissa Waters has resigned as leader of the Australian Greens, citing a deterioration in her kidney disease that requires a slower pace of life than party leadership allows. Waters, who took over after Adam Bandt lost his seat in the 2025 election, was praised for her work on environmental law reform, gun control, and NDIS protection.
Larissa Waters has stepped down as leader of the Greens due to worsening kidney disease. The Queensland senator made the shock announcement late on Monday, saying her condition — which was not publicly known — had deteriorated.
"I've been managing kidney disease for some time but recently it's taken a downturn," Waters posted on social media. "My prognosis is good, but doctors are clear that recovery needs a slower pace than leading a party allows. " Waters assumed the Greens' leadership after former Melbourne MP Adam Bandt sensationally lost his seat at the May 2025 federal election. Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you.
Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox. In a statement, the Greens lauded her efforts to secure an overhaul of Australia's environmental laws to reform native logging, land clearing and push back on fast-tracking coal and gas projects. The party also helped Labor ram revamped gun laws through the Senate in the wake of the Bondi massacre, which include a planned national gun buyback.
More recently, Waters' party has pushed back hard on reforms aimed at drastically cutting NDIS spending, delaying the bill's passage for months in order to extend an inquiry into the sweeping changes. The outgoing leader has been a senator since 2011, save for a 14-month period when she was forced to resign because she held Canadian citizenship.
"I'm really sad that illness means my time as leader has been cut short, but our movement needs a leader in good health to lead us to success," Waters said. Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.
Larissa Waters Australian Greens Leadership Resignation Kidney Disease Queensland Politics
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