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Sarah Hanson-Young has spoken about major divisions in the Greens party room, offering support to new leader David Shoebridge and describing politics as brutal after finishing behind him and Mehreen Faruqi in Wednesday's leadership ballot.
Sarah Hanson-Young has spoken out about major divisions in the Greens party room. She offered support to newly elected leader David Shoebridge and described politics as brutal.
Greens Leadership Contest Draws Divisions
The South Australian senator contested Wednesday's leadership ballot. She finished behind Shoebridge and outgoing deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi. Former leader Larissa Waters shocked colleagues by resigning on Monday over serious health concerns. In a video posted to social media after a bush walk with her husband on Thursday, Hanson-Young said: God, politics can be brutal.
Friendships made and lost, but it takes all types. We all care so deeply about the future of this country and the future of the planet. Hanson-Young said it would take a huge effort to defeat One Nation and its leader Pauline Hanson. She warned the radical right would wreck the country if it wins power.
Australians deserve a optimistic, caring, and defiant progressive force, and I won't be backing down, she said. I'm sorry we couldn't pull it off this time, but buckle up, because we've got a lot of work to do. Her comments come a day after Faruqi criticised her colleagues for electing Shoebridge. Faruqi demanded the party's rank-and-file members be given a say in future leadership elections.
Shoebridge and Faruqi Face Strain
Greens sources say Shoebridge and Faruqi's working relationship is seriously strained. The New South Wales senator said she planned to pursue bold politics and radical action to fight against genocide, wars, surging fascism and climate change. She said she would work from outside the constraints of the leadership team. On Thursday, Shoebridge said he and the newly elected deputy, Victorian senator Steph Hodgins-May, had received a strong endorsement from their colleagues.
Shoebridge said he could work with Faruqi, praising her for effective community engagement. I have huge respect for Mehreen and the work that she does, Shoebridge said. And, acknowledging as well, the attacks that she gets and the way she keeps turning up proudly and strongly, taking the case forward in the face of all of those attacks. That is something that I have immense respect for and gratitude for.
Shoebridge said Greens MPs wanted Faruqi to continue her engagement with voters and Greens members. Sometimes you want to be part of the leadership team, he said. Sometimes you want to be out connecting with the community in a different way. We're all human beings and we all know how in the moment how we can best contribute to the project, Shoebridge said.
I take Mehreen at her word that that's how she thinks she can best connect with the community, how she can best connect with the project. And she has my 100% support to go on being the amazing Greens senator that we've all seen. He committed to giving rank and file party members the right to vote in leadership elections in time for the next scheduled contest. That contest is due to take place immediately after the next federal election.
Greens Members Back Party-Wide Vote
A party plebiscite in 2020 saw 62% of Greens members support a party-wide vote for leader, but the move fell short of a required two-thirds majority.
Sarah Hanson-Young David Shoebridge Mehreen Faruqi Australian Greens Divisions
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