Larissa Waters Steps Down as Greens Leader Due to Illness
Greens leader Larissa Waters has stepped down from the top job due to a chronic kidney condition. Senator Waters will take a leave of absence as she focuses on her health before returning to her upper house duties.
Senator Larissa Waters has announced she is stepping down as Greens leader due to a chronic kidney condition, after 16 months in the role.
The 49-year-old notified her colleagues of her decision to step away during a virtual meeting earlier this evening. Senator Waters expressed gratitude for her stint as leader but admitted she needed to go at a "slower pace" as she focused on her recovery.
"It has been a tremendous honour to be leader of the Greens, fighting for people and the planet," she said in a statement on Monday evening.
"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 at the next election."
Senator Waters will take a leave of absence as she focuses on her health before returning to her upper house duties. The Greens partyroom will meet in the coming days to discuss who will replace Senator Waters.
During her time as leader, Senator Waters hailed last year's deal with Labor to overhaul Australia's environmental laws as a "significant win". In November 2025, the Greens secured several amendments to the legislation, including tightening land clearing controls and preventing the fast-tracking of coal and gas projects under a national interest exemption.
The Greens also pushed to split gun safety measures from hate speech laws after the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, helping to pass the firearms changes in January. More recently, the minor party has used its balance of power in the Senate to stall National Disability Insurance Scheme reforms and successfully secured an extended parliamentary inquiry into the sweeping changes.
Senator Waters was first elected as a senator for Queensland in 2010, making her the second longest-serving member of the Greens partyroom behind senator Sarah Hanson-Young.