ANDREW GREENE: Why Labor fears David Shoebridge as Greens shake-up puts Albanese government’s agenda in doubt

For months, arguably even years, David Shoebridge has been Australia’s most prominent and effective Greens politician - a skilful communicator who has now risen to the party’s leadership vowing to take up the fight against the Albanese government.

The elevation of the former barrister to Greens leader is not being well received inside Labor as they brace for a far more combative approach from the progressive minor party which remains crucial to passing contentious legislation during this parliamentary term.

Senator Shoebridge has replaced the largely ineffective Larissa Waters, a Queensland senator who was chosen by her party after former leader Adam Bandt lost his seat in Parliament at the 2025 election.

During her time in the job Senator Waters was seen by the government as a cooperative operator who was able to negotiate with Labor on various pieces of legislation, meaning it could often avoid further legislative horse trading with the conservative parties.

Now Labor’s legislative agenda faces a much more uncertain future, with a far more combative Greens leader indicating he isn’t interested in simply being helpful to what he believes is a failing government.

“Unlike Larissa, he’s not remotely interested in outcomes. He’s a wrecker and an exhibitionist,” one Labor insider and long-term critic of Senator Shoebridge remarks.

“He’s all performative for the cameras and not too bothered about whether the things he says are true.”

In last Wednesday’s party room ballot, Shoebridge won the contest on primaries with six votes, while his rivals Mehreen Faruqi received three votes and Sarah Hanson-Young only two. After preferences, Shoebridge won seven votes to four.

Since becoming Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese has relished the task of trying to destroy the Greens, and at the last election was delighted to see the rival progressive party’s vote collapse and then leader Adam Bandt lose his seat.

Senator Shoebridge, who previously served in New South Wales state politics for a decade, has made it clear he now has a weakened Anthony Albanese and Labor in his sights.

“We know the Greens need to seize this moment because politics demands it of us … Labor has created the circumstances for One Nation, and Labor is not the answer,” the New South Wales Senator declared last week after winning the leadership ballot.

“The Greens, the progressive alternative, we’re here to beat down One Nation, and we’re here to replace Labor and return hope and faith to politics,” the 55-year-old newly minted leader has vowed.

Senator Shoebridge, who made the switch to federal parliament in 2022, has steadily made his mark in Canberra as the Greens’ party spokesperson for defence and foreign affairs — particularly in attacking AUKUS and the government’s approach to Israel.

The outspoken AUKUS critic believes public opposition to the military partnership between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom is growing, and the eye-watering cost of nuclear-powered submarines is a “massive gamble”.

On coming to the leadership, Shoebridge has immediately tapped into his familiar policy area by declaring Australia should not provide any military support to Ukraine and again called for the United States to be evicted from facilities such as Pine Gap.

Labor hardheads are now weighing up how they deal with Senator Shoebridge going forward, and already some early salvos have been fired towards the Greens leader involving media stories about his wealthy family property portfolio, as he targets “elites”.

“The big question for Labor now is do we try to work with him and give him a go or blow him up with all of the stuff we have on him,” one government operative tells The Nightly.

“He’s developed a reputation for not being very good to deal with and can be quite aggressive with government advisers during negotiations, so we’re wondering whether he continue this approach as leader,” the Labor insider ponders.

The more optimistic figures in Labor believe support for the Greens will continue to plateau and policy splits on various issues will deepen, partly due to the leadership tensions that remain inside the parliamentary party after last week’s ballot.

However, with a new dynamic and strong public performer as leader, Anthony Albanese may soon find that dealing with a re-energised progressive party on Labor’s left will become a very unwelcome distraction, as the government also continues to bleed votes to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation on the right.