MELBOURNE – The Australian Greens have refused to concede the loss of their leader Adam Bandt’s long-held seat of Melbourne, despite projections showing a significant swing in favour of Labor’s Sarah Witty.
As of Wednesday evening, with more than 70% of the vote counted, Bandt trails Witty by over 4,000 votes—marking a potential end to the Greens' 13-year reign in the inner-city electorate and triggering questions about the future leadership of the party.
Speaking to reporters, Greens Deputy Leader Mehreen Faruqi remained defiant, declaring, “Adam is still our leader. There are still lots of results to be counted, and we are confident that every vote must be respected.”
Bandt, who has represented Melbourne since 2010, has not made a formal public statement since the projected defeat. However, senior Greens sources say the party is holding out hope that remaining postal and absentee votes could narrow the gap.
The loss of Melbourne would come as a devastating blow to the Greens, who are also facing setbacks in key Queensland electorates such as Griffith and Brisbane, previously held by Max Chandler-Mather and Stephen Bates. If results stand, the Greens could be reduced to just one lower house seat—Ryan, held by Elizabeth Watson-Brown.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese seized on the Greens' struggles, criticising the party’s internal culture and recent controversies. He also lashed out at former Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather over his public claims that federal Parliament is a toxic workplace.
“The Greens should look inward before they start lecturing others,” Albanese said.
Despite the lower house losses, the Greens remain a powerful force in the Senate with 11 seats, maintaining their position as a key crossbench player. The Albanese government will continue to rely on Greens support to pass legislation through the upper house.
The Greens’ strong public stance on issues such as Palestine and climate action has both energised parts of the electorate and stirred backlash, with analysts citing polarisation in traditionally progressive areas like Melbourne.
Attention is now turning to the party’s leadership, with speculation already emerging about potential successors to Bandt if his loss is confirmed. Deputy Leader Mehreen Faruqi and long-serving Senator Sarah Hanson-Young are among the names being floated.
Vote counting is expected to continue throughout the week, with final results likely to be confirmed by early next week. Until then, the Greens remain publicly optimistic—but privately bracing for a major turning point in their political journey.
