Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Adrian Black

Greens confirm Victorian leader's federal seat tilt

Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam is stepping down to run for the federal seat of Wills. (Erik Anderson/AAP PHOTOS)

Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam is stepping down to run in a battleground seat at the next federal election.

The party announced Ratnam had won preselection for the electorate of Wills on Friday, after she put her hand up in April.

"I'm honoured to have been preselected as the Greens candidate for Wills," Ms Ratnam told reporters in Coburg.

"I'd also like to announce that as a result of my candidacy I will be stepping down as leader of the Victorian greens."

Greens candidate for Wills Samantha Ratnam
Samantha Ratnam aims to wrestle Bob Hawke's old seat of Wills from Labor. (Erik Anderson/AAP PHOTOS)

The Victorian party room will meet on Tuesday to elect a new leadership team.

The Greens will conduct a preselection process to find a new leader in the coming months, after which Ms Ratnam will step down from her legislative council seat of Northern Metropolitan.

The seat of Wills, previously held by former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke, is now held by Peter Khalil by a margin of roughly 8.6 per cent, after the Labor MP suffered a five per cent swing against him at the 2022 federal election. The Greens gained two per cent.

Federal Greens leader Adam Bandt took aim at Wills' Labor incumbent, as he welcomed Ms Ratnam's federal tilt.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt
Adam Bandt has confirmed the Greens are gunning for the Labor seat of Wills at the next election. (Erik Anderson/AAP PHOTOS)

"People of Wills deserve better than a property investor politician who backs unlimited rent increases and opening new coal and gas mines," he said.

"Samantha has represented our community as a local mayor, and in government as leader of the Victorian Greens for over a decade."

The federal election is expected to be held on or before September 27 next year.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.