Senator Christine Milne has announced her resignation as the leader of the Australian Greens this morning.
Milne held a meeting of the party on Wednesday morning, during which she informed her colleagues that she will be stepping down as leader effective immediately. She said her decision to resign as leader came as a result of her decision not to re-contest her seat in the federal senate in the 2016 election.
She then made the announcement to the public via her Twitter account immediately following the party meeting.
“Feeling optimistic, proud & sad to announce I’m not contesting 2016 election, and so I resign as Leader of the Australian Greens,” she wrote.
The party has also announced it will hold a ballot to determine the new leader immediately. It is expected the ballot will take place at approximately 11.30am this morning. The ballot will be followed by a press conference at 1.30pm.
Milne has served 25 years in Australian politics and, in 1993, became the first woman to lead any political party in her home state of Tasmania.
She was first elected to the Tasmanian parliament in 1989 and was elected to the Senate in 2004.
She was then elected deputy leader of the Australian Greens in 2008 and leader in 2012 when founding leader Bob Brown stepped down from the post. Milne served as an advisor to Brown between 2000 and 2004, when she was elected to the Senate.
Before politics, Milne was a high school teacher in Tasmania. She was also an activist, famously opposing the Franklin Dam in 1983 and being arrested and jailed for her protests.
Milne said today that she is resigning from parliament in order to spend more time with her family, as she is an expectant grandmother.
“My decision to resign today is one I made with my family. After 25 years in politics, I am looking forward to spending more time in my beautiful home state of Tasmania, with friends and family, and especially as I am soon to be a grandmother,” she said.
Milne said she is extremely proud of what the Greens have achieved during her time as leader.
“It is with a mix of optimism, pride, excitement and sadness that I am resigning the leadership and leaving the Senate”, she said.
“I have achieved what I set out to achieve when I took over the leadership. The Greens have gone from strength to strength with solid election results and a growing, engaged party membership.
“I promised a more cabinet-style, collaborative approach to leadership. I am so proud of the way my colleagues have responded. We are a strong, capable, visionary Greens team.
She also said she would not stop fighting for the causes close to the Greens.
“We have stood strongly for a safe climate and an end to wealth inequality. We have stood with the community against the cruelty of the Abbott government, with their first budget resoundingly rejected by the people, and the Senate.”
“Life after Parliament is not however, life after politics. The fight for action on global warming will continue and I will take my passion, and all that I’ve learnt, to that fight standing shoulder to shoulder with the community here, and all over the world, for climate justice.”
It is not yet known who will contest the Greens leadership in this morning’s ballot.