By Lucinda Garbutt-Young in Canberra

David Shoebridge is willing to admit he is angry.

Since the new Greens leader entered federal parliament four years ago, the cost of living has soared, Australia has been rocked by wars on foreign shores and far-right politics have gained a foothold.

The 55-year-old, who won the progressive party’s first contested leadership ballot on Wednesday, would prefer to be labelled as passionate – but he’s clear he’s got work to do.

High on his shared agenda with deputy Steph Hodgins-May is reforming the tax system.

He’s buoyed by recently released government data that showed more than 1000 companies, including tech giants and mining behemoths, paid no tax in 2025.

“I get told that taking the fight up to the government on taxing corporate wealth is somehow radical,” he told AAP.

“Pointing that out isn’t what makes people angry. What makes people angry is that more than a quarter of the biggest corporations in this country pay not one cent in corporate tax.

“That’s what makes someone who spends 60 hours a week working in a retail job and unable to afford their rent, but who pays their fair share in tax, angry.

“I’m angry on their behalf.”

The former Sydney barrister spent more than a decade in state politics, almost by accident, before taking on a national role.

He said federal governments were able to “spin the wheels” because many of the immediate things people needed – hospitals, roads and schools – are managed primarily at a state level.

“The failure at a national level to be working on practical solutions to make people’s lives better is, for me, a really stark contrast,” he said.

Senator Shoebridge is known as a sharp operator, but he will need to reshape the party’s reputation quickly if he wants to sweep everyday Australians into the movement.

The Greens have been stalled at a 12 per cent vote share since between the last two elections.

He and Senator Hodgins-May have used social media to win over voters and push their anti-AUKUS and pro-gas tax policy campaigns.

Their party is the first preference for about 30 per cent of Gen Zs and is favoured by an even higher percentage of young women.

But the Greens voter base starts to wane past the age of about 45, with many former major-party supporters now favouring One Nation.

Both minor parties have thrived on government complacency, Senator Shoebridge said.

“I haven’t heard people say the problem with politics is that we’re not getting enough happy, smiling faces and incremental change,” he said.

“They want us to take the fight up to a nothing government and press for material change.”

It’s hard to miss nods to the UK Greens party, which in recent times has enjoyed great success under leader Zack Polanski’s mandate to replace, not reform, government.

It’s exactly what Senator Shoebridge wants to do to Labor in Australia.

While the ambition is lofty, it’s not new. Greens founder Bob Brown has been articulating it for decades.

“I’ve always believed it,” Senator Shoebridge said.

“As we look around the world at countries facing very similar challenges like the US and UK, people like Zohran Mamdani in New York and a whole lot of political players that we’ve never before heard about are winning the support of their local community.”

Solid and safe: why the Greens chose Shoebridge

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