It seems not even Bob Brown, godfather of the Greens, knew that Christine Milne was going to resign as federal party leader on Wednesday. Certainly no political pundit knew what was afoot. The party's 11 federal representatives were ready, however. Within hours of Ms Milne declaring she would not stand for re-election to the Senate in 2016, they had elected Richard Di Natale unopposed as her replacement. The quick, fuss-free transition spoke unambiguously of the Greens' belief in the necessity and virtue of standing foursquare behind the leader. Ms Milne's resignation after a mere three years in the job also underscored a strong belief in the need for renewal.
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Having served as Mr Brown's deputy in the Tasmanian and federal parliaments, and indeed having led the Tasmanian Greens from 1993-98, Ms Milne was the obvious choice to lead the federal party after Mr Brown's departure in April 2012. Then, as now, her accession was quick and fuss-free, and many in the party expressed confidence she would build on the electoral gains the federal Greens had made under Mr Brown's leadership. It was not to be the case, however. At the September 2013 election, the party's suffered a swing against it of 3.1 per cent.
Many theorised that it was the Greens' role in the hung parliament of 2010, when the party gave crucial support to the Labor party in return for a commitment to implement a carbon tax (among other things) that undermined the party's electoral appeal in 2013. The Greens' decision to support a minority Labor government was understandable, even logical given the ideological overlap between the two parties. However, the party's insistence on an "all or nothing" approach to issues outside of the terms of its formal agreement with Julia Gillard (such as asylum-seekers and civil marriage) alienated voters who felt a partial result was better than none. Ms Milne's failure to connect with younger voters may also have been a factor in the Greens' disappointing vote.
Charisma, youth and media presence are always desirable traits in a party leader. They're particularly invaluable when the leader of a minority party cannot rely on saturation advertising and has to fight to command media coverage. If Ms Milne can claim due credit for the carbon tax and the other successes that sprang from the agreement with the ALP, she was rarely given credit for them – largely because she lacked the charisma of her predecessor.
The decision to anoint Richard Di Natale as leader is, in some respects, a surprising one. There are others in the party with greater parliamentary experience and a higher public profile. The likeable Adam Bandt may have been a better bet, though a somewhat riskier one given he occupies a lower house seat in Melbourne that Labor is keen to regain.
With his relative youth, his background in public health, and his extensive involvement in Senate inquiries of various kinds, Dr Di Natale would seem to have the necessary tools to succeed in his new job. His big challenge will be to complete the transformation of the Greens from progressive environmental movement to permanent political presence without sacrificing its egalitarianism and grass-roots ethos.
