‘Lobby groups, war industry’ to blame for Greens’ election losses: David Shoebridge

David Shoebridge has denied the party’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war cost it seats, blaming the ‘property and war industry’, billionaires and lobby groups ahead of a leadership contest.

Greens senator for NSW David Shoebridge. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

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Greens senator David Shoebridge has slammed suggestions the party’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war cost it House of Representatives seats, instead blaming the “property and war industry”, billionaires and lobby groups.

The progressive party is preparing for one of its most closely fought leadership contests in years, with ousted leader Adam Bandt’s replacement to be decided by a partyroom meeting this week.

Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi is firming as a favourite and would mark a continuation of Mr Bandt’s veer to the left, especially on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Her likeliest challenger is South Australian senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who would mark a cleaner break from Mr Bandt and the recent focus.

Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Senator Shoebridge blamed the Greens’ lower house failure not on the party but on certain industries and groups.

“It turns out when you take on the property industry, the war industry, the fossil fuel industry and billionaires all at once, it’s a bloody hard job,” he said.

The Greens were “obviously gutted” with Labor snaring the seat of Melbourne from Mr Bandt but Senator Shoebridge argued the party’s base had become “more resilient”, backing the stance taken on the Israel-Hamas war.

Adam Bandt. Picture: David Crosling/NewsWire

Senator Mehreen Faruqi. Picture: Getty Images

“If one of your core values is peace and non-violence, and you see a genocide going on, you do everything you possibly can to stop the genocide,” he said, stressing the Greens had “sole balance of power in the Senate”.

“I think the way you build a political movement and not a flash in the pan, not something that comes and goes, is you stick to your core principles.”

Senator Shoebridge said votes were not won or lost on some of the party’s tactics in parliament’s previous term, such as donning keffiyehs or refusing to criticise vandalism of the Australian War Memorial with pro-Palestinian graffiti.

“One of the key things (people) were voting on was not what someone was wearing in the Senate,” he said.

While tight-lipped on who could likely to lead or who he was backing, Senator Shoebridge heaped praise on NSW’s Senator Faruqi, calling her “a brave and courageous campaigner” on Palestine.

He said nominations had not been finalised but it was time for a woman to lead the Greens

“My hope is that we … will come together as collegiately as we can and, first of all, try and make a consensus decision,” he said. “And if we can’t, those 12 members – of which I am one – will, I hope, make a decision.”