ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury has announced he will retire from politics in the coming weeks, after 17 years in the ACT Legislative Assembly. Rattenbury, who has led the ACT Greens since 2012 and served as attorney-general during a coalition with Labor, described his time as an MLA as the 'privilege of my life'. He said his resignation will trigger the process to fill a casual vacancy in the Assembly, and a new leader will also be elected.
Rattenbury, a representative of the inner-city electorate of Kurrajong, stood with his family and fellow MLAs as he shared the news on Monday morning. He became emotional as he thanked his partner Louise for her support, noting that partners 'wear so much of it as well'. He also thanked the people of Kurrajong, his family, and his Greens colleagues. Rattenbury said he was motivated to leave politics in part to spend more time with family.
First elected in 2008, Rattenbury served as attorney-general from 2020 while the Greens were in coalition with Labor. In the 2024 election, the Greens opted not to continue that arrangement, instead serving from the crossbench. Earlier this year, the party discussed a power-sharing arrangement with the Canberra Liberals, but that idea was voted down by Greens members. The October 2024 election saw the Greens lose two of their six seats.
Rattenbury reflected on his early years as a 'young activist' inspired by environmental fights. He named progress on climate action and Canberra's light rail as key achievements. 'The ACT is now recognised as a global leader on climate action,' he said. Chief Minister Andrew Barr described Rattenbury's retirement as 'the end of an era' for the ACT Legislative Assembly.
