Adam Bandt

Bandt lost the Melbourne seat he had held for fifteen years in 2025, in an election in which the Greens also lost several lower-house seats. Voters and analysts interviewed after the ballot criticised a campaign perceived as too negative, overly idealistic or excessively focused on Gaza, with some directly questioning his leadership style.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

In 2024, the Albanese government accused the Greens and Bandt of encouraging or legitimising protests targeting political constituency offices amid the war in Gaza. Following statements by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, Bandt threatened a defamation action and demanded the withdrawal of claims he considered false.

State of the evidence

Allegations

Attribution

Personally implicated

The Voice debate deeply divided the Greens. Lidia Thorpe, the First Nations spokesperson, advocated an approach centred on sovereignty and treaty and ultimately left the party in February 2023. That same day, Bandt and the Greens confirmed their support for the Yes campaign, while maintaining that a treaty should remain a priority.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Bandt threatened to block the Albanese government's Safeguard Mechanism reform unless Labor committed to preventing new coal and gas projects. After several weeks of conflict, the Greens supported the legislation in exchange for tighter caps and additional constraints on major emitters, without securing the general ban they sought.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

The Greens led by Bandt blocked the 10 billion-dollar Housing Australia Future Fund for several months, demanding more direct spending on social housing and measures concerning rents. Labor accused them of delaying housing construction. In September 2023, the Greens finally accepted the legislation after the announcement of an additional billion dollars for public and community housing.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Adam Bandt faced criticism over how the Greens had handled complaints concerning Lidia Thorpe's office and, particularly, the fact that his chief of staff had been informed as early as 2021 of a connection between Thorpe and former Rebels leader Dean Martin without personally informing Bandt. When the matter became public, he acknowledged that he should have been told and took internal measures.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Bandt requested that the Australian flag not be placed behind him at certain press conferences, explaining that it could represent dispossession and colonisation for many First Nations peoples. The decision triggered strong criticism from the Coalition and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Direct responsibility

During the 2022 federal campaign, Bandt repeatedly claimed that the government provided more than 10 billion dollars annually in subsidies to major coal, oil and gas companies. RMIT ABC Fact Check deemed the wording "overblown", as the calculation relied mainly on fuel tax credits whose beneficiaries were not limited to the fossil fuel sector.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated