ACT Greens

History

1995–1998 Assembly

Two Greens candidates, Lucy Horodny and Kerrie Tucker, were successful at the 1995 election, the first to be run under the Hare-Clark system. The election resulted in a hung parliament, but the Liberal Party was able to form government with two independents.

1998–2001 Assembly

Kerrie Tucker was left as the only Greens member during this assembly, in which the Liberal Party again formed government with the help of independents.

2001–2004 Assembly

Kerrie Tucker was once again the only Greens member during this assembly, in which the Labor Party formed a minority government with her support and that of Australian Democrat Roslyn Dundas. There was no formal parliamentary agreement between the three governing parties for this assembly.

2004–2008 Assembly

This was the first ACT election since the enactment of a fixed four-year term. Deb Foskey was the sole Greens member of the assembly, in which the Labor Party held the majority.

2008–2012 Assembly

Following the 2008 election, the ACT Greens held the balance of power in the 17-member Legislative Assembly, with four members (Amanda Bresnan, Meredith Hunter, Shane Rattenbury and Caroline Le Couteur), to Labor's seven and the Liberals with six. After deliberations with both the Labor and Liberal parties, the Greens chose to support a Labor minority government.

2012–2016 Assembly

Following the 2012 ACT election, Shane Rattenbury was the only Greens MLA to retain his seat in the Legislative Assembly, and entered into a power sharing arrangement to allow the Labor Party to once again form minority government.

The agreement gave Shane Rattenbury the ministerial portfolios of Ageing; Housing; Corrections; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, as well as Territory and Municipal Services in the Second Gallagher Ministry and the First Barr Ministry.

2016–2020 Assembly

Shane Rattenbury retained a seat in the expanded Legislative Assembly at the 2016 ACT election, and held the ministerial portfolios of Climate Change and Sustainability; Corrections and Justice Health; Justice, Consumer Affairs and Road Safety; and Mental Health. Caroline Le Couteur was also reelected, after losing her seat in 2012. The Greens maintained their position in the balance of power for a third consecutive term, and the ACT Greens and ACT Labor parties signed another parliamentary agreement setting out the terms of their power-sharing arrangement in government.

2020–2024 Assembly

During the 2020 election, the Greens had an excellent result, winning an extra seat in each of the ACT's 5 electorates apart from Murumbidgee where they already had a seat. The party took 2 seats from the Labor party and 2 seats from the Liberal party. the 6 Greens MLAs formed government with the 10 Labor MLAs, negotiating a coalition agreement with 3 Greens members, Shane Rattenbury, Rebecca Vassarotti and Emma Davidson, being a part of the 9 person cabinet.

On 10 November 2023, member of the Greens Johnathan Davis was stood down from his duties as an MLA and referred to police by the ACT Greens after allegations he had sexual relationships with a boy under the legal age of consent (16-years old in the ACT) and a teenager who was a legally still a child, under 18 at the time. Davis resigned from parliament and as a member of the Greens on 12 November 2023.

2024–present

At the 2024 election the party lost two seats: Rebecca Vassarotti in their second Kurrajong seat to Thomas Emerson, then of Independents for Canberra; and Emma Davidson in Murrumbidgee to Fiona Carrick of Fiona Carrick Independent.

Following the election, the party moved to the crossbench and entered into a confidence and supply agreement with Labor who formed government alone for the first time in over a decade.

In December of 2025, the party moved out of their Braddon office at 2/18 Lonsdale Street.

Leader

Party leaders

Party deputy leaders

Electoral results

Territory

Federal

Members of Parliament

Current Legislative Assembly members

• Shane Rattenbury (2008–current)
• Andrew Braddock (2020–current)
• Jo Clay (2020–current)
• Laura Nuttall (2023–present)

Previous Legislative Assembly members

• Lucy Horodny (1995–1998)
• Kerrie Tucker (1995–2004)
• Deb Foskey (2004–2008)
• Amanda Bresnan (2008–2012)
• Meredith Hunter (2008–2012)
• Caroline Le Couteur (2008–2012, 2016–2020)
• Johnathan Davis (2020–2023)
• Rebecca Vassarotti (2020–2024)
• Emma Davidson (2020–2024)

References

References

1. (18 October 2008). "ACT 2008 – ABC elections". Abc.net.au.
2. Williams, George. (25 October 2008). "Case for a new umpire: Canberra Times 25/10/2008". Canberratimes.com.au.
3. "Greens take extra seat in ACT election: ABC News 25/10/2008". Abc.net.au.
4. (31 October 2008). "Labor to form minority government in ACT: The Age 31/10/2008". News.theage.com.au.
5. Stockman, David. (1 November 2008). "Greens' nod sees Stanhope keep job: Canberra Times 1/11/2008". Canberratimes.com.au.
6. [http://act.greens.org.au/documents/alp-greens-agreement.pdf Labor-Greens parliamentary agreement PDF] {{webarchive. link. (25 February 2009)
7. (6 November 2012). "Bourke dumped for Rattenbury". ABC News.
8. (30 October 2016). "Labor, Greens Parliamentary Agreement 2016". ABC News.
9. "Labor to win re-election in ACT with support of Greens, ABC election analyst Antony Green says". ABC News.
10. "Greens MLA Johnathan Davis investigated over teen sex allegations". The Canberra Times.
11. "ACT Greens politician Johnathan Davis stood down indefinitely over allegations of misconduct". ABC News.
12. (2023-11-12). "ACT Greens backbencher Johnathan Davis resigns after sexual misconduct allegations". ABC News.
13. (22 October 2024). "Despite having lost almost half of their six Legislative Assembly seats the ACT Greens still have a 'very strong base'". [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]].
14. (6 November 2024). "ACT Greens say 'business as usual won't cut it' as the party confirms it won't form another coalition with Labor". [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]].
15. "After four big years, it’s time to say farewell to our Braddon office.". [[ACT Greens]].