For a journalist covering the government’s investigation of war crimes allegations, there was one politician you could not miss when officials from the Office of the Special Investigator answered questions from a Senate committee, usually well into the evenings: David Shoebridge, the new leader of the Australian Greens.
Senator Shoebridge engaged in persistent and pointed questioning that extracted important information about the pursuit of former special forces soldiers who fought in Afghanistan. Among the details that might have otherwise taken longer to become known, or remained secret, was that it took five years for the agency to conduct 40 of the 53 investigations it began with.
The former barrister’s interest in the prosecution of Ben Roberts-Smith is an example of the unusual convergence between the far left and the populist right around the world known as the horseshoe phenomenon.
He opposed increasing ASIO’s powers after the Bondi massacre, a position consistent with a long record of opposition to the police, state surveillance and government secrecy.
In January he helped lead the Greens’ opposition to the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism law. Also known as the hate speech law, it was also opposed, often bitterly, by One Nation and other groups on the right for giving the government the power to ban “hate groups”.
The law was used against the Islamic Hizb ut-Tahrir organisation. The neo-Nazi National Socialist Network dissolved itself before it could be outlawed.
Senator Shoebridge complained the law might be used against anti-Israel protest groups.
“Every legal expert we spoke to said it was reckless and dangerous,” Senator Shoebridge said at the time.
Another of the law’s critics was Liberal MP Andrew Hastie. His decision to vote for it, after substantial changes were negotiated by the Liberal Party, continues to be cited by some of his former supporters who fear it gives the government too much power to outlaw political organisations it disagrees with.
There is no evidence, so far, that has happened. Although Anthony Albanese last week in New York said, referring to the One Nation-like Reform UK party: “I don’t want to see the rise of populist organisations such as that.”
Almost sympathetic
On Wednesday, immediately after being elected leader, Senator Shoebridge’s language towards One Nation supporters was almost sympathetic. He said the party was “feeding off people’s quite legitimate anger.”
An MP who dealt with him in the NSW upper house, where the-then Mr Shoebridge was an MP for 12 years, described him as driven, devious, highly intelligent, tight lipped and a vegetarian.
“If he says ‘we have an agreement’ he stuck to it,” Robert Borsak, the chairman of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, told The Nightly.
Despite his agreement with the right on some matters, Senator Shoebridge emerged from a law degree at Sydney University with reliably left-wing views that persisted into high political office. He accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza, wants to get rid of coal power stations and opposes the AUKUS nuclear-submarine alliance with Britain and the US.
But he is a pragmatist compared with failed leadership rival Mehreen Faruqi, who was removed as deputy leader today. She symbolises the party’s ideological wing, which has staked out positions on race, capitalism and European settlement far beyond the Greens’ roots as environmental campaigners.
Her most infamous comment may have been on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, when Senator Faruqi posted: “I cannot mourn the leader of a racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonised peoples.”
After his 7-4 victory, Senator Shoebridge and his new deputy, Steph Hodgins-May, vowed to “replace” the Labor Party rather than reform it.
“What we are going to do collectively as the Greens is fill the policy vacuum that’s been left by the Labor Party,” he said.
Mr Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers often refer to their rivals as the “Greens political party” to distinguish them from environmental activists.
Party founder Bob Brown told The Nightly that Senator Shoebridge poses a serious threat to Mr Albanese because of his tactical skills and strong understanding of how the Labor Party operates (he was once a member in inner-city Sydney) .
“I think they will be very worried in the Labor bunker that here is a very articulate, legally trained forensic mind about to take them on,” Mr Brown said.
“He’s clear. He’s articulate and he’s on the front foot and he knows Labor back to front.”
Opportunity
The direction of politics may help.
With the Coalition moving right-ward to protect its flank from the rise of One Nation, the Albanese government is more reliant on 10 Greens senators to pass laws in the finely balanced Senate. Legislative trading should create opportunities for Senator Shoebridge to negotiate concessions that enhance his party’s prestige in a way that his low-key predecessor, Larissa Waters, often failed to do.
NSW Labor MP Stephen Lawrence said he feared “the times will suit David and he will suit the times”.
“His grasp of international matters and leftist economic views will help him work in some wide open space on the left for those fundamentally attracted to a vision of an independent and fairer Australia, even if he can’t deliver it,” he said.
Another professional advantage is the new Greens leader operates naturally in what Scott Morrison dubbed the “Canberra bubble”.
Journalists on deadline seeking a quote on defence policy, his previous portfolio, can often rely on the Greens senator from NSW. His questions in what are known as Senate estimates hearings are news friendly.
For a left-wing politician he is unusually well connected with the intelligence agencies too. His brother, Michael Shoebridge, served as deputy of the Australian Signals Directorate and the Defence Intelligence Organisation. He has talked about an abusive father, growing up with little money and experimenting with the Labor Party.
After Elon Musk turned Twitter into X and relaxed free-speech controls, Senator Shoebridge expressed “deep concerns” about the social media site. He encouraged readers to follow his account on Bluesky, which leans left.
On Wednesday, after being elected leader of Parliament’s third-largest party, he announced his victory on X.
That’s some flexibility.
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