Outspoken Greens politician Lee Rhiannon to retire from Senate

Greens NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon has announced she will be retiring from Senate.

The outspoken politician made the announcement on Friday morning, but said she would continue to campaign for the party’s causes. She will stay in the role for several more months before officially stepping down.

Taking to her Facebook page, the 66-year-old told her fans that Mehreen Faruqi would be taking over.

“In mid-August, I will retire as Greens NSW Senator and Mehreen Faruqi will then be sworn in to that position,” she wrote. “I warmly congratulate Mehreen and look forward to assisting with the coming state and federal election campaigns. I will be retiring ten months before my term as a Senator is due to expire in mid-2019.”

She explained that it was an exciting time for politics and said one of the best parts of her job was being able to assist others with their political journey. Rhiannon said her time in parliament had been “fruitful for our collective struggles and policy outcomes”.

“I remain passionate and as committed as ever to our collective struggle for a fair, just, ecologically sustainable and peaceful world,” she continued. “In some ways, I am an accidental politician. When I was young, parliament was where we went to protest not to get a job. My years as an MP have strengthened my belief that it is people’s action that drives progressive social change.”

Rhiannon, who served as an MP since 1999 and became a Senator for New South Wales in 2011, said it had been “a pleasure” working as a Greens MP. She thanked the staff, activists, unions, organisations and community groups she worked with throughout her career, as well as her family for their continued support.

Her successor was quick to congratulate Rhiannon on all the work she’d done.

“Incredibly grateful to Senator Lee Rhiannon for her long and passionate service to The Australian Greens and her extraordinary work for social and environmental justice,” Faruqi wrote on Facebook. “Looking forward to continuing her amazing work in the Senate for a fairer, more just and equal society.”

The Australian Greens also thanked Rhiannon for her work over the years, with leader Richard Di Natale pointing out Rhiannon’s “dedicated service” and Greens NSW MP describing how proud he was for Rhiannon’s work for public education, democracy and in the community.

I want to thank @leerhiannon for her many years of dedicated service to the people of New South Wales and to the Greens during her time as an elected representative. #auspol

— Richard Di Natale (@RichardDiNatale) May 25, 2018

I’m so proud of the work @leerhiannon has done in our party, in parliament and the community on public education, democracy and so much more. Thank you Lee. I’m looking forward our ongoing work together on social and environmental justice. https://t.co/6hDvWH8TMl

— David Shoebridge (@DavidShoebridge) May 25, 2018

Some of her key parliamentary achievements include winning Senate support for an inquiry into TAFE and the role of private providers, beating former Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s higher education cuts, as well as her work to end live sheep exports.

What do you think? Are you shocked to see Lee Rhiannon step down?