Rebecca Vassarotti Re-elected to ACT Legislative Assembly

Rebecca Vassarotti has been re-elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly in an electoral countback after the resignation of ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury.

Ms Vassarotti served as a member of the ACT Greens for a term before losing her seat in the 2024 election.

Following Mr Rattenbury's resignation in April after 17 years in politics, a countback was today held by the ACT Electoral Commission to determine who would replace him.

The process uses ballot papers from voters who originally supported Mr Rattenbury to select the successful candidate.

After being elected to the seat of Kurrajong in 2020, Ms Vassarotti served as a member of cabinet while the ACT Greens were in a coalition with Labor.

She held the portfolios of Environment, Heritage, Homelessness and Housing Services; and Sustainable Building and Construction.

She has also worked as executive director at YWCA Canberra and as deputy chief executive of the Australian Council of Social Service.

More recently, she was the executive director of future directions at The Benevolent Society.

A new era

Mr Rattenbury also left the role of party leader when he announced his departure from ACT politics in April.

During his years in office, Mr Rattenbury served in cabinet, including as attorney-general, while his party worked in a coalition with the Labor government from 2012 to 2024.

But that coalition came to an end after the latest ACT election, with the Greens turning to the crossbench.

Earlier this year, it was revealed Mr Rattenbury had discussed the idea of a power-sharing agreement with the Canberra Liberals, amid frustration over the "forever government" that was ACT Labor.

It was an unprecedented notion and would have removed Labor from power after 24 years in office.

That idea was kiboshed by Greens party members in a vote, with some expressing concerns about a difference in values between the two parties.

When he resigned in April, Mr Rattenbury denied leaving because the power-sharing arrangement had failed to go ahead, but did acknowledge that had it eventuated, he might have remained in his role longer.

The ACT Greens have yet to nominate a new leader, with a vote by party members expected now that Ms Vassarotti has been returned.

There are four Greens in the Assembly — Ms Vassarotti, Jo Clay, Andrew Braddock and Laura Nuttall.

The ACT election saw the party lose two of its six seats.