Greens senator Dorinda Cox has defected to the Labor party, in a move which shocked colleagues and boosts Anthony Albanese’s numbers in federal parliament.
The Western Australian senator appeared alongside the prime minister in Perth on Monday night, saying her views were more closely aligned with Labor than the Greens.
Cox is a Yamatji-Noongar woman and former police officer who entered parliament in 2021 in a casual vacancy and was reelected in 2022. Her move means the Greens will have 10 senators, and brings Labor’s total numbers in the upper house to 29.
Cox ran unsuccessfully for the Greens deputy leadership in the wake of the 3 May federal election and just days ago criticised Labor environment minister, Murray Watt, for his approval of Woodside’s expansion of the North West Shelf gas project out to 2070.
The Greens quickly took down a profile of her on its official website on Monday night.
“I am very, very grateful for this opportunity and I want to thank the Labor team for welcoming me,” Cox said.
“During some deep reflection, what my values represent as a First Nations woman, as a proud West Australian, what it is that I would like to achieve in my political life and what you can’t do from the crossbench is make change,” she said.
“Alongside the wonderful team that the prime minister has, you are able to make change, you are able to do the things that raise up and represent the voice of Western Australia and Canberra, and that’s what they elected me to do.”
Albanese said Cox approached the government about joining Labor, but “didn’t ask for anything” in return for the defection. Labor’s national executive approved the decision before it became public.
The announcement comes a day before the federal cabinet meets in Perth on Tuesday.
“She wants to be part of a team that is delivering progress for this country by being part of a government that can make decisions to make a difference,” Albanese said.
“I know she is looking forward to working in a united, cohesive team, building a better future, not just for the people of Western Australia but for the people of Australia.”
Cox confirmed she gave Greens leader Larissa Waters just 90 minutes notice before announcing her move. Her Senate term runs until the 2028 election.
