Greens Co-Founder Drew Hutton Explains Why He Quit the Party

Drew Hutton, one of the founding figures of the Australian Greens, says he no longer sees the country's problems through the lens of any single political party after five decades as an environmental campaigner. Speaking with Gary Hardgrave on 4BC Mornings, the veteran activist and academic said he had stepped back from the party he helped build because he believes all major parties have lost touch with ordinary Australians.

Hutton is best known for bridging Australia's political divide in 2011, when he launched the Lock the Gate Alliance, bringing together conservation groups and conservative rural landholders in a joint campaign against the rapid expansion of coal seam gas. That grassroots model, he said, reflected his broader belief that environmental protection should not be confined to one side of politics.

During the interview, Hutton argued that widespread frustration with the major parties is now pushing some voters towards One Nation, even though he is not convinced the minor party offers a genuine alternative. He described the shift as a symptom of deeper alienation, with many Australians feeling governing institutions no longer understand how ordinary people live or function.

The discussion turned to renewable energy infrastructure, with both Hutton and Hardgrave raising concerns about wind farm developments on ridgelines along the Great Dividing Range. Hutton said these high-altitude areas are increasingly important as refuges for wildlife retreating from land clearing and development elsewhere, and argued that approving large-scale turbine projects across hundreds of thousands of hectares of that habitat runs counter to genuine environmental values. He said decisions of this kind reflect a technocratic style of governing that fails to weigh the impact on landscapes, habitats and local communities.

Hutton also pointed to the Robodebt scheme as another example of government policy imposed without regard for the people it affected, describing it as evidence of a broader disconnect between governing institutions and the public. He said Australia needs more voices willing to challenge government decisions on their merits rather than through party allegiance, adding that his own decades in the movement have shaped a long-term view of how policy failures compound over time.

Now in the later stage of his activist career, Hutton said he hopes older, experienced campaigners can help highlight blind spots in current policymaking, particularly around energy and land use. He stressed that his concerns are not about his own legacy but about the direction of the country, saying the same frustrations he hears from farmers, conservationists and ordinary voters point to a shared sense that governments are not listening.