ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact

Greens leader Richard Di Natale announced today that he intends to resign from his position as leader and from the Senate over the coming months.

The Victorian doctor said he would like to spend more time with his young family, put his partner and her career forward and set fire to things.

In an emotional presser today in the nation’s capital, Di Natale said it wasn’t an easy decision to make but he felt that the past five years took a toll on what he deems to be most important.

“First of all, I’d like to thank my family for supporting me in this position. It wasn’t easy and I couldn’t have done it without you all,” he said.

“The recent bushfires that have swept across Australia has also reminded me why I got into politics in the first place,”

“I remember when I went on my first arson trip with Bob Brown. We went up into the Grampians and set fire to a gum tree. We ran away giggling up that spur line like drunken schoolboys,”

“Bob taught me everything I know about arson. One day, I’d like to teach the Greens of tomorrow how to cause bushfires. Thanks guys.”

A small number of conservative journalists have put their hand up asking for backslaps this afternoon, telling their respective audiences that they were responsible for the Di Natale resignation.

Some have taken to social media, others have taken to AM radio. It doesn’t really matter.

In other things that aren’t newsworthy, The Advocate’s editor Dr Clancy Overell OAM pleaded guilty to his seventh public urination charge and is due to be sentenced on March 4.

More to come.

