Samantha Ratnam has not spent a day in parliament but now she wields vital balance-of-power votes as the leader of the Victorian Greens.
The former Moreland mayor resigned from the council on Wednesday night, and was named as Greg Barber's replacement as Greens parliamentary leader on Thursday.
Mr Barber resigned last month after 11 years in parliament and Ms Ratnam was chosen to fill his upper house seat and his spot as leader.
"I know I have the support of my colleagues and I'm going to learn quickly and do everything that I can," the rookie MP told journalists on Thursday.
"We've got a very highly competent team and we do these things together."
The five upper house Greens are crucial to the government's efforts to pass controversial legislation, as they represent half of the 10 crossbench MPs in the Legislative Council.
Federal Greens leader Richard Di Natale said he was "incredibly proud" to have Ms Ratnam leading the party in Victoria.
Nina Springle has been named deputy leader, Sam Hibbins will take on a new integrity portfolio, Ellen Sandell will handle treasury, and Sue Pennicuik is party whip.
Ms Ratnam is expected to be sworn in when parliament sits next week.
She missed out on winning the federal seat of Wills in 2016 by 4.88 per cent.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said he did not know Ms Ratnam but hoped to have a good relationship with her like he did with Mr Barber.
"She's got a task ahead of her - a new MP, coming to lead the party," Mr Guy said.
No other candidates put themselves forward to be Greens leader, with party room chair Samantha Dunn saying the decision to elevate Ms Ratnam was reached by consensus.
Ms Ratnam's appointment comes as the Greens eye off Labor's Northcote seat in the November 18 by-election, following the death of Fiona Richardson from cancer, and the Labor seat of Brunswick.
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