Replacing Russel: Green Party co-leader meeting, Wellington

Replacing Russel: Green Party co-leader meeting in Wellington

Article by Megan Gattey

The four candidates nominated to replace Russel Norman as Green Party male co-leader spoke at Wellington’s provincial meeting this afternoon. Kevin Hague, James Shaw, Vernon Tava and Gareth Hughes are the four Green Party members competing for the position.

Metiria Turei is the sole nomination to be re-elected as female co-leader.

Each of the four nominees spoke for five minutes, followed by thirty minutes of Q&A.

United Kingdom-born Kevin Hague was the first of the nominees to speak.

Hague is the Green Party spokesperson on housing, health, ACC, sport & recreation, rainbow issues, alcohol and other drugs. Before becoming an MP, he was the chief executive of the West Coast District Health Board.

Hague said the Green Party must address the relationship between the economy, the environment and society.

“We’ve got it the wrong way around. We’ve got people and the environment serving the economy. We need to reverse that. People perceive their main relationship as being with the economy, not with the process of government.

“I believe in that slogan from the Occupy movement: ‘citizens not consumers’. That’s the way to reengage people in the process of government.

“I am hungry for the opportunity. I am confident that my skills and leadership experience will say to your heads that I am the right choice for this role.

“Above all, my values are your values, and my motivation is our collective success.”

Shaw was the next to speak. He is the Green Party spokesperson on economic development, commerce, trade & investment, tourism, small business, sustainable business, SOEs, open government and electoral reform. He helped to start PricewaterhouseCoopers' Sustainable Business Service practice by getting the firm involved in the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

“We can change the system. We can win. Even in the face of powerful, entrenched adversaries. To do so, we need leaders who can reach out to the broadest possible coalition of voters."

He said New Zealanders must be aware of the transformative notion that we are here to work on the system, not just in it.

“I stood for Wellington Central in 2011, where we got 27% of the party vote. Last year we got 30%. We did that by campaigning to the whole electorate, as if everybody was available to us."

Shaw said he was aware that many voters still feel that the Green Party “lacks economic credibility”, but that he has the experience needed to serve the position.

“We need a co-leader that is credible with the voters on economic issues.”

He discussed the necessary presence of an environmental philosophy in the government.

“As co-leader, it would be my number one priority to reduce New Zealand’s emissions, and to make us a leader on climate change.

Tava was the next nominee to take the stand. He is an elected member of the Waitematā Local Board in Auckland, where he is deputy chair of the finance committee. He is a barrister and solicitor for the High Court of New Zealand. He is also on the board of SAFE. He is the only non-MP candidate.

“When we cast ourselves on the left-right political spectrum, we fail to communicate a very significant portion of what is unique about the Greens. We need to move beyond left and right.

“It is when we recognise that we are but one species that shares the planet as part of a complete ecosystem rather than putting humans at the centre of all consideration. From that principle flows social responsibility.

“We live in a world of limits. Natural resources are finite, and unlimited material growth is impossible. Our thinking and our practice of redistributive justice have to be centred on that reality.

“It’s my vision for the future of the Green Party that the Greens should be, need to be, a part of every government. We should the sustainable axis around which New Zealand governments turn.

“The next century must be Green, because if we don’t make it so, it will be our last.”

Hughes was the last of the four to speak at the meeting.

Hughes is the Green Party spokesperson for broadcasting, energy, mining, ICT, libraries & archives, research, science & technology, tertiary education and Wellington. He has done a stint on the Rainbow Warrior, and worked on the successful campaign to ban shark finning.

“Russel was like a gear change up from a 5-10% party. Over the next few years, we need to lock in a new gear change, one from a 10-15%+ party.

“A few of you will be looking at us next to Metiria Turei. Now I believe that I would complement Met best. I am from the north and she is from the south. She is our most experienced MP, and I would like to represent a new generation of political leadership.

“We’re strongest in electorates like this, in the inner cities. We need to bring in the suburbs. We need to reach out to those families struggling to get a first home, struggling to pay their student loan and suffering under some of the highest costs of living in the developed world.

“Lastly, we need to do better in Auckland. We’re doing great here in Wellington. Our average vote is 17%. In Auckland, it is a little over 9%. If we’re not going to perform better in Auckland, we’re not going to achieve our policies. We’ve never had a co-leader based there. If elected, I would move there to support our branches and to grow our vote.

“Our country needs us to grow our vote so we can achieve our policies, which are more important than ever.”

Hughes said he is offering his experience of 15 years running campaigns and leading teams, and wants to build on Russel’s economic credibility.

Shaw said, “It is unlikely that we will be able to govern just with Labour.”

He discussed the potential need to form a relationship with New Zealand First, and other parties as well.

Hague, Hughes, and Tava disagreed, hoping that a relationship with New Zealand First would turn out not to be essential.

“Nonetheless, it may become important,” Hague said.

Hughes said, “Let’s not be naïve. Relationships aren’t going to change what is in New Zealand First’s interests. If we’re outside of that, we’ll be outside of that. That’s why I stand for a strong, independent Green Party that focuses on itself.”

Tava said, “The more we try to work with parties with whom we have very little policy alignment, I don’t think it is any good for any of those parties. You could take the interpretation that it is actually a little undemocratic.

“You should vote for what you care about the most.”

Young Greens member Hannah Kettle said, “Personally, I think Kevin Hague has immense credibility and has proved himself to be an integral member of the Green Party. My gut instinct is to support his leadership bid. James Shaw however, could take over Russel’s role of ‘economic credibility’ with ease. Sustaining the assurance of sound economic policy is crucial for the Greens to win centre-left votes.”

After the meeting, Green Party volunteer Hetty Vink said she was no closer to deciding which candidate is best-suited for the role.

“They are all passionate and have a vision. We need change. But who can bring that change? We don’t want to be a part of the machine. We are only on this Earth temporarily. We have to remember the people beyond us, the next generation.”

Councillors Iona Pannett, David Lee, and Sarah Free attended the meeting.

Delegate voting will take place at the Annual General Meeting on Saturday 30 May 2015, and the results will be announced at 2pm.

ENDS

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