The Green Party today announced that David Hay, who stood for the Greens in Epsom in 2011, will be expelled from the party for one year.  In response, Mr Hay made the following statement:

"I would like to thank the many Green Party members who I have met and worked with over the past seven years. I have found their company stimulating and enjoyable. I value the time we spent working together, and what we achieved." 

"I particularly enjoyed the five years I spent as a member of the Policy Committee, which I think is the real engine-room of the party. It is no surprise that other political parties (in particular the Labour Party), keep stealing Green policies and repackaging them as their own!" 

"The report released today contained no surprises. The terms of reference were specified in such a way that the results were inevitable, and so I expected be expelled from the party as a result."

"Although I disagree with some parts of the report, overall it was reasonable and balanced. I would like to thank the enquiry team for taking the trouble to meet with me and listen carefully to what I had to say."

"The report acknowledges that I had a genuine grievance, which was not properly addressed, and it also contains some recommendations for the party, about how it could improve its processes in future. I hope the party will take careful notice and make those changes."

"For my part, I don't resile from the statements I made in public, nor apologise for them. In summary these were:
• The Green Party is too weak in Auckland: it should have a co-leader based here, and at least 1/3 of the Green Party caucus should be Auckland-based.
• I was removed from the candidate pool because of a dirty smear campaign, led by senior members of the party. I concluded that the party co-leaders must have known about about this and approved of it, which is why I called for them both to resign.
• The main "smear" made against me was that I campaigned for the electorate vote in Epsom in 2011, contrary to party instructions. That allegation is untrue and is not supported by any evidence."
"The Green party vote in Epsom increased from 6.93% in 2008 to 12.03% in 2011, and Epsom was one of only four electorates in Auckland that exceeded the national party vote of 11.1% for the Greens."

"Those facts tell the true story, and they are a testament to the efforts of a small, hard-working and enthusiastic local campaign team whose efforts have been unfairly tainted by the allegations made against me. The party owes them all an apology."

"I have put a lot into the Greens, but I have also learned a great deal. In particular about how political parties work, about campaigning, and how to involve party members in policy development."

"I now plan to take some time off; to consider whether I want to have a career in politics and, if so, how that might take shape.  

"At this stage I am only certain that I will not join any existing political party, including the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, in its current form and under its current leadership."

ENDS

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