Overview

In May 1990 the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand was formed from a merger of the former Values party and  new Green groups,  and contested the 1990 general election six months later, winning 7% of the total vote although it was not able to stand candidates in all electorates.

This made it New Zealand's most successful 'minor' party - however under First Past the Post it was not possible to  get into  Parliament.  There were good reasons for making common cause with other parties which also wanted electoral reform and were opposed to the New Right direction of both  the  National and Labour parties, and in 1991 The Greens became foundational members of the five-party Alliance.

 Over the next few years The Greens contributed to Alliance policy development, paying particular attention to environmentally  sustainable economic development, which is encapsulated  in the policy launched at The Greens 1996 annual conference - 'Green 2000'.  Within the Alliance The Greens contested the  1993 and 1996 general election, and in 1996 the first  Green M.P.s (Jeanette Fitzsimons, Rod Donald, Phillida Bunkle) took their seats in Parliament. By this time there were over  20 Green representatives at local government level,  including the Mayor of Dunedin, Sukhi Turner.

In  November 1997 the Green Party decided to stand a separate  list at the next general election, thus formally ending its connection with the Alliance, and in 1999 the party won the  electorate seat of Coromandel (Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons)  and just over 5% of the party vote, entitling it to a further six MPs off the list (Rod Donald, Co-Leader), Sue  Bradford, Sue Kedgley, Keith Locke, Nandor Tanczos and Ian  Ewen-Street.  In Parliament the Green Party vigorously pursues its agenda of promoting freedom from genetic  engineering, organics, fair trade, the promotion of public transport,  reductions in defence spending, and a fairer deal for workers and people on low incomes.

 The MPs

Keith Locke is a list MP for the Green Party from Auckland.

He is the spokesperson for Civil Defence, Defence, Disarmament, Foreign Affairs,  Immigration, Overseas Development  Assistance, Pacific Island Affairs, Police, Transport Issues (Auckland) and Veterans' Affairs. Keith is a Member of the Foreign  Affairs, Defence & Trade Select Committees in  the New Zealand Parliament.

  Keith is a former Manager of One World Books, a non- profit outlet specialising in social and environmental issues. He has   been a meat worker, overhead crane driver, car assembler, and sociology lecturer at Victoria University, 1970-72.

Born to politically active parents (Elsie and Jack Locke), Keith has been continuously campaigning on a wide variety of  political  and international social justice issues since 1963.

His extensive list of experience includes: Spokesperson on   international affairs, defence and disarmament issues for the last decade (for NewLabour, the Alliance, and now the Green  Party);  National Co-ordinator, Philippines Solidarity Network, 1986-91; Secretary, Latin America Committee, 1980-84; Union delegate  and representative to Wellington Trades Council,  1979-84; Editor, Socialist Action Newspaper, 1972-76; Anti- Vietnam demonstration organiser, NZ and Canada, 1964-73; Elected to  parliament, 7th on the Party List, 1999.

  Jeanette Fitzsimons is Co-Leader of the  Green Party and Member of Parliament for the Coromandel electorate.

  Jeanette is party spokesperson for: conservation; Crown Research Institutes; energy; environment; fisheries; local government; sustainable economics. She  also  chairs Parliament's Local Government and Environment Select Committee.

  Jeanette has two adult sons and lives with her husband, Harry Parke and their dog Wikki on a small organic farm on the  Coromandel peninsula.  They live in an  Eco-house which they themselves built.  It incorporates energy efficiency, solar and  wind power and non-toxic building  materials; its energy consumption is 10 per cent of the average New Zealand house.

 Jeanette has been involved in green politics since the 1970s, working as an activist, consultant and lecturer on important   environmental issues.  She is a strong advocate of better government support for research and development of organic   agriculture and of a health system which recognises the effects of environmental chemicals on our health.  Jeanette sees it as   very important that green parties are gaining strength across the world.

Nandor Tanczos is a list MP for the Green Party from Auckland.

  He is the spokesperson for Drug Law Reform, Ethnic Affairs, Gay and Lesbian Issues, Information Technology, Justice, Senior Citizens, Small Business, Treaty  Issues, Urban  Affairs, Youth Affairs. Nandor is a member of the Justice & Electoral Select Committee.

Nandor is the co-owner/director of the Hempstore Aotearoa, a small retail business in Auckland.  He is also the co-ordinator of   the Wild Greens.  Nandor has been campaigning on civil rights issues since the mid 1980's and has much experience of   community/peer education/facilitation.  Nandor is a member of the Rastafarian faith.

 Nandor's politics have always been grass roots and direct action; they now include an involvement on a parliamentary level as well.

One of his main focuses is educating young people on their rights as citizens.

Rod Donald is Co-Leader of the Green  Party, he is also a list MP from Christchurch.

Rod is the party spokesperson for  Commerce, Electoral Reform, finance, regional development; revenue; security and intelligence;  state owned enterprises; state services; superannuation; tourism; trade.  Rod is a member of Parliament's Finance & Expenditure and Mixed Member Proportional Review Select  Committees.

Rod has been a Green Party MP since 1996, and has been  involved in green politics since the 1970s.  Among a number of  interesting occupations, Rod was the New Zealand co-ordinator  of Trade Aid Importers.  He has years of community involvement  including being a current trustee of the organic garden city trust.

 Rod lives with his partner Nicola Shirlaw.  They have three daughters, Holly 16, Emma 13 and Zoe 8.  They live in a quiet   suburb in Christchurch on a back section with a large rambling garden.  Rod is a keen gardener and he especially likes growing his own vegetables.

Sue Bradford is a List MP for the Green Party from Auckland.

Sue is the Party spokesperson for Accident Compensation Corporation; (ACC),   Community & Volunteer Sector; Community Economic Development; Employment; Housing; Internal Affairs; Labour; Maori Affairs; Mental  Health; National Library &  Archives; Racing; Social Services.  Sue is a member of the Social Services and ACC/Employment Relations Bill Select Committees.

Sue lives with her husband and 4 children with 2 other households, on a small co-operative permaculture farm north of   Auckland.  Before becoming an MP, Sue was a Community Development Worker.  She has worked in the unemployed workers' movement from 1983 to the present, and was the   National Co-ordinator of Te Roopu Rawakore o Aotearoa, 1987-90.  Since 1995 she has been a tutor in Not for Profit Management/Governance at an Auckland polytechnic, UNITEC.

Sue has been an activist from 1967 until the present day   including: Chairperson, Auckland People's Centre; Founder and Trustee, Auckland Region Employment Resource Centre; Trustee, Kotare Research and Education for Social Change   Trust; National Co-ordinating Committee, Association of NGOs of Aotearoa.

  Sue sought to represent the Green Party in Parliament because she wanted to play a useful role in helping to bring about  genuine, positive solutions to the unemployment, poverty and  environmental problems which plague so many people and their communities in Aotearoa today.

Sue Kedgley is a Green Party list MP from Wellington.

 She is the spokesperson for Animal Welfare, Arts & Culture, Broadcasting, Children's Affairs,  Civil Aviation, Communications, Consumer Affairs, Disability Issues,  Gambling, Health,

Safe Food, Transport, Women's Affairs. Sue is  the Deputy Chairperson of the Health Select Committee in the New Zealand Parliament.

 Sue has had an exciting career.  She worked for eight years at the United Nations in New York organising international   conferences, then for a decade she worked in New Zealand as a television reporter, director and producer.  More recently, Sue   was the Communications manager at the Ministry of Agriculture.  She has also served as a Wellington City Councillor.  Sue is the   Convenor for the Safe Food Campaign and is also the National Food Safety Network Co-convenor.

  Sue is the author of six books; the most recent is- "Eating Safely in a Toxic World".

I an Ewen-Street is a Green Party list MP from Marlborough.

Ian is spokesperson for Green Party Agriculture, Biosecurity, Border Control, Customs, Education, Forestry, Land  Information, Science  and Technology, Sports, Fitness and Leisure, Statistics.  Ian is a member of Parliament's Primary Production Select Committee.

Ian and his wife Margaret O'Brien own a 500 acre farm in the Marlborough Sounds, where he  farms Bio Gro certified organic sheep  and beef cattle. Ian is a former secondary school teacher of maths and outdoor  education, and before his environmental awakening, a geologist.

 Ian's community involvement includes four years as an Outward Bound trustee and Trustee for Koy Katz Blenheim (non profit   transitional employment centre for people with disabilities).