Nominations opened for the Green party co-leadership on Friday (and close next Friday).
First to announce their bid: Marama Davidson announces run Green Party co-leader
Green MP Marama Davidson has officially announced her bid to be the new co-leader of the Green Party.
The position has been vacant since Metiria Turei resigned in August, but the party’s constitution mandates that there must be a male and female co-leader.
Davidson is the first contender out the gate and picked by many as the favourite. Nominations opened on Friday and will close next Friday.
This is unlikely to surprise anyone, it was well signalled. While Davidson only became an MP in 2015 (filling the list gap left when Russel Normal resigned) she rapidly rose to be #2 on the Green list in last year’s election. She is seen as the MP closest to Turei in politics, as well as being female and Maori.
“I’ve decided to stand for Co-leader of the Green Party because I am the best placed to build a strong, cohesive and diverse movement to bring about transformative social, environmental and economic change,” she said.
“To deliver on all of the Green Party visions and policies that our people and our environment so desperately need, we must return to Parliament in 2020 with much greater numbers and as an even stronger and more significant part of the next Government.”
“It’s unfortunate that any of us get stuck into one little corner. But it’s also something I’m not scared of being framed as,” Davidson said.
“I’m certainly proud of my connections to the very communities who have borne the brunt of all the economic and social failures that this country has seen over decades.”
Said she was comfortable with being seen as the left-wing candidate in the race – that means very left wing, it’s likely all candidates (like all Green MPs) will be left wing-ish at least.
Election timeline:
Fri Feb 2 – Nominations open – all female current Green Party members are eligible to run
Fri Feb 9 – Nominations close
Mon Feb 12 – Full list of nominations announced, however candidates can individually announce their candidacy any time after nominations have opened and they’ve filed their paperwork
Sat Mar 3 – Co-leader candidate session at Green Party policy conference in Napier (open to media, details to be advised closer to the time)
Sun Mar 25 – All delegates Zoom (video) call with Co-leader candidates. This will be a virtual version of what normally happens at AGM with co-leader candidates giving speeches and answering questions from delegates
Mon Mar 26 – End of official campaigning
Mon Mar 26 to Sat Apr 7 – branch consultation and delegates cast their ballots
Sat Apr 7 – Balloting closes
Sun Apr 8 – Ballot counting and winner announced
Your NZ 
Pickled Possum
/ 4th February 2018Lets hope Marama has a ‘clean past’ you know like all the other MP’s that have slowly drifted away before the fat hits the fan. Bit like that Barclay fulla.
In case you have forgotten here’s a reminder
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11951474
robertguyton
/ 4th February 2018And Paula. Seems she’s for the scrap-heap and she never knowingly …
Pickled Possum
/ 4th February 2018Paula Benett is a distraction. Her name in West Auckland within some Social Services is she is a ‘see you next tuesday” kind of gal. The loyalty to her is tenuous to say the lest. Short may she reign.
Kitty Catkin
/ 4th February 2018Robert, that remark is ancient and you must know by now that the emphasis was not Paula Bennett’s-surely you aren’t going to ape Blazer and keep repeating this.It’s old, tired and inaccurate like you and Blazer..
Change the record, you two; the needle’s stuck on that one.
robertguyton
/ 4th February 2018Paula looks … pinched …
traveller
/ 4th February 2018Not that flash ourselves are we!
David
/ 4th February 2018I just googled Guyton, is he really commentating on someone elses looks !
Robert Guyton
/ 4th February 2018Cruel, David! I do the best with what I’ve got. In any case, no, I was referring to Paula’s mien, not her visage.
robertguyton
/ 4th February 2018“We”?
I’ve not seen your mug-shot, traveller, so can’t comment (and wouldn’t; gentleman, me).
Trevors_elbow
/ 4th February 2018Boring he is long gone. Metu would still becthere if the Greens polling hadnt dipped below 5%…..
Marama will be a real vote liser for tge Greens. Hope she is elected to the position…
Corky
/ 4th February 2018She should get the nod..surely?
robertguyton
/ 4th February 2018Wot about Eugenie?
Corky
/ 4th February 2018Is she Maori and promising to increase diversity and Green membership? If I
understood Marmara’s korero correctly on One News tonight, that’s what she’ll be aiming for.
But if they don’t pick Marama, Maori will perceive that as a slight. But if they do choose her, Europeans will be thinking…oh, hell, let’s hope there is no repeat of Metiria’s fiasco.
See, Robert, that’s the trouble fawning PC…you ultimately get hoisted by your own petard.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 4th February 2018A Left-wing Green is far Left on the normal political spectrum. Marama will rule out any cooperation with National and leave the Greens lost and impotent in Labour’s pocket. Shaw is too weak to stand up to her or anyone.
robertguyton
/ 4th February 2018Yeah, Alan, right on! The Greens are doomed! They’ll never be in power!!!
Hang on…
Alan Wilkinson
/ 4th February 2018Sure Robert. So their attempts at legislation will be defeated and they will be forced to support legislation they oppose. Hang on … isn’t that already happening?
sorethumb
/ 4th February 2018Where’s that video. The one that says the Herald is “shite”?. She’s campaigning but no audience.
……..
Better to have a peanut representing a jar of nuts.
Kitty Catkin
/ 4th February 2018Someone here-I forget who-was confused between Marama Fox and Marama Davidson and said that Marama F was in the Greens and in the running for co-leader.
Zedd
/ 5th February 2018M Fox.. maori party.. Gone….
Kitty Catkin
/ 5th February 2018I know. But someone thought that she was the Green woman.
Corky
/ 5th February 2018I think that was Lurchy. He had just been diagnosed as colour blind. He can only see shades of red and green.
Kitty Catkin
/ 5th February 2018Ah. So that was it.
Zedd
/ 5th February 2018Marama D may have announced she is standing.. BUT there are 6 Green women in parliament & I hear 4 are potentially standing: MD, JAG, JL, ES ?
Bring it on 🙂