Greens name non-MP as leader

Russel Norman

The Greens have elected Russel Norman as their new male-co-leader, bypassing MP Nandor Tanczos.

About 200 delegates and party members attended the Greens' AGM, where preferential voting was used to fill the co-leader's position left vacant by Rod Donald's death last year.

Under the voting system, the winning candidate needed a 50 per cent majority and it was thought second and third preferences might have to be calculated in, but Dr Norman won outright.

The other two candidates were Auckland's Dave Clendon and former MP Mike Ward.

Dr Norman, the party's election campaign manager, is pledging to broaden the party's support base.

He said he did not believe that not being an MP would handicap him, as it would enable him to focus on building the party within the community.

Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said he would have the same duties and responsibilities as would a co-leader who was an MP.

Dr Norman said he would focus on better communication of the party's core messages on issues such as sustainability, climate change and public transport and "broadening our support in the suburbs and provincial towns".

He downplayed suggestions from some detractors that he would pull the party to the left.

"We have a social justice dimension to our party, but we are very much focused on issues of sustainability and the environment," he said.

He believed Mr Tanczos had "suffered to some extent from 'the shooting of the messenger'. Nandor was the person who told the truth that prohibition of cannabis wasn't working and he has to some extent paid the price for that."

Mr Tanczos praised Dr Norman and said he was "behind him 100 per cent".

The MP has battled image issues within the party as well as outside of it and said it had played a key role in the contest.

"It probably was the deciding factor...that I'm a dreadlocked Rastafarian, that probably was a single factor for many people," Mr Tanczos said.

He refused to express his disappointment over this however. "My view is that it doesn't matter, it's not important."

Ms Fitzsimons said: "This is a new beginning for the Greens. Rod has left very large shoes but I know Russel will put his own stamp on the position, as Rod did, as we work to advance the Green vision sustainability, justice, democracy and peace."