New Greens co-leader needs to 'walk the walk'

Jeanette Fitzsimons

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons wants her new co-leader to walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

In a speech to the Green Party conference in Whangarei today Ms Fitzsimons talked about the qualities she hoped the replacement for Rod Donald, who died last November, would have.

The party, which allows the membership rather than just its caucus to elect leaders, is seeking a male to fill the role to keep the gender balance. Nominations open on April 3.

Ms Fitzsimons said the Green Party expected leaders to exemplify the party's principals.

"Riding a bicycle and growing a garden as Rod did or using public transport, using energy and resources responsibly, buying kiwi-made, caring for children and animals, eating healthy food, reusing and recycling waste," she said.

"We are looking for someone who will be the new face of the Green Party. He needs to be able to articulate concisely the Green Party vision in a way the public will understand and warm to."

The candidate also needed to be inspirational, articulate, accept responsibility, a team-player, have stamina and have a good sense of humour and a supportive home environment.

"No one will quite measure up to this -- I know Rod and I often didn't -- but we grew into the job and our new leader will too."

Nominations would close on April 28.

Other topics Ms Fitzsimons covered included the election result -- which resulted in three fewer MPs and highlighted the dangers of the 5 per cent threshold -- and the outcome of coalition talks.

"We have been through a rough few months. But it takes more than an exhausting election campaign, a disappointing result, being excluded from government, and losing our inspirational, bouncy and beloved co-leader to keep us down."

She compared the Green Party and the Government's relationship to walking a tightrope and continued the party's emphasis on their independence from Labour.

While the party wanted to make progress in areas such as solar panels and energy efficiency and Buy Kiwi Made, it would not support the Government on confidence and supply and would vote issue by issue.

"We are not part of government or of opposition. We are a free and independent Green Party and are free to speak our minds and to stand up for the environment, for justice, for peace and for democracy in opposition to the Government where our policies differ.

"The Green Party will be there challenging this Government whenever we see them straying from those four vital principles."

Ms Fitzsimons said managing a relationship where the party agreed with government on some issues but not others would take "skills".

"It is the future of MMP -- in Sweden the Green Party has had agreements with governments covering which issues they are working together on and which issues they oppose. The New Zealand Greens have pioneered new types of political relationship in every parliament so far and no doubt will continue to pave the way like this for other parties."

She urged members to be more active and said the challenge was to spread their message wider.

That task was difficult, she said taking a swipe at the media, saying it was controlled by multi-nationals.

She revved up members praising their commitment and encouraging them to work harder.

- NZPA