Youth, gays, Maori high up on Green wish list

By VERNON SMALL deputy political editor

The Green Party hopes to give top slots to representatives from three of its key target groups - the young, Maori and gays - as it works out its party list.

Young voters and students have heavily backed the Greens, but its "youth face", Nandor Tanczos, is now 37 and party strategists see a need for more young blood.

Delegates at the Greens' annual conference in Auckland this month also pressed for a gay candidate in a winnable place on the list, and heard that the party was failing to draw strong backing from Maori.

The list will be settled by a vote of all 2500 members next week, but candidates have already been ranked by their peers. It is understood the draft list gave the present MPs the top seven slots. The final list will be disclosed on June 26.

The Greens' stance on GM has seen their poll ratings surge to between 7 per cent and 9 per cent - enough for up to 11 seats in Parliament.

Soundings in the party suggest the next four slots are likely to be taken by Catherine Delahunty, Materia Turei, Jon Carapiet and Roland Sapsford.

Nelson candidate Mike Ward, Wellington city councillor Celia Wade-Brown, gay organic farmer Richard Davies and Hamilton student Cathy Olsen, 22, are also in contention.

Ms Delahunty, 48, is a peace activist standing for East Coast. She has worked for the Conservation Department and is an education organiser.

Mr Carapiet, 39, is standing against Prime Minister Helen Clark in Mt Albert. A Cambridge University graduate, he has been a brand consultant, researcher, writer and artist. He is in the forefront of the campaign on genetic modification and is the spokesman for lobby group GE-Free NZ. He is gay.

Ms Turei, 32, is a resource management lawyer and co-president of the Maori Lawyers' Society. She stood for the Greens in the Auckland mayoralty race.

Mr Sapsford, 37, is the Greens' research and policy co-ordinator. He co-managed the 1999 election campaign and was a key negotiator between the Greens and the Government.

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