The Green Party has revealed its candidate list for the 2020 general election, and seven out of the top 10 people are women.
The list rankings were voted on by members in two stages. The first by delegates at a conference for an initial draft list, and the second by the thousands of Green Party members throughout New Zealand.
The party currently has eight MPs and seven of these will campaign for re-election this year - Gareth Hughes announced in November he was retiring.
Of these current MPs, co-leader Marama Davidson is ranked first, followed by co-leader and Climate Change Minister James Shaw at number two. This is a change from the last election where they were listed the other way around.
Chlöe Swarbrick comes in at number three, a significant move up the list from 2017 where she was listed seventh.
Julie Anne Genter is fourth, Jan Logie is fifth, Eugenie Sage is sixth and Golriz Ghahraman is seventh. In the party's list for the 2017 election, Genter was third, Sage was fourth, Logie was sixth and Ghahraman was eighth.
Rounding out the first 10 candidates are activist and education consultant Teanau Tuiono, LGBTQ activist Dr Elizabeth Kerekere and anti-poverty campaigner Ricardo Menéndez March.
Shaw says he's proud to be entering the election with "exceptional" people who he's confident will lead the Greens back into Parliament this September.
"Our Green team is brimming with dedicated and experienced leaders from diverse backgrounds who are ready to get to work building a future where the Government does more, faster to protect our planet and make sure everyone is treated equally," he says.
"As our country faces new and unprecedented challenges together, it's critical that the Greens continue our work building fairer, more resilient communities that are fit for the future."
The candidate list "truly reflects 21st century Aotearoa", Davidson says, since the returning MPs are joined by young climate change activists, new Māori and Pasifika voices, a first-generation Latin American immigrant, and more.
"I've had the pleasure of working alongside many of our candidates in Parliament the past three years and welcome the fresh voices who are bringing even bigger, bolder and more diverse ideas to the table," she says.
The candidates, in order of the list, and their electorates are:
- Marama Davidson - Tāmaki Makaurau
- James Shaw - Wellington Central
- Chlöe Swarbrick - Auckland Central
- Julie Anne Genter - list only
- Jan Logie - Mana
- Eugenie Sage - Banks Peninsula
- Golriz Ghahraman - Mt Roskill
- Teanau Tuiono - Palmerston North
- Dr Elizabeth Kerekere - Ikaroa Rāwhiti
- Ricardo Menéndez March - Maungakiekie
- Steve Abel - New Lynn
- Teall Crossen - Rongotai
- Scott Willis - Taieri
- Kyle MacDonald - Epsom
- Lourdes Vano - Manurewa
- John Ranta - Ōhāriu
- Lawrence Xu-Nan - Pakuranga
- Luke Wijohn - Mt Albert
- Kaya Sparke - Rotorua
- Jack Brazil - Dunedin
- James Crow - Napier
- Elliot Blyth
- Richard McIntosh - Hutt South
- Gerrie Ligtenberg - Rangitata
