2018 Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand female co-leadership election
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand female co-leadership election, 2018 is an election that took place between 26 March and 7 April 2018 to determine the future leadership of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Background
On 9 August 2017, Metiria Turei announced she had stood down as co-leader of the Green Party following media scrutiny of her public admission to committing benefit fraud in the early 1990s, stating that the "scrutiny on family has become unbearable." This triggered an election to fill the now vacant female co-leadership, which the party had previously stated would be conducted at the 2018 party annual general meeting. It had been possible that a Special General Meeting or postal ballot may have been used to elect a new co-leader earlier.On 26 January 2018, James Shaw announced the election timeline to determine the next female co-leader, with the ballots to be counted and a winner to be announced on 8 April 2018. Following the election, Marama Davidson was elected the new female co-leader of the Green Party.
Key dates
- Friday 2 February – Nominations open
- Friday 9 February – Nominations close
- Monday 12 February – Full list of nominations announced
- Saturday 3 March – Co-leader candidate session held at Green Party policy conference in Napier
- Sunday 25 March – Zoom conference to be held between candidates and delegates.
- Monday 26 March – End of official campaigning, balloting opens
- Saturday 7 April – Balloting closes
- Sunday 8 April – Ballots counted and winner announced
Candidates
Declared candidates
The following individuals announced their candidacy:| Name | Position | Notes |
Marama Davidson | List MP since 2015
| Davidson held a Facebook event on 4 February for an "announcement", but would not tell the press what the topic would be. Media had hypothesized the event as being a candidacy declaration. On the same day, Davidson announced her candidacy for co-leader. |
| Julie Anne Genter | List MP since 2011
| Genter had been described as one of the top contenders to take over as co-leader, but hadn't yet commented on any leadership aspirations. Following Turei's resignation, Genter said she was still to make a decision on her candidacy, but might do so when dates were finalised. She announced her candidacy on 8 February. |
Declined
The following individuals were speculated as being possible leadership candidates, but ruled out a bid:;Golriz Ghahraman
Ghahraman, elected as a List MP in 2017 said to media she was "not at all" interested in the position of co-leader.
;Jan Logie
A List MP since 2011 and Under-Secretary for Justice since 2017, Jan Logie did not respond to media requests for comment regarding the co-leadership. The press speculated that after Davidson announced her candidacy Logie ruled out running herself.
;Deborah Morris-Travers
Former Green Party Chief of Staff Deborah Morris-Travers, who was replaced following Turei's admission to benefit fraud due to her involvement, ruled out a bid for the co-leadership herself.
;Denise Roche
Former Green List MP and Auckland City Councillor Denise Roche ruled herself out of standing.
;Eugenie Sage
Sage, a List MP since 2011 and since 2017 Minister of Conservation and Minister for Land Information as well as a member of the Green Party's negotiation team with Labour, said she had not yet made any decision; "I'm still getting my feet under the table as a minister." There had been widespread speculation that Sage would put her hand up as a "compromise candidate". Ultimately, she ruled out standing citing a desire to focus on her ministerial duties instead.
;Chlöe Swarbrick
Elected as a List MP in 2017, Chlöe Swarbrick declined to stand stating it was "too early" in her career to be co-leader.