{news} Fw: USGP-INT New Zealand Greens choose party leader

[Justine McCabe]

> http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10384864
> 
> Greens name non-MP as leader
> 
> UPDATED 5.45pm Saturday June 3, 2006
> By Ruth Berry
> 
> 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."
> 
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