Chlöe Swarbrick moves to third place on Green Party list

11:24 am on 25 May 2020

Craig McCulloch, Deputy Political Editor

Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick has been propelled up her party's list to the third place ranking just behind the two co-leaders and ahead of those with ministerial portfolios.

Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and James Shaw and MP Chlöe Swarbrick Photo: RNZ

The first-term MP - who was ranked seventh in 2017 - said she felt an "immense amount of gratitude" to the party's members for the ranking.

"This is a very strange job. I have always found it really difficult to gauge how well I'm doing," Swarbrick said.

"I'm very thankful to the party and to the membership for that vote of confidence."

The Green Party's official candidate list - which was published this morning - was decided by a full membership vote after a draft list was circulated in April.

Swarbrick has made a name for herself as one of the most vocal proponents in Parliament for drug reform. She also won international notoriety for remarking "OK, Boomer" in Parliament last year after National MP Todd Muller shouted out during her speech.

Speaking on RNZ's Morning Report this morning, she said it had been interesting to see that some Greens campaigns had made a bigger impact with the public than other important work being done by the party.

"Cannabis is one of them, as is drug reform in the broader sense. But I think a lot of people missed the fact that we passed - by unanimous support of our parliament, the Election Access Fund Bill to enable candidates with disabilities to be able to run in our elections with no barriers.

"The Greens have always focused on collaborative, constructive outcomes, and ways of getting things done. And we are going to continue keeping our head down and doing that work. But as we head out into the hustings, the value proposition that New Zealanders will be voting on is whether they want to see this government go further, and faster to do more to re-green our economy."

The final list make-up reflected a "diversity of perspectives" within the party from "old school environmentalists through to those from the frontlines of Te Tiriti justice," Swarbrick said.

Co-leader Marama Davidson is ranked number one on the list, followed by co-leader and Climate Change Minister James Shaw, a reversal of their most recent positions.

Associate Minister of Health Julie Anne Genter announces trained pharmacist vaccinators will be able to administer the measles vaccine to people aged 16 and over.

Julie Anne Genter. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas

Associate Minister for Health and Transport Julie Anne Genter occupies the number four spot, immediately after Swarbrick.

Justice under-secretary Jan Logie and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage sit at spots five and six respectively, while first term MP Golriz Ghahraman is ranked seventh.

Dr Elizabeth Kerekere Photo: Leigh Marama McLachlan/RNZ

Veteran activist Teanau Tuiono holds the highest ranking - at eight - of candidates outside of Parliament, followed by scholar and activist Elizabeth Kerekere.

Anti-poverty campaigner Ricardo Menéndez March rounds out the top 10.

In a press release, James Shaw said he was confident the "exceptional group of people" would lead the Greens back into the heart of government in September.

"We are a force to be reckoned with and are entering this critically important race more united and determined than ever," he said.

"Our people are what make us different," Marama Davidson said in the statement.

"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."

The Greens currently have eight MPs after winning just over 6 percent of the vote in 2017. The last four public political polls have put the Greens hovering around the 5 percent threshold to make it back into Parliament.

The ACT party yesterday released an unranked list of 49 candidates, including deputy Beth Houlbrooke and lobbyist Brooke van Velden. ACT's board intends to release the final ranking in late June.