The 2024 Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand co-leadership election was held following the resignation of James Shaw and was won by Chlöe Swarbrick.

Background

Under the Green Party's constitution, the party is led by two co-leaders. Historically, it was required that one of the co-leaders be female and the other male. However, the constitution was amended in May 2022 to remove the requirement that one co-leader be male. Additionally, it was resolved that one of the two co-leaders must be Māori. It is not required for Co-leaders to be a Member of Parliament, or any other elected representative of the party. Co-leaders are elected for one-year terms by party delegates at annual general meetings (AGMs). If a leadership position is uncontested, the candidate must secure a 75 per cent majority of party delegates' votes to be confirmed. If this threshold is not met, then nominations for the position are re-opened and a fresh election is held. James Shaw was first elected to Parliament at the 2014 general election. He came third in the Wellington Central electorate but was ranked twelfth on the party list and was elected as a list MP. After Russel Norman retired from politics in 2015, Shaw was elected to replace him as party co-leader, defeating sitting MPs Kevin Hague and Gareth Hughes and Waitematā Local Board member

Vernon Tava Vernon Ivan Tava is a barrister living in Auckland, New Zealand. He is the founder and leader of the Sustainable New Zealand Party and a former candidate for the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Education and business career Vernon Tava gra ...

. Shaw was re-elected as a list MP at the

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general elections. Following the 2017 general election, Shaw became a

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in the

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. On 30 January 2024, he announced his resignation as co-leader.

Election process

Nominations for the election opened on 31 January and closed on 14 February 2024. Each branch of the party will have a number of votes proportional to its membership. The result was announced on 10 March 2024, confirming that Swarbrick had been elected in a landslide with 98.8% of the vote.

Candidates

Declared candidates

*Alex Foulkes, Dunedin-based activist and conservationist * Chlöe Swarbrick, MP for Auckland Central

Declined to be candidates

Steve Abel Stephen George Bremner Abel (born January 1970) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and environmental activist who is involved with Greenpeace. In three general elections, he stood as a candidate for the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Music ...

, list MP * Julie Anne Genter, MP for Rongotai * Francisco Hernandez, candidate in the 2023 general election * Ricardo Menéndez March, list MP * Tamatha Paul, MP for Wellington Central * Teanau Tuiono, list MP

Results

Results were announced by the Green Party on 10 March 2024.

Notes

References

{{NZ Green Party Green Party Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand leadership elections Indirect elections Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand co-leadership election