Kevin Hague Gay Green MP Kevin Hague has announced he will stand for the co-leadership of the Green Party. Current male co-leader Russel Norman has signalled he will stand down in May. Hague says while nominations for the position don’t open until mid-March, “I am certain to stand, and I thought it could be useful for Green Party members to know that”. Hague is a former New Zealand AIDS Foundation boss who has taken his many years of activism for our communities into Parliament. He was a key cog in the marriage equality battle, in throwing his support behind Labour’s Louisa Wall. He is knowledgeable on HIV issues, wants to get adoption laws sorted, and is very passionate about is the plight of lgbti youth. In announcing his bid, Hague says it is a crucial time for his party. “In the time that I have been an MP we have substantially increased our share of the vote. Yet at last year’s election we didn’t get the opportunity to help form a government. Aotearoa New Zealand needs the Green Party’s values and policies more now than ever before, particularly to provide solutions to the twin crises of climate change and inequality, but if we are to get the opportunity to deliver on these we need to ensure everyone who shares our values reflects this with their votes. “To accomplish this we need to ensure we are clear who we are and what we stand for, demonstrate ability to work in effective partnerships with others and prove ourselves to be professionally and practically ready to be in government.” Hague adds, “I have greatly enjoyed being part of the team that has brought us to this point, with a well-developed sense of mission, strategy and political discipline. I have a strong personal passion for the values and Charter that underpin our work, and now I relish the opportunity to stand alongside Metiria and help lead us through the challenges ahead.” When nominations close in mid-April the Green Party is planning a series of provincial meetings for candidates, with party members. The election will happen at its AGM on Queen’s Birthday Weekend.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 12th February 2015 - 11:30am