Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

* This article was last edited in 2012. Some of its information may be outdated.

The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is a political party in New Zealand. It is currently the third largest in parliament with 14 seats.

## Ideology[edit]

The Green party has a strong focus on environmental issues, and is generally left-wing in economic and social policy. The party's Charter 'accepts Te Tiriti o Waitangi [the Treaty of Waitangi] as the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand', recognises the Maori position as Tangata Whenua and states the four 'Principles' of 'Ecological Wisdom', 'Social Responsibility', 'Appropriate Decision Making' and 'Non-Violence'.[1] The 2005 'Anti-Smacking' bill, introduced by Green MP Sue Bradford, proved widely unpopular but was passed after a compromise made it less easy to prosocute.[2]

## History[edit]

The Green party was founded in 1990. Many of the founding members of the party had previously been involved in the Values Party, which had been set up in 1972 and was the world's first national 'Green Party' (though one had previously contested the state elections in Tasmania).[3] From 1992 to 1997 the Green Party stood candidates as part of the 'Alliance' of four left-wing parties (Greens, New Labour Party, Democrat and Mana Motuhake, later joined by the Liberals). In the 1999 elections (the first run as an independent party) the Greens won the electorate of Coromandel and 5.2% of the list votes, giving them seven MPs.[4]

## References[edit]

1. ↑ http://www.greens.org.nz/charter
2. ↑ http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10440080
3. ↑ http://www.greens.org.nz/page/history-green-party
4. ↑ http://www.greens.org.nz/page/history-green-party