Chlöe Swarbrick standing for Green Party co-leader

Friday, 2 February 2024

Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick announces her intention to run for the co-leader position.

Chlöe Swarbrick has officially thrown her hat in the ring for the Green Party co-leadership, after speculation rose once James Shaw announced his intention to retire.

The Auckland Central MP made the announcement on Friday, saying she would be spending the next few weeks “talking to members of the Green Party about my vision for the future of our movement and to ask their trust in me”.

“If I am elected to work alongside Marama Davidson, I will grow the Green movement to achieve tangible, real-world, people-powered change ‒ as I have since I first signed up ‒ but now, at even greater scale.

“What is possible in politics is only ever defined by the willingness of those in power. As Co-leader, I want to show everyone in this country the power running through their veins to choose our future,” Swarbrick said. “We cannot leave politics to the politicians.”

Swarbrick described herself as a ‘research radical’.

“I seek to put forward evidence based solutions and you know, I will argue and fight with anybody on the propositions that we put forward. When it comes to describing oneself as a radical or otherwise, I believe that radical change at this point is necessary to confront the challenges of our time.“

Asked what policy platform she would push if she were co-leader, Swarbrick said climate and equality would be a central focus.

“And obviously, I spent the last election as the election before that, making the clear case for the need for tax reform.”

Shaw announced plans earlier this week to step down as co-leader in March, less than six months after the party recorded its biggest election result.

He will temporarily remain as an MP to support the Bill of Rights (Right to a Sustainable Environment) Amendment Bill.

Nominations for co-leader opened on Wednesday and close February 14. The new co-leader will be announced on March 10, after being voted in by Green Party branches.

Davidson earlier this week was unable to confirm she would remain in place until the next election, but said she would “absolutely” stay for the rest of the year.