James Shaw goneburger

The Greens co-leader is stepping down after nearly nine years in the job. Now the question is: who's going to replace him?

Mōrena, and welcome to The Bulletin for Wednesday, January 31, written by Catherine McGregor.

In today’s edition: Willis defends government approach to cost-cutting; Mānuka honey producers want to go back to court in trademark fight; Australia-based Palmerston North Hospital doctor only on site one week in four. But first, there’s a clear frontrunner to be James Shaw replacement. But does she actually want the job?

Green Party co-leader James Shaw (Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King)

The consummate consensus-builder bows out

“James Shaw goneburger”: As the party press release announcing his resignation went out to newsrooms, the Greens’ co-leader pressed send on his own instantly iconic tweet. After almost nine years in the job, Shaw will step down as co-leader in March, but stay in parliament “for the time being” to support his members bill that proposes adding an environmental clause to the Bill of Rights. The driving force behind the landmark Zero Carbon Act, Shaw’s tenure as a parliamentarian was characterised by consensus-building – an approach that drew criticism from the party’s left, culminating in a 2022 attempt to oust him as co-leader. But for Shaw, writes the Herald’s Derek Cheng (paywalled), it was more important to create effective legislation that survived changes in government “than something stronger that would just be repealed before it could really make a difference”.

Does Swarbrick want the job?

Candidates to replace Shaw can put themselves forward from today, with the election scheduled for March 10. Shaw was elected under the old rules that required the co-leaders to be a man and a woman, but a rule change in 2022 means the party now only requires one of the co-leaders to be a woman and one to be Māori, setting the stage for an all-female leadership team. Auckland Central MP Chlӧe Swarbrick is the “de facto frontrunner”, says The Spinoff’s Stewart Sowman-Lund. She’s the “it’s hers if she wants it” candidate, writes the Herald’s Thomas Coughlan. But having made no secret of her distaste for parliament, “whether she wants the job is a legitimate question”. Electing Swarbrick is the “obvious, most sensible thing to do”, says Stuff’s Tova O’Brien. “But the Greens are many things, predictable they are not.” The other two leading contenders are party stalwart Julie Ann Genter and up-and-comer Teanau Tuiono. 

Judith Collins defends NZDF deployment

Even before Shaw made his announcement, Tuesday was set to be the biggest day in politics so far this year. After a Cabinet meeting in the morning, ministers fronted up in the debating chamber to face questions on some controversial political calls. Judith Collins made a statement about the deployment of six NZDF personnel to the Red Sea, calling it a necessary contribution to global security as well as being in NZ’s national interest. The Greens’ Marama Davidson said Collins was choosing a risky path given the current situation in the Middle East. "This government's denial that this conflict in Yemen is connected to the war in Gaza is naive and dangerous, at best, wilfully ignorant." Collins was having none of it. “The member may wish… to express support for the Houthis, but I do not, and nor does this government.”

NZ reviews humanitarian funding over allegations of Hamas links

Earlier in the day, PM Christopher Luxon said New Zealand’s scheduled payment to the UNRWA – the UN agency that provides food and medical supplies to Gaza – is on hold while foreign minister Winston Peters receives MFAT advice on alleged links between UNRWA employees and Hamas. New Zealand joins at least 13 nations, including the US and UK, in pausing or reviewing funding after Israeli intelligence claimed 12 UNRWA staffers were involved in the October 7 attack or its aftermath. The UN has fired nine of the accused; two others are missing and a third is dead. Former PM Helen Clark, who was later the administrator of the UN Development Programme, is appealing for funding to continue. "It makes no sense to cripple the major humanitarian delivery agency of the United Nations at this time." While New Zealand is yet to decide whether to make the payment, our $1 million contribution isn't due until June.

See Gone By Lunchtime live at Q Theatre!

Gone By Lunchtime is taking the stage to bring its unique blend of insight, humour and irreverence to a very special live episode. Join The Spinoff’s Toby Manhire, along with Annabelle Lee-Mather (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Māmoe) (executive producer of The Hui) and Ben Thomas (former press secretary in the Key government), as they boldly step out of the studio and in front of an audience to cast a curious and caustic eye on New Zealand politics. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see the 2023 winner of Best Politics Podcast (NZ Podcast awards) brought to life a Q Theatre as part of PodFest at Q.

When and where
7.30pm, Thursday 15th February
Q Theatre Rangatira – 305 Queen St, Auckland CBD
Click here to get your tickets now!

Willis defends government approach to cost-cutting

Finance minister Nicola Willis has defended the expansion of the government’s cost-cutting spree into areas originally thought to be safe from cuts such as the Office of the Clerk and the Ministry for Disabled people (The Post, paywalled). She says the government has been clear that savings by police, defence, health, education, housing and transport will be redirected from the back-office into frontline services and they won’t have to deliver an “efficiency dividend” back to the government coffers. Meanwhile police minister Mark Mitchell has admitted its coalition commitment of an extra 500 frontline police within two years won’t be doable, RNZ reports. "The government's policy is to deliver 500 additional police officers over the term of this government, which is three years," he said in parliament yesterday.

Mānuka honey producers want to go back to court in trademark fight

New research showing a distinct genetic difference between New Zealand and Tasmanian Leptospermum Scoparium trees has reignited NZ hopes that mānuka honey could win trademark protection, writes Newsroom’s Jonathan Milne. NZ producers have consistently failed in their trademark battle on the basis that NZ mānuka honey isn’t a “geographical indicator” like Italian Parmesan cheese or French champagne. Now research into mānuka in NZ and Tasmania has found significant genetic differences between the two, “enough for the researchers to recommend that the two plants should be called different species”, Milne writes. The research forms the basis of a new bid by producers and iwi for more public funding to fight for international legal recognition.

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Click and Collect

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Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news? Get in touch with me at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz.

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