James Shaw announced his resignation as co-leader on 30 January 2024.
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.[1] It is not required for Co-leaders to be a Member of Parliament, or any other elected representative of the party. [2] Co-leaders are elected for one-year terms by party delegates at annual general meetings (AGMs).[lower-alpha 1] 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.[3][4]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.[5] 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.[6] Shaw was re-elected as a list MP at the 2017, 2020 and 2023 general elections. Following the 2017 general election, Shaw became a minister in the Sixth Labour Government. On 30 January 2024, he announced his resignation as co-leader.[7]
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.[8] The result was announced on 10 March 2024, confirming that Swarbrick had been elected in a landslide with 98.8% of the vote.[9]
Candidates
Declared candidates
Alex Foulkes, Dunedin-based activist and conservationist[10][11]
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