4 May, 2004

Greens won't contest unnecessary by-election

The Green Party will not run a candidate in the Te Tai Hauauru by-election, Co-leaders Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald announced today.

"This by-election is about one thing: the Government's foreshore and seabed policy," Ms Fitzsimons said. "Our views on the foreshore and seabed match those of Tariana Turia, principally that legislating for Crown ownership amounts to confiscation. We will not run against Mrs Turia under these circumstances."

Rod Donald repeated his offer to the Government of the Green Party's nine votes in order to repeal the Electoral Integrity Act under urgency before May 17th, thereby saving the country the cost of an expensive and unnecessary by-election.

"The sensible course of action would be for the Government to repeal the Act so that Mrs Turia could become an independent MP without taxpayers having to spend at least $350,000 on a by-election that no one wants," said Mr Donald, who noted that the Act is due to expire at the next election anyway.

ENDS

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