Renowned landscape photographer and publisher Craig Potton is to stand as a list candidate for the Green Party in this year's general elections.

Mr Potton is best known as the leading photographer of New Zealand's natural places. His firm Craig Potton Publishing, one of this country's few independent publishers, has received international success, largely due to the beauty of the firm's coffee table books and scenic calendars.

More recently Craig Potton Publishing has developed a world-wide reputation for its courage in publishing author Nicky Hager's Secret Power, describing the overseas links of New Zealand's Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), and last week in publishing an expose of the public relations industry in Hager's book Secrets and Lies. The company is based in Nelson, with offices also at Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch. It employs 12 staff.

Mr Potton lives in Nelson, with wife Beverly and son Michael, 10. Since his youth he has been an energic environmentalist, campaigning in the 1970s for the Native Forest Action Council, and in recent years as a Federated Mountain Clubs representative on the Government's Conservation Authority.

Over a 12 year period Mr Potton was active in local government, including membership of the former Nelson Catchment Board, the regional council and the Nelson City Council. His interest in the arts has included becoming a "centennial patron" of the nationally-known Suter Gallery in Nelson.

He has asked not to be in the top places on the Green Party list, saying he would like to contribute to the party's efforts to obtain several seats in Parliament, without becoming a member of Parliament himself.

"I'm concerned that New Zealand politics has become very one-dimensional," Mr Potton said. "It is difficult to see the difference between the main parliamentary parties.

"Only the Green Party is presenting policies which combine the need for social equity with a serious and sincere platform to improve our relationship with the environment."

ENDS

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