Early on a Tuesday morning in August 1995 I had a phone call from Rod Donald, Co-Leader of the Green Party. He had a personal message from Jim Anderton of the Alliance, asking me to stand in the local body elections. Green honour was at stake as there was only one Green candidate in the whole of Christchurch. I said I needed to think about it.
Stephen said: “Go for it, you’d be great.” I consulted the Tarot and came up with the Priestess, indicating pure, exalted, and gracious influence. Perhaps I should have been standing for the Mayoralty? The card also signified may be led away by enthusiasm unless careful balance maintained which seemed appropriate. At the time of the Alliance’s formation I had been outspoken in my opposition and had since withdrawn from party political activity. Could I ever fit into an Alliance team?
At work, my Task Force Green assistant, a fervent NewLabour supporter had already announced she’d be standing for the community board. She had a Political Science degree and no electoral experience to dampen her enthusiasm. I lunched with an old friend who’d also been a Values Party candidate and we agreed my chances of success were very slight. Later that evening I had another call from Rod to say he’d found another Green women willing to stand in my ward. Together we could be a green oasis in the central city – an attractive idea.
Next day I had a call from the Alliance campaign co-ordinator asking for a decision that day because there was a photo call for all candidates. I agreed to the photo ‘just in case’ in return for another day to make up my mind. My photo was taken by a woman at the Alliance office. Internally I stereotyped her as a (Social Credit) Democrat and wondered whether she had a Skoda parked outside. I collected a copy of the manifesto, candidates’ pledge, etc, and hastened off to a crisis meeting at the Women’s Centre. At midnight I finally had a chance to read the Alliance material, decided I would be happy to associate myself with it, and drafted up a candidate profile before going to bed.
Next day (Thursday) I phoned the Alliance campaign co-ordinator to say I’d stand for the City Council, stressing that my campaign would be very low key. I also phoned my Board Chairperson to inform him.
On the Friday there was a letter in the Press from a ‘Progressive’ Green suggesting that Greens were frustrated with the Alliance. I drafted a reply during breakfast and remembered that elections can be fun. I then raced around organizing my nomination form before heading off for a weekend away.
Sunday I returned home to an answerphone message from Janet McVeagh a dear friend and former Values Party Co-Leader. She’d been persuaded to stand for an Auckland Community Board for the Alliance and was off to Paris for two weeks with Adam. I wondered who was Adam? When I phoned I discovered that Adam was in fact ATOM, a group of 50 New Zealanders going to France to protest against nuclear testing in the Pacific. Janet would conduct most of her local body campaign from the depths of Europe.
On Monday my candidacy was announced in the Press. Apparently no-one noticed.
Tuesday the Press published my letter. A Board member phoned to ask whether I was the author and why I hadn’t informed the previous week’s Board meeting. I explained that I hadn’t known myself at that stage. Her husband was also a local body candidate and she was disbelieving. Two friends phoned to congratulate me on standing. Unfortunately only one lived in my Ward, but now I was sure of at least five votes.
As I left work on Wednesday I suggested to my assistant that I would see her at that evening’s candidates’ meeting. She knew nothing about it and my faith in the Alliance’s organizational ability dropped. The Alliance meeting was full of unknown faces. I introduced myself to my neighbour who turned out to be my Green Ward-mate who also knew none of the others. We all sat in rows facing a desk and I wondered why they couldn’t have a circle so we could at least see each other. The room smelt faintly of paint and unwashed socks. A man took his place at the desk and started the evening’s business. He didn’t introduce himself and it was a while before someone addressed him by name so I could identify him from my candidate list. Two-thirds of the group remained anonymous for the whole evening. I considered making comments on the process but decided against it. After all, I was a last minute addition and expecting to be active for only six weeks. I thought longingly of Values meetings with their lengthy sharing rounds. The woman next to me fell asleep, and I promised myself I needn’t attend any more Alliance candidates’ meetings.
The following Sunday billboards arrived and one went up on the side of my cottage. My name had never before been writ so large and kept jumping out at me as I drove around local streets.

1995 election postcard
Next Saturday my mother had a stroke and my campaigning was reduced to the absolute bare minimum. I spoke at two candidates’ meetings and answered five letters. At the election I received 1,612 votes (15%) and was the first runner-up in my ward. I doubted I would have done better if I’d campaigned intensively, and wondered what that proved?
My swansong as a Green candidate was in 1999, when I was Green List candidate number 34. Seven Green MPs made it into Parliament that time, including Jeanette Fitzsimons who won the electorate seat of Coromandel.

1999 Green List Candidate no. 34
I found Alliance process shoddy
and never quite made local body
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