Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei resigns

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei has resigned as co-leader.

Her resignation comes ahead of what is expected to be a disastrous poll result for the party.

Turei said just yesterday that she would stay on as co-leader until the election even if the Greens plummeted in the polls.

But a poll to be released tonight is understood to place them in a precarious position, possibly as low as 5 per cent.

Turei has been under growing pressure after she admitted to historical offending while on the benefit 20 years ago.

Speaking to media this evening, Turei said that since opening a conversation about the reality of poverty in New Zealand and the solutions to it, she and her family have been under extreme scrutiny.

"I knew that by telling my personal story, it would help people hear and understand the reality of poverty. And that has happened - thousands of people have contacted the Green Party with their stories, and many have come forward to tell these in the media as well.

"I also knew that it would open the way for people to criticise me - and I knew the risks of that - but the intensity of those attacks has become too much for my family, and they are now getting in the way of our ability to communicate our solutions - not just for poverty, but for water, climate change and the environment."

She said resigning was her decision and it was not in response to the coming poll, saying that it was "not that bad" for the Greens.

"The party did not ask me to resign and as recently as last night the executive gave me a vote of confidence."

Co-leader James Shaw said he will be the sole co-leader for the election.

This is consistent with the approach when co-Leader Rod Donald died ahead of the 2005 election.

The Green Party will select a new female co-leader at a general meeting.

Turei will no longer be on the Green Party list but will campaign for the party vote only in Te Tai Tonga, Shaw said.

He thanked her for her years of service to the Green Party.

"Metiria has been a servant for the party, the environment and for our people for many years. Her dedication and commitment have been unparalleled. As I have said, she chose to tell her story in order to open a conversation - and she has done that.

"I urge everyone who believes in the environment and our people, including those who have come forward in the last few weeks, to continue with their support. It is more important than ever that we change the government."

Yesterday, he backed Turei despite the disarray caused by her confessions and her subsequent handling of it.

He rejected suggestions that Turei had also brought the party into disrepute, saying her problems were historical.

"We felt that resigning for something that happened 25 years ago was totally disproportionate.

"Frankly, I am kind of over the level of interrogation she has received," he said, adding that she appeared to be treated more harshly because she was poor.

This week, two Green MPs, Kennedy Graham and David Clendon, resigned in protest of Turei's actions.

They quit the Green Party caucus after a move to expel them following an
ultimatum over Turei's leadership.

They will stay on as Green MPs until the election, but will not take part in any caucus events or campaigning. In a statement, co-leader James Shaw said the decision was supported by all 12 of the other MPs.

Turei admitted last week she enrolled at a Mt Albert address where she did not live in 1993 so she could vote for a friend.

Enrolling to vote at an address you do not live at is an offence.

Turei also confirmed her mother was a flatmate for part of the period she claimed the benefit in the 1990s. She said they were financially independent at the time.

She revealed last month that she did not disclose to Work and Income in the 1990s that she had extra flatmates while she was a solo mother on the domestic purposes benefit.

But she did not reveal then that one of them was her mother.

Source: NZ Herald