PLENTY OF DEPTH IN GREEN PARTY

How strange that a party which set out to avoid the cult of
leadership personality - and once even contemplated making leaders of
all its members - should witness such an outpouring of public grief
and sympathy on the death of its co-leader, Rod Donald.

From the party's perspective, his loss is, of course, a huge body
blow. But it is not the curtain call for the Greens that, say, the
death of Winston Peters would be to NZ First or the death knell it
would be for United Future if Peter Dunne no longer provided the
Ohariu-Belmont life raft.

The potency of the Green brand, and the existence of a meaningful
party structure, should ensure the Greens will survive the loss of
even such an important individual.

That is not to denigrate Mr Donald's importance or contribution. He
was the party glue, de facto chief press secretary, finance
spokesman, morale booster and travelling road show. He was the
Greens' Michael Cullen, keeping track of legislation and policy
development. He kept tabs on resources, the MPs' superannuation fund
and a raft of minor details that are required of a party with a
parliamentary presence. Most of all, he did the politics, whereas
most of his fellow Greens are focused on the policies. Those are the
range of skills and tasks the Greens are now scrambling to replace
and reallocate. His tragic death does cut across the natural
succession plan, which would have seen Jeanette Fitzsimons retire
first, to be replaced by a female co-leader, and Mr Donald step down
sometime in the 2008-11 term for what he imagined would be a new
career in local government. Perhaps even running for Mayor of Christchurch.

But the Greens' co-leader structure does mean that there is a leader
in place and that the party can take the time till June to select a
replacement. In the meantime, the Green Party executive this week has
expressed confidence in Ms Fitzsimons and will begin to define the
skills the new co-leader ought to have, even though it could have
filled the vacancy in the interim.

The gender-balanced co-leadership model, set out in the party's
constitution, will be retained.

The speculation around a replacement has so far focused on campaign
manager and 10th-ranked list candidate Russell Norman, who clearly
has the intelligence but comes across as either shy or aloof.

Those who have criticised the party for not "skipping" Nandor Tanczos
miss the point that it was not a call the party could make. Mr
Tanczos was on the list and it was his choice to return.

They also miss the point that, though he does not conform to the
ideal MP in the eyes of most commentators, he is valued by the Greens
and has an unusual charisma, particularly among young voters, that
few other MPs possess. Anyone who has any doubts should put Mr
Tanczos and any other 40-year-old MP in a group of teenagers and see
who they flock around.

It is a quality Mr Donald saw, too, and his frustration at losing Mr
Tanczos at the election went beyond the simple loss of a seventh
seat. Along with Metiria Turei, Mr Tanczos represents the next
generation among sitting Green MPs.

It is unlikely that Keith Locke, now in his 60s, will put his name
forward for the co-leadership.

However, Mr Tanczos should not be ruled out, though he may prefer to
spend all available time with his family.

But wouldn't that alienate middle New Zealand, mainstream voters,
whom the Greens hope to attract?

Well, maybe. But that presupposes two things. First, that it is
viable for the Greens to expand their voter base significantly and,
second, that he is fatally typecast as a drug law reformer.

Of course they - and any party - would like to expand their appeal
and win more seats. The election - and especially the post-election
negotiations - have underscored just what a difference even a couple
of seats can make to the shape of the Government.

But their more immediate challenge is to strengthen and deepen the
commitment to the party of its existing sympathisers and supporters.

Mr Donald, in his last days, was frustrated as much by the damage to
the Green vote from those who voted tactically - highlighted by the
rebound in Green support after the election - as he was by the
outcome of the coalition talks.

It is a point Ms Fitzsimons made in her first speech to the new
Parliament this week as she looked at the shape of the current
administration and toward the next election. "It is the Government we
warned could be formed if people who supported the Greens gave their
party vote instead to Labour, out of fear of National."

It was the kind of "lesser evil" voting which MMP was supposed to end
in favour of a positive vote, but it is an important tactical reality
the Greens must address.

On the second issue, Mr Tanczos is already moving to cast himself in
a new role by leaving the responsibility for cannabis reform with Ms
Turei and adding the core Green portfolio of the environment to his
previous justice and constitutional roles.

That is not to say he is the front-runner to replace Mr Donald, or
even that he will put his Rastafarian hat in the ring. It is just
that, in assessing Green politics and the niche they inhabit, the
usual assumptions are not always the right ones.