Russel Norman MP
Dr Russel Norman is one of the Green Party Co-Leaders.
Russel has been involved with politics all of his adult life, working as a policy researcher, assistant to Green Members of Parliament and most recently as campaign manager for the Green Party. He says that his academic background - he has a doctorate in politics - "gives him an analytical approach, which is helpful", and he singles out conservation issues as his passion. "Being an activist may seem a weird career choice" he comments "but I feel obligated to use my talents and skills to fix things where I can"
Green Party Spokesperson on: Electoral matters, environment, economics and trade.
What's New?
Nat’s enviro policy: wood, but no trees
05 Sep 2008The Green Party is calling for more detail from the National Party on their environment policy after reading the partial policy draft leaked yesterday.
“The Green Party agrees that New Zealand’s environment is being badly managed by the current Government. The question is: what does National plan to do to manage it better?
Citizens to have say on electoral matters
05 Sep 2008A Citizens' Forum will be established to consider matters of election and political party funding, as part of an agreement between the Green Party and the Government during the negotiations around the Electoral Finance Act, the Green Party announced today.
Secret meetings wrong move on Lake Horowhenua
04 Sep 2008
Horowhenua District Council is making the wrong move by proposing secret meetings with a tiny number of invited members as the main community consultation, Greens Co-Leader Russel Norman says.
Sad time for Lake Horowhenua
02 Sep 2008It is disastrous the edge of Lake Horowhenua is still being polluted by sewage, with high levels of e.coli found in official tests between council sewage ponds and Lake Horowhenua after the treatment plant overflowed recently. Dr Norman met a group of Muaupoko iwi on Friday near the lake. They were deeply upset they were not forewarned by the council of the overflow nor consulted before Mr Duffy’s staff built two huge make-shift ponds on paddocks outside the plant to try to contain the partly-treated sewage.
MfE lawyers blocked dioxin testing at Mapua
28 Aug 2008
The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) used lawyers to block Tasman District Council testing for dioxin during the recent toxic site clean-up at Mapua. Evidence shows that from May 2005 the TDC was concerned the plant may be emitting dioxins, but until September 2006 MfE prevented tests for the toxic chemicals while the plant continued to operate.
Watch a video of the Russel's question in Parliament
Mapua Site—Contamination Clean-up - Oral Question
Correspondence and other information given to the Green Party shows the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) used lawyers to argue against Tasman District Council (TDC) testing for dioxin during the recent toxic site clean-up at Mapua.
Water allocation debate welcomed
27 Aug 2008The Green Party is welcoming the debate opened by a NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development report which calls on the Government to implement a water trading system. But there are potential "fish hooks" in the scheme.
Public Transport Oral Question
The Greens highlight the Government's inaction on public transport and their senseless road building binge!