Jan’s Southland childhood established her deep connection with the beauty of an untouched environment. But it was the impact of the economic reforms of the 1980s that led her toward people-oriented work, giving a voice to those who often go unheard.

Jan worked for Women’s Refuge, the New Zealand University Students’ Association, the YWCA and numerous other social causes before entering Parliament in 2011. She also has a proud history as a volunteer - for Youthline, HELP Sexual Abuse Crisis Line, Wellington Rape Crisis Board and others.

Combining her big picture thinking with her experience of helping individuals personally gives Jan a uniquely caring and practical political perspective.

In Parliament she has been a champion for people and families affected by domestic and sexual violence. She initiated a select committee inquiry into funding for specialist sexual abuse and social services, and her Workplace Protection Bill is designed to protect victims and reduce the significant economic impact of domestic violence.

Jan made global headlines when she was detained in Sri Lanka while highlighting human rights abuses to which the Government had turned a blind eye.

Jan wants to see the way we practice politics change to strengthen faith in our democracy. She believes that public engagement and greater transparency are central to trust in both the system and our politicians.

" A Green government would see the economy as a tool to serve the people and our environment, not the other way around."


Our people

Marama Davidson

Marama grew up all over Aotearoa; born in Auckland, she then lived in Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch. When Marama was nine, her grandfather p...
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James Shaw

James Shaw  firmly believes that New Zealand can be an example to the world in transitioning to a high-value, clean-tech, post-carbon economy that...
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Chlöe Swarbrick

Chlöe is your Member of Parliament for Auckland Central. It’s the place she calls home, the community she belongs to and the city – and Hauraki Gul...
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Julie Anne Genter

Julie Anne is working for more sustainable and just communities, and advocates for infrastructure that delivers for our people and protects the cl...
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Eugenie Sage

Eugenie loves Canterbury’s big skies, its braided rivers, and the mountains of Kā Tiritiri o te Moana/the Southern Alps, which form the spine of T...
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Golriz Ghahraman

Golriz is an Iranian-Kiwi refugee and made history as the first ever refugee to be sworn in as an MP, having arrived in Aotearoa as a child asylum...
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Teanau Tuiono

Teanau has over 20 years experience as an activist, an advocate, and organiser at local, national, and international levels. He attributes his inte...
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Ricardo Menéndez March

Ricardo grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, a place where the politics of hate and division impacted the very land that he lived on. Over the past few ye...
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