Hopes to turn Manawatu Green

A world-leading disarmament campaigner, who led the movement to get cluster bombs prohibited, has returned home for a shot at Parliament.

Thomas Nash was selected as the Green Party’s Palmerston North candidate on Tuesday night.

Born and raised in the city, Nash left and became a disarmament campaigner.

After being part of the campaign that ended with countries signing a treaty prohibiting the use of cluster bombs, he founded the United Kingdom-based weapons-monitoring organisation Article 36.

Nash said he always planned to move home, but Brexit and family helped him make the decision now.

He felt his experience dealing with foreign policy and humanitarian work would help him in politics.

‘‘I looked at what my skills were, what my experience was, and it seemed like a pretty natural fit for me to be a political candidate for the Green Party.

‘‘I like building causes and building campaigns from the bottom up.

‘‘Now it’s time to come back to New Zealand and really invest in projects for change here.’’

He felt there was room to grow the Green vote in Palmerston North, pointing to Brent Barrett’s performance in the city’s 2016 local body elections.

Barrett, the party’s sole candidate in that election, went from not being on the council to taking the second-most votes.

The party’s Rangitikei candidate, Robin Mccandless, was also selected at Tuesday’s meeting.

Most recently employed in the public sector, Mccandless grew up overseas before falling in love with New Zealand during a sailing trip in 2000.