Top Green Party staff step down
The Green Party turmoil has hit the top tier of its back office, with both its political director and chief of staff stepping down.
Joss Debreceny has resigned as political director, and Deborah MorrisTravers has been shifted to a specific poverty project, while the party’s digital director Tory Whanau will be acting chief of staff.
Both were heavily involved in the strategy and decisions made over former co-leader Metiria Turei’s decision to admit to benefit fraud, which backfired spectacularly when she was forced to resign amid polling that suggested the party may not make it back to Parliament.
Green Party leader James Shaw confirmed Debreceny’s resignation, saying it was ‘‘reluctantly accepted’’. ‘‘Joss has given tireless, loyal support and made an important contribution to the Green cause, and I amdeeply grateful for that.’’
Morris-Travers’ new role, would be providing policy advice on ending poverty in New Zealand.
‘‘Deborah came to us with a 12-year history of leading the movement to end child poverty. This move is to maintain the momentum around the Green Party’s fight for a fairer, respectful and more dignified social safety net which helps people out of poverty.
‘‘We are keen to utilise Deborah’s expertise on the rights of children, as well as tapping into her past experience as a Member of Parliament, and she has been working on the areas of poverty and inequality,’’ said Shaw. They were both ‘‘superb operators’’. Shaw said he would not make any further comment, as the changes were ‘‘operational’’.