Centre green party sets out its wares

A new environmentally-focused party has launched, promising to boost conservation spending by $1 billion and to work with either of the main parties.

Business broker Vernon Tava, a former Green Party member and failed leadership aspirant, launched the Sustainable NZ party in Wellington yesterday.

He said New Zealand was ready for a ‘‘fulltime’’ environmental party that could work with both sides of the political spectrum, directly attacking his former Green Party.

‘‘If you have wanted to vote for the environment, you have had to vote for a party that has acted as a clearing-house for Left-of-Labour activists, that often put social issues ahead of the environment,’’ Tava said.

He made a business-friendly pitch to voters, saying there was no need for a revolution to achieve environmental goals and the Greens had failed by focusing on ‘‘eco-socialism’’ and ‘‘the failed ideologies of the 20th century’’.

‘‘We will work with rather than against our farmers and industry.’’

He said New Zealand should ‘‘lead where we can’’ on climate change but not ‘‘suffer serious economic consequences as a result’’.

He supported agriculture going into the Emissions Trading Scheme at some point in the future.

The $1b conservation boost would be invested over four years. That would add about 50 per cent to current conservation funding of about $500 million per year, dwarfing a boost the Greens secured in Budget 2018.

The party would pledge to make sure no more native species went extinct, with a doubling of predator-free funding.

‘‘We could spend a relatively modest amount of money even in the terms of a New Zealand government budget and have a massive impact,’’ Tava said.

Party secretary Helen Cartwright was the fifth person to sign up to the party, resigning from the National Party to do so.

Cartwright said she believed there really was a space in the political market for a businessfocused environmental party.

‘‘Because I am a business owner ... the Green Party never really did it for me,’’ Cartwright said.

She left the National Party as they were ‘‘not moving’’ on the environment.

Tava faces an uphill battle to win entry to Parliament.

No party without a current MP has ever breached the 5 per cent threshold to enter Parliament without winning a constituency seat. Green voters at the last election were overwhelmingly Left-wing.