The risky choice

digital strategy. They raised more money than Labour and had more members and volunteers than before. Yet the party won a smaller proportion of the vote, fell well short of its goal of 15 per cent, and only just held on to its 14 MPs. On this evidence, the Greens may need to take a risk, change direction, and pick a candidate with the X factor.

This is where Mr Shaw comes in. He is 13 years younger than Mr Hague, charming, and moderate. One colleague described him as “Bill Clinton-esque”.

“If we really want to grow the vote, the status quo isn’t necessarily the biggest step,” Mr Shaw says. “What I’m saying to people is that if we keep doing the same thing we’ve always done, we’ll keep on getting what we’ve always got.”

Mr Hague, on the other hand, says the Greens do not need to drastically change direction, because their election result was mostly influenced by factors outside their control — Labour’s refusal to work with them, the Dirty Politics saga, and Kim Dotcom.

Mr Shaw’s campaign has focused on his ability to lift the Green vote and his broad appeal. In his home electorate, Wellington Central,

nzherald.co.nz Follow our full political coverage online at tinyurl.com/ heraldpolitics Age: 42 Politics: List MP since last year, ranked 12th on party list. Spokesman for economic development, justice, trade, small business. Before politics: Management consultant at PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) and other firms Lives: Aro Valley, Wellington. Leadership pitch: The best candidate to grow the Green vote and strengthen its economic credentials.