Co-leader Shaw’s exit prompts Green exodus
The Green Party is facing an exodus of experience as senior staff leave along with former co-leader James Shaw.
The party is losing its chief of staff, Robin Campbell, as well as its communications director, Danny Stevens, among others. Its current research and policy director, Eliza Prestidge Oldfield, will replace Campbell as chief of staff.
The departure of 11 staff was prompted by Shaw’s resignation as co-leader in March, as his quitting the job has triggered redundancy clauses within staff contracts. But those within the party say people are leaving for numerous reasons.
“We’re in a new era for the Greens. Not only do we have a new co-leadership team ... we’re back in opposition from our first ever stint and formal relationship in Government. It shows we are refreshing,” said new co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.
The Green Party has had a particularly difficult few months after the 2023 election, which grew the party’s caucus to 15 MPs but saw it out of Government due to Labour’s rout.
Senior MP Golriz Ghahraman quit the party in January after it emerged she had shoplifted. New MP Efeso Collins, 49, suddenly died in February. Then, new MP Darlene Tana was stood down in March after revealed that a business she was linked to faced accusations of migrant exploitation.
The party confirmed yesterday that 19 staff were made redundant at Shaw’s resignation as co-leader in March, and all were offered their jobs back. But 11 chose to leave, taking the three months’ redundancy pay on offer, and eight chose to stay.
Such “event-based” contracts are held by staff of ministers and MPs across Parliament, and termination is triggered by the politician’s job changing or ending. A spate of staff turnover after an event, such as an election loss for a minister or the resignation of a party leader, is not an uncommon occurrence.
Swarbrick said a number of the leaving staff had done “a lot of hard, tiring work” when the Greens were governing alongside Labour in the past two terms, and a lot were quite young and heading on OEs.
“This is an opportunity to, I guess, step outside the Parliamentary beltway and get some experience in things that they want to do ... and then use those skills in the future, potentially back with us.”
Campbell has served as chief of staff of the party for three years, and has worked on and off for the party since 2015. He replaced the prior chief of staff, current Wellington mayor Tory Whanau, in 2021. Prior to that, he was research and policy director, and before that a ministerial adviser to Shaw.
He declined to comment. Replacing Campbell will be Prestidge Oldfield, who has been working as head of research and policy for the party. Swarbrick said Prestidge Oldfield had a legal background, was talented at surveying the political landscape, and had a “great grasp of policy”.
Stevens, the communications director, is leaving to become head of global communications for a human rights non-governmental organisation in the United Kingdom.
The Green Party has in recent weeks advertised for a research and policy director, a communications director, an outreach specialist, a social media adviser and a communications specialist. Some of these positions are new, as the party is adding more staff to its Auckland and Christchurch offices.
Shaw is expected to retire from Parliament altogether in the coming weeks. He promised to stay in Parliament to see through the passage of a bill that would entrench a “right to a sustainable environment” in the Bill of Rights.
The bill is broadly expected to be debated in the House this week, and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has indicated that the Government will vote it down.