James Shaw: I can take votes off National

  • Breaking
  • 27/05/2015

By 3 News online staff

One of the four contenders for the co-leadership of the Green Party says if elected, he'll be able to take votes off National rather than Labour.

James Shaw is Prime Minister John Key's pick to win – but the first-term MP says it's all part of the National Party's games.

"A few months ago when National was having a go at me saying I was a 'blue-green' and that I was one of them and that kind of stuff, I went up to one of their backbenchers in a corridor and I asked them to kind of stop this," Mr Shaw told RadioLIVE.

"He said, 'We know it's killing you – that's why we're doing it.' So it's a deliberate strategy."

Mr Shaw's opponents for the leadership are current MPs Kevin Hague and Gareth Hughes, and party member Vernon Tava.

Mr Shaw says National knows he's the only one of the four who can pull votes from them, and their support will dent his image with Green Party members, ruining his chances of becoming leader.

"They know that if I expand the vote it'll come at their expense and tip them out of power," says Mr Shaw.

"You remember the line, right? Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

Mr Shaw sits on the right of the party, with a background in business.

The result of the co-leadership vote will be announced on Saturday.

3 News

source: newshub archive