MEDIA RELEASE - WELLINGTON GREEN PARTY

15 July 2001

Green Candidates take the "Positive Politics Pledge"

Picture 1 - Olivia Mitchell, Brent Efford, Sukhi Turner, Meg Craigie, Celia Wade-Brown, Alison White

Picture 2 - Sukhi Turner, Meg Craigie, Olivia Mitchell, Brent Efford, Alison White, Celia Wade-Brown

Picture 3 - Sukhi Turner, Brent Efford, Olivia Mitchell, Meg Craigie, Alison White, Celia Wade-Brown

The ‘Green Team’ - the five Green Party candidates standing for local body seats in the Wellington area - today launched their "Positive Politics Pledge" campaign outside the Local Government New Zealand conference at the Michael Fowler Centre.

The Mayor of Dunedin and member of the Green Party, Sukhi Turner was one of the first to ‘sign the pledge’ by putting her signature on a large sign printed with the Pledge. Many other delegates to the conference also signed the Pledge including several other Mayors and an MP. All delegates have been provided with a copy of the Pledge.

The aim of the campaign is to encourage candidates to campaign positively by attacking the issues, not each other. Greens also want to improve behaviour at Council sessions by treating others with respect and not disrupting meetings.

Green Party local body candidates will be approaching others on the campaign trail to join them in signing up to the Pledge.

The Positive Politics Pledge reads:

a.. I will address the issues and refrain from making personal attacks on my opponents.

b.. I will promote my own policies firmly and discuss dissenting views without abuse.

c.. I will seek common ground, and acknowledge and build on the ideas of others without denigration.

d.. I support respectful political discussion and behaviour, and will observe meeting procedures in a democratic and non-disruptive manner.

The five Wellington Green local body candidates launching the ‘Positive Politics Pledge’ campaign are

Celia Wade-Brown (Southern Ward, Wellington City)
Brent Efford (Lambton Ward, Wellington City)
Olivia Mitchell (Northern Ward, Porirua City)
Meg Craigie (Upper Hutt City) and
Alison White (Capital and Coast District Health Board).

For more information:

Olivia Mitchell tel 233-9424 , 025-247-1295 olivia.mitchell@greens.org.nz

David Weinstein, Wellington Greens Local Body Campaign Coordinator:

tel 025 892 665, david.weinstein@greens.org.nz

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