Ricardo Menéndez March has been selected by local party members as the Green Party candidate for Mt Albert for the 2023 General Election.

Ricardo will be asking for two ticks this election, to grow the party vote for the Greens and become the first-ever Green Party MP for Mt Albert, following the successful campaign by Auckland Central Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick in 2020.

Having entered parliament in 2020, Ricardo has been a highly effective MP, successfully advocating for increases to baseline income support payments and working closely with constituents across Aotearoa on issues including housing, immigration and income support. Ricardo is dedicated to bringing this work ethic and proven success to the people of Mt Albert, promising to be a tireless local advocate.

“It’s time for Mt Albert to have a real choice - this election they get to decide who will be the most effective spokesperson for their local concerns. I advocate every day to improve the lives of people across Aotearoa, on a variety of issues. Mt Albert deserves a bold, unwavering MP in their corner, and I’d love to serve the people of Mt Albert and take their concerns into Parliament,” says Ricardo Menéndez March.

“I have been a part of this community for 15 years, and I understand that Mt Albert is at a crossroads. We have an incredible, diverse community that supported each other in the wake of the recent floods, but face challenges in housing, transport and a lack of climate-resilient infrastructure. I’m ready to put my experience as a community advocate to work alongside the people of Mt Albert in Parliament next term. I would be honoured to do this as the local MP for Mt Albert.” says Ricardo Menéndez March.

Through Chlöe Swarbrick’s Auckland Central win in 2020 and her work during the term, the Greens have shown that Green Party electorate MPs can raise the bar for the people of Tāmaki Makaurau, and Swarbrick is confident it can be raised even higher with a team of Green electorate MPs across the city.

The Auckland Central MP said, “Ricardo is one of the most hard-working, effective MPs in our Parliament with an impressive record of wins. We’ve worked together on a number of issues - policy and constituency - where his experience and knowledge has been invaluable. The people of Mt Albert have an incredible opportunity to choose a formidable Green champion, campaigner and change-maker as their local MP,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.

“Tāmaki Makaurau and the planet are under pressure. This October, the communities of Mount Albert, Ōwairaka, Morningside, Kingsland, Grey Lynn, Point Chevalier, Western Springs and Westmere get to have a say on who is going to be the most effective spokesperson for their local issues. Only the Greens have the solutions to tackle climate action, reduce inequality, and improve people's lives so our communities can thrive,” says Ricardo Menéndez March.

Media contact: Bridie Chetwin-Kelly - 0277340082, Green Party Communications Director

Notes to Editors:

Ricardo entered parliament in 2020, placing 10th on the Green Party list.

In 2020, Ricardo stood in the Maungakiekie electorate, successfully increasing the Green party vote from 5.9% in 2017 to 9.1% in 2020.

Ricardo currently lives in Balmoral on the boundary of the Mt Albert electorate, within the Mt Roskill electorate.

Ricardo was selected unopposed and by unanimous decision of local Green Party members of the Mt Albert electorate.

As an MP, Ricardo’s achievements include:

Passing the members bill Human Rights (Disability Assist Dogs Non-Discrimination) Amendment Bill with unanimous support of parliament.

Successfully fighting to end the automatic discrimination against HIV positive migrants.

Campaigning for, and winning, pathways to residency for migrants in Aotearoa.

Fighting for a doubling of the Civil Defense payment for flood victims.

Continually advocating for increases to income support payments to at least match inflation, which proved successful with the Government announcement in 2023.

Putting on the Government agenda to permanently change how we increase income support payments each year.

Fighting for migrant constituents who are resisting deportation.

Successfully fought against the deportation of a Filipino family on Christmas 2021, a wheelchair user who was being sent home to die in 2022 and several disabled migrants.

Changed Labour’s position on an amnesty for overstayers and the discriminatory policy towards disabled migrants.

Launched Green Party campaign for free public transport.

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