An event planned in Clive tonight featuring Green Party leader James Shaw has been cancelled due to the disruption within the party over past weeks.
On Wednesday last week, Green Party MP Metiria Turei resigned as co-leader following her earlier revelations about historical benefit fraud, which were aimed at opening a conversation about the reality of poverty in New Zealand.
An ensuing Newshub poll had the Greens' support dropping to 8.3 per cent, but Ms Turei said her resignation was brought about due to the extreme scrutiny her family had been under since she admitted that as a solo mother in the 1990s she lied to Work and Income about her circumstances.
Yesterday, Mr Shaw, now leading alone until after the election, unveiled a new election slogan "Love New Zealand" at the party's relaunch in Auckland.
As well as the new slogan, he set out three policies the party will focus on - poverty, climate change and clean water, and revealed a new caucus leadership team to take on each of these areas: Marama Davidson - poverty, Julie-Anne Genter - climate change and Eugenie Sage- clean water.
Ms Turei's departure had seen Chloe Swarbrick and Golriz Ghahraman move up to seventh and eighth respectively on the Green Party list.
Mr Shaw was due to speak about inequality, housing and water at St Francis Hall in Clive tonight, but Tukituki Green Party candidate Chris Perley said that with Ms Turei's resignation such speaking engagements had had to be reorganised.
"What was going to happen was that Metiria would look after the South Island and James would look after the North Island but now James has been handed Metiria's workload and can't make it."
Mr Perley said there were a number of such events planned for Hawke's Bay in coming weeks, and details were still being finalised for a visit by Green Party youth and transport spokesperson Julie-Anne Genter, as well as candidate Chloe Swarbrick.
A new female co-leader would not be appointed until the party's AGM next year with Mr Shaw leading the party alone until then.
In the meantime, Mr Perley said new billboards had been ordered to replace the ones featuring the two party co-leaders, some of which were still standing in areas around Hawke's Bay.