He is also lucky Winston took the stance over his party that he did.
If Winston had dealt with the Greens, if the Greens had been part of the coalition inside the Cabinet, he would have as much trouble on his plate as Labour and New Zealand First do.
But as luck would have it, he's got a series of very fortunate breaks.
One, he got 6 per cent and got back on election night.
Two, Peters went with Labour and therefore the Greens are in power.
Three, Peters doesn't like the Greens so kept them out of the inner circle and thus breathed new life into their chances not only of survival but growth.
So, his first hurdle is the co-leadership.
Why they have a co-leadership sadly is an insight into why they've never really turned out to be the political force they should've been by now.
You don't need two leaders, two leaders is about politically correct process that wastes time, causes arguments and divisions and displays an interest in matters that aren't that critical to electoral success.
If he can get past that, in other words if they don't select a nutter, then they can slowly, hopefully become the sort of Green Party that gets attention and more importantly credibility.
The future of the Green Party is not in the communist social engineering side of the operation that has caused them so much trouble over the years.
Surely they have seen enough of the Sue Bradfords and Meteria Tureis by now to know this is not a vote getter.
That the votes are in the environment.
If James Shaw spends the next three years talking about the Kermadecs.
If he sides with National on a private members bill around that sanctuary.
If he is relentless on water quality and national parks and birds and snails and walking tracks and climate change, he and his party have a very solid future indeed.
Environmental issues go across the political landscape.
You can be Labour and Green, Green and Green, New Zealand First and Green, National and Green, Act and Green.
Green, politically, is a currency and a valuable one at that.
But mix it with the social engineering you immediately distance yourself to the vast majority.
The mere fact Sue Bradford is actively investigating a radical (her word) left party tells you all you need to know about where their heads are really at.
And it's not voting for bird of the year.
New Zealand First will die the moment Winston hangs his hat up .. and that will be by the next election.
At that point you have a vacuum of sorts.
You have a gap in the political spectrum the Greens could fill.
A party with a genuine specific and easily identifiable focus and a party that sits comfortably working with either National or Labour.
That's why United never fired .. they're a classic liberal party but you couldn't wrap your head around the concept.
The Green movement is easy, all it needs now is the marketing push.
The acceptable face .. that's James Shaw in spades.
Moderate, bright, internationally experienced.
That and a consistent message .. forget the smacking and stealing from welfare agencies.
Talk about the value of the earth and the air and the water.
Do that for the next three years .... and you watch your vote rise and your political stocks rocket.
