Greens: No candidate but vote for us

Green Party co-leader Dr Russel Norman said the Green Party had several policies that would benefit the region and its key industries, like forestry.

While there's no Rotorua candidate, there's plenty of reasons why locals should vote Green, its co-leader says.

Yesterday Green Party co-leader Dr Russel Norman was in Rotorua to visit research institute Scion, and to take part in a Grey Power debate at the Bainbridge Centre.

Speaking after the debate, Mr Norman said it was not ideal that Rotorua lacked a Green Party candidate, as it was the party's objective to see candidates stand in every electorate.

Mr Norman said he did not know why there wasn't a local candidate, but hoped locals would give the Green Party their party vote.

"Obviously we're very focused on the party vote and if you look at some of the issues in Rotorua, for example the lakes and water quality, the Green Party has a series of solutions which has a real focus on cleaner rivers and lakes," he said.

Mr Norman said the Green Party had several policies that would benefit the region and its key industries, like forestry.

He said he wanted to see more trees processed and made into products locally, rather than being sent overseas to be processed there, which would create more jobs and more high paying jobs.

The party also wanted to see more support in research and development in the area, he said. "Our aspiration is that we turn the logs that we cut down into a whole series of different natural products... then when we send them overseas, we show it's clean, green and natural and it's all part of saying we can do better than just raw logs. That's how we can afford a better society and an economy that really works."

Mr Norman said the Greens also believed it was important to get the one in four children living in poverty out of poverty.

While there was a certain cost associated with that, it would make a huge difference in the long run, Mr Norman said. "It's good to invest now, pull them out of poverty, because in the long run it's a great investment in our society and it's the right thing to do."