The Green party has new rules requiring local election candidates to sign agreements with the party executive, raising concerns there will be more control over how elected members will vote.
The rules do not appear to be in the public domain. A copy has been provided to BusinessDesk by a confidential source, who said no such agreements were required in the past and that previous arrangements were “much looser”.
The source said voters need to know what the internal party rules are, what specifics candidates have signed up for, and how the new procedures are expected to be implemented.
Party members can run on the official Green ticket, on an affiliated Green ticket such as Auckland's City Vision or as an endorsed member.
The rules also mean candidates have to register “conscientious objections” to party policy when applying to be a candidate and are not allowed to campaign against the policy or oppose it publicly.
Voting for local elections begins on Friday.
Young Greens
In recent years, internal disputes resulted in two sitting Wellington councillors losing the party's nomination, with a third deciding not to contest the party selection process.
They are all running as independents and were replaced by candidates with strong ties to the Young Greens.
David Lee was elected as a Greater Wellington councillor on a Green ticket for two terms from 2013-16, but lost the nomination in 2019 for being “too pragmatic”.
Longstanding Lambton ward councillor, Iona Pannett, has represented the party in the capital since 2007, but was deselected because her stance on protecting character and heritage areas upset those who did not want to compromise on urban densification.
Wellington deputy mayor Sarah Free was first elected as a Green in the Eastern Ward in 2013 but is running as an independent in 2022 after a fallout over the city's cycling plan.
Her view that a 10-year timeframe for delivery was not achievable and a 20-year timeframe would be more realistic upset local activists and she did not seek the Green party nomination again.
The Young Greens also recently tried to have James Shaw replaced as co-leader of the Green members of Parliament because of the compromises he has made in negotiations as climate minister.
The Green party has been approached for comment.
This story was updated to clarify Free did not seek the party's nomination in 2022
Follow up - Green party says it has nothing to hide over new rules for candidates
