James Shaw (New Zealand politician)

Shaw was elected to Parliament in the 2014 general election on the Green Party list.[13]

When Russel Norman announced his retirement from the co-leadership position, Shaw was one of the four candidates who ran to replace him. During the campaign, he said that as co-leader he would try and connect with "the 28 percent of voters that considered voting Green last year and didn’t and remove all of the barriers that are currently stopping them voting Green".[14]

At the Green Party AGM on 30 May 2015 he received the highest number of votes, and was elected male co-leader.[15] Shaw won 54 per cent of the first preference votes, compared to Kevin Hague who won 44 per cent (the other two candidates both won 1 per cent).[2]

The day after becoming co-leader, he called for a cross-party consensus on climate change, and said there was room for the Greens and National to work together on the issue.[16] He also said in his first major speech that he wanted the Green Party to be "more like modern New Zealand", and expand its membership both in terms of numbers and to include a more diverse group of people.[2]

Following the resignation of co-leader Metiria Turei due to the political fallout over her benefit and electoral fraud disclosures, James Shaw became the Green Party's solo leader for the duration of the 2017 general election campaign. A female co-leader will be appointed after the Party's AGM in 2018.[1] As party leader, Shaw has called for calm in the wake of hostility among party members towards the media and the resignation of fellow Green Members of Parliament David Clendon and Kennedy Graham in protest of Turei's initial refusal to resign.[17] On 13 August, Shaw announced the Party's new slogan "Love New Zealand" at a relaunch in Auckland.[18]

During the Green Party's climate change campaign launch in Auckland, Shaw announced that New Zealanders would get an annual dividend of $250 as part of a proposed Kiwi Climate Fund that would tax farmers for pollution and replace the current New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. Shaw also proposed a Zero Carbon Act with the goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the establishment of an Independent Climate Change Commission.[19] During the 2017 election, the Green Party's share of the party vote dropped to 6.3% with the Party retaining eight seats in Parliament. As the first on the Green party list, Shaw was re-elected.[20] During coalition-forming negotiations, Shaw announced that the Greens would be pursuing a coalition with Labour and the socially-conservative New Zealand First parties but ruled out cooperating with the National Party.[21]

Shaw with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Wellington, 2018

In October 2017, the Greens entered a confidence and supply arrangement with the Labour Party and New Zealand First which gives them three ministers outside cabinet and one under-secretarial role.[22] This marks the first time the Greens have been in government.[23] Shaw assumed the ministerial portfolios for Climate Change and Statistics, and Associate Minister of Finance.[24]

As Minister for Statistics, Shaw received criticism from National MP Nick Smith for the low response rate during the 2018 New Zealand census.[25] Shaw has attributed the lower response to a lack of Internet access particularly among the older generation.[26]

In April 2018, Shaw as Minister for Climate Change expressed support for the Government's decision to end future gas and oil exploration, hailing it as the "nuclear-free moment of our generation." He also reiterated the Green Party's support for ending deep sea oil and gas exploration, stating that "fossil fuels are not our future."[27][28]

According to figures released by the Department of Internal Affairs, Shaw was the government minister to spend the most on air travel fares in late 2018. Shaw spent NZ$77,771 on international air travel fares during the period between October and December 2018 while Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spent NZ$54,487 during that same period. Shaw clarified that these air travel fares had been spent on attending multiple international climate change conferences.[29][30][31]

Shaw at the School Strike for Climate in Wellington, 2019

On 14 March 2019, Shaw was assaulted while walking to Parliament, sustaining a black eye and lacerations to his face. The attack was condemned by politicians from all sides of the political spectrum. Police confirmed that a 47-year-old man was arrested and charged with injuring with intent to injure in relation to the incident.[32][33][34][35] During a press conference held the following day, Shaw expressed support for climate change school strikes held across the country calling for governments worldwide to take action on climate change. Shaw declined to give details about the assault, stating it was under police investigation.[36][37]

On 8 May 2019, Shaw introduced the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill into the New Zealand Parliament. The Bill subsequently passed its first reading on 22 May 2019.[38][39][40]

In late August 2020, Shaw attracted criticism from the opposition National Party, school principals, teachers unions' and members of his own Green Party after he approved the allocation of NZ$11.7 million from the Government's $3 billion COVID-19 "shovel-ready" recovery fund to the private "Green School New Zealand" in Taranaki. This funding boost violated the Green Party's own policy of opposing state funding being allocated to private schools. Shaw had defended the decision, claiming it would have created 200 jobs and boosted the local economy. Former Green MPs Catherine Delahunty, Mojo Mathers and Sue Bradford criticised Shaw's decision as a betrayal of the Green Party's policies and principles.[41][42][43]

According to Newshub, Shaw refused to sign the Government's NZ$3 billion "shovel-ready" infrastructure fund until the Green School in Taranaki was approved.[44] On 1 September, Shaw apologised for approving the funding of the Green School, describing it as "an error of judgment." Shaw has also apologised to Green Party members in a Zoom call. Representatives of the school have reportedly approached the Crown to convert part or all of the Government's grant into a loan.[45][46] On 3 September, the Education Minister Chris Hipkins disputed Shaw's claim that he had given verbal approval to the allocation of NZ$11.7 million to the private Green School in Taranaki.[47] On 2 November, it was reported that the owners of the Green School had reached a settlement for the Government's NZ$11.7 million grant to be converted into a loan; a development that was welcomed by local principals.[48][49]

During the 2020 New Zealand election that was held on 17 October, Shaw contested Wellington Central, coming third place behind Labour incumbent Grant Robertson and National candidate Nicola Willis.[50] He was re-elected to Parliament on the party list.[51]

Following prolonged negotiations between the Green and Labour parties which concluded in a "partnership agreement" on 31 October, it was reported that Shaw would remain Minister for Climate Change and become an Associate Minister for the Environment (with responsibility for biodiversity).[52][53][54]