Veteran activist and climate campaigner Teanau Tuiono, is now ranked eighth on the Green Party list, ahead of some sitting MPs.
The list determines which MPs enter Parliament after an Election, should it get over five per cent of the party vote.
Based in the Manawatū, Tuiono believes he was placed on the list because of his experience.
“I think it’s a recognition of the need for voices, out here in the provinces,” Tuiono says.
He adds that the activism of Metiria Turei and Marama Davidson made him want to connect with them and get involved.
His work with other indigenous peoples led him to conclude that they have a deep connection to their lands.
This connection. he says, is something that Western science is catching up on.
