Davidson the pundits' pick for Greens co-leader

UPDATE: Marama Davidson has won the Green co-leadership, as widely tipped. Read Brent Edwards' report here.

EARLIER: Marama Davidson is the pundits pick ahead of the Green Party's official announcement of its new female co-leader at 11am this morning.

NBR political reporter Brent Edwards says Ms Davidson would be more of an obvious fit for those who want a social justice-focused replacement for Metiria Turei (a view shared by other pundits, who have installed the Green back-bencher as the favouite).

Ms Davidson would balance male co-leader James Shaw who has environmental credentials but is also seen as skewing toward business, Mr Edwards says.

Ms Genter, on the other hand, would replicate Mr Shaw's strengths.

Mr Edwards says the fact Ms Genter is an American (she grew up in LA before doing a degree at Berkley) could also be a factor.

Early in the co-leader race — which will be decided by members' votes, not Green MPs — Ms Davidson, who is of Ngati Porou, Te Rarawa and Ngapuhi descent, told NBR she would reach beyond her party's "predominantly Pakeha" membership to engage with the diverse communities the Greens needs to draw support from, particularly from Maori. And although seen as left wing, she said her party needed to do better at communicating with business. She saw small businesses in particular, as a target for potential support.

Ms Genter told NBR she would not be afraid to attack Labour, despite being her portfolios (she is Minister for Women,  Associate Minister for Health and Associate Minister for Transport).

On August 9, Metiria Turei quit as the Greens female co-leader just hours after being briefed on a new poll which showed support for her party cratering, and shortly after she refused to answer a new allegation from RNZ that she received substantial support from her daughter's grandparents during her time as a self-confessed beneficiary fraudster.

Under Mr Shaw's sole leadership, the party ran a back-to-basics environmentally-focussed election campaign, securing 6.3% of the vote.

The race to replace Ms Turei is happening against the background of (so-far modest) signs that blue-green forces are marshalling on the centre-right. Exhibit A is one-time Green co-leader contender Vernon Tava's bid for the National Party candidacy in Northcote.

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