Norman trades Green Party backbenches for Greenpeace frontlines

Russel Norman has announced he is resigning from the Green Party and leaving Parliament in October to take up the role of executive director of Greenpeace New Zealand.

This follows Mr Norman’s decision at the beginning of the year to step down as Green Party co-leader (a position subsequently won by “business friendly” James Shaw) following the birth of his third child with partner Katya Paquin.

At that point he said it was "time to find a new challenge for myself and to spend more time with my family, and now is also a good time for new leadership for the party."

He said it was his plan to remain an MP, while noting “I still need to look at my options further out.”

Mr Norman’s place in Parliament will be filled by Marama Davidson from Manurewa, Auckland.

He takes up the Greenpeace role in November. In doing so, he’s succeeding Bunny McDiarmid, who has led the environmental lobby group for the past decade.

In a statement released this morning, Mr Norman pays tribute to Ms McDiarmid’s work and notes he’s resigning from the Greens due to Greenpeace’s “staunch position on political independence [which] I have always had huge respect for.”

“Greenpeace’s political and financial independence, non-violent direct action and creative confrontation are enormously attractive to me,” he says. “It is these values that I believe form the basis of being able to bring about change, and create a better, cleaner, more peaceful world."

In the same media release, Greenpeace NZ chairwoman Stephanie Mills acknowledges “some people may be surprised that someone used to sitting inside Parliament is joining an organisation more used to climbing it.”

Besides his “obvious commitment to the environment and his leadership skills,” the soon-to-be ex-MP got the job, she says, “because of his optimism and vision, his strong belief that people power is key to bringing about change for the better and his commitment to civil disobedience and direct action as a core part of a healthy, robust democracy.”

V pleased to announce I’ll be starting as Exec Director of @GreenpeaceNZ in Nov. Respect to outgoing ED @bunmcd

— Russel Norman (@RusselNorman) September 10, 2015

.@RusselNorman to lead @GreenpeaceNZ http://t.co/Wu13TL9xRp pic.twitter.com/M4QNmeGQjr

— Greenpeace NZ (@GreenpeaceNZ) September 10, 2015

Welcome aboard, @RusselNorman ! Hope you've got a head for heights! : BREAKING: Russel Norman to lead @GreenpeaceNZ http://t.co/tr5LkpNiC4”

— Lucy Lawless (@RealLucyLawless) September 10, 2015