Mike Ward, the Perfect Green Party Co-Leader?

Russel Norman has some competition for the Green party co-leadership. Former Green MP and number 8 on the party's 2005 list, Mike Ward, has announced that he will contest both the Green co-leadership and the Nelson mayoralty at the next local body election.

Richard Prebble's "The Letter" of 15.8.05 had this to say about Mike Ward.

An obscure Green MP, Mike Ward may in five weeks be Minister of Transport. Ward, is proud he has never driven a car, and for that matter has often not had a job. He told the Local Authority Traffic Institute last week he had discovered the answer to traffic, on his trips from Wellington Airport to parliament. "Remove all traffic lights so motorists have to negotiate each intersection and the answer to the road toll is to plant trees in the middle of the road." At this point his audience's incredulity became uncontrolled laughter. "The trees should be in huge pots and moved around so motorists would not know from one day to the next where the trees will be."

Will Ward be a giant Kauri in the path of Russel Norman's leadership aspirations? Will he become the mayor of NZ's sunniest city? Or will he go back on the Dr Who Lookalike contest circuit?