By Tova O’Brien
Quiet moments at home could soon become scarce for political activist Sue Bradford.
The election's less than a year away and speculation about a new left-wing party potentially lead by Mrs Bradford is mounting.
“I think a party that took up the cause and interests of ordinary working people and beneficiaries really, really clearly and strongly has potential to build a substantial vote in the next election,” she says.
Mrs Bradford spent ten years with the Green Party resigning after a failed bid for co-leadership, which she says realigned the party's politics away from the pure left.
“Their deliberate appeal these days is around the theme of clean green prosperity and I don't think that's something that resonates with beneficiaries and working people,” she says.
But Green Party co-leader Russel Norman says a new left party would struggle to get votes and if they did it wouldn't be at the expense of the Greens.
“We're very confident that our policies both look after social justice and fairness, but also look after the environment and the economy,” he says.
The national secretary of the Unite Union, Matt McCarten and Maori Party MP Hone Harawira are two other names pegged for the new party.
“Beyond question, what people are watching and waiting for is to see what happens with Hone Harawira, but I really need to be clear that I haven't to about this with him at all,” she says.
Mrs Bradford says it's not likely the new party would go ahead without Mr Harawira.. whose future with the Maori Party looks uncertain.
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