James Shaw explains why he returned home in the mid-2000s to run for Parliament. He looked at multiple party platforms, found things to like and dislike in each, then chose the Greens because their overall alignment matched his values best, even if some positions felt quirky.
When I decided in the mid-2000s that I was going to come home and run for Parliament, I did think I had always voted Green. I was like, okay, should I do it with the Greens or another party? And I looked at everyone's policy platforms and I agreed and disagreed with them all in pretty much equal measure. So then it came down to who do I identify with the most? Even if some of the positions that they hold or some of the things that they say are a bit daft, in a world where everyone else is saying daft things, I just think you have to vote for that party. That sort of makes the most sense at that level. That's really helpful, incredibly helpful.
