{{for|the Chinese secret society|Green Gang}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=September 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox political party | name = Green Society | logo = NewZealandGreenSocietyLogo.png | colorcode = #006633 | leader = Hans Grueber, Simon Reeves | founded = 1994 | dissolved = {{End date|2001|02|df=yes}} | foundation = <!-- {{start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | ideology = Environmentalism | colors = Green | country = New Zealand }} The '''Green Society''' was a small New Zealand political party dedicated to environmentalism. It was established in the spring of 1994 by former members of the Green Party, including Hans Grueber, Chris Marshall, and Peter Whitmore.<ref name="pringle">{{cite web |last1=Pringle |first1=Michael |title=Towards a history: The New Zealand Values Party and The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand |url=https://trailfinder.wordpress.com/2014/09/02/towards-a-green-party-history-some-draft-notes/ |access-date=31 July 2020 |archive-date=16 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016025944/http://trailfinder.wordpress.com/2014/09/02/towards-a-green-party-history-some-draft-notes/ |url-status=dead }}{{self-published source|date=May 2024}}</ref> They opposed the decision by the Green Party to become part of the Alliance, a broad left-wing coalition – they stated that this "abandoned a long tradition of being an independent green political force", diluting the group's pure environmental focus.<ref name="pringle" /> At the same time, they were critical of another Green Party off-shoot, the Progressive Green Party, for being too close to the right and therefore not independent either.<ref name="BSA">{{cite web |title=Green Society and Radio New Zealand Ltd – 1998-028, 1998–029 |url=https://www.bsa.govt.nz/decisions/all-decisions/green-society-and-radio-new-zealand-ltd-1998-028-1998-029/ |website=BSA Decisions |date=26 March 1998 |publisher=Broadcasting Standards Authority |access-date=31 July 2020}}</ref> The Green Society described itself as the only truly "green" party in the New Zealand political environment.<ref name="BSA" />
In its manifesto, the Green Society described itself as "the party caring for your earth and her people", and its policies emphasised environmental protection, personal autonomy, and self-reliance.<ref name="manifesto">{{cite book |title=Manifesto, 1996 : towards a green society |date=1996 |publisher=Green Society}}</ref><ref name="pringle" /> Political commentator Bryce Edwards described them as representing a "lifestyler" and "hippie" branch of the green movement, contrasting with a left-wing activist branch (the Green Party) and a pragmatic centrist branch (the Progressive Green Party).<ref name="edwards">{{cite book |last1=Edwards |first1=Bryce |title=Political Parties in New Zealand: A Study of Ideological and Organisational Transformation |date=2002 |publisher=University of Canterbury}}</ref> Colin James, another political journalist, characterised the group which gave rise to the Green Society as having an "almost mystic", holistic approach to environmentalism, valuing a spiritual or intuitive relationship with nature rather than scientific one.<ref name="james">{{cite book |last1=James |first1=Colin |title='On the Outer', in Turning Point: The 1993 Election and Beyond |date=1993 |publisher=Bridget Williams Books}}</ref>
In the 1996 election, the Green Society's top-ranked candidate was Simon Reeves, an environmental lawyer who also contested the Auckland Central electorate.<ref>{{cite web |title=Auckland Central 03 |url= http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_1996/pdf/6.1%20Auckland%20Central%2003.pdf |publisher=New Zealand Chief Electoral Office |access-date=21 June 2013 |pages=3–4 }}</ref> The party contested eight electorates as well as the party list, but gained only 1,140 electorate and 2,363 list votes (0.11%), failing to win any seats.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_1996/pdf/1.1%20Summary%20of%20overall%20results.pdf |title=Part I: Summary of Party List and Electorate Candidate Seats |publisher=New Zealand Chief Electoral Office |year=2007 |access-date=29 June 2008 |archive-date=22 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522105133/http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_1996/pdf/1.1%20Summary%20of%20overall%20results.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The party did not contest the 1999 election and was deregistered in February 2001.<ref name="register">{{cite web |url=http://www.elections.org.nz/record/registers/registered-logos.html |title=Political party registered logos |publisher=New Zealand Electoral Commission |date=16 January 2007 |access-date=29 June 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014010345/http://www1.elections.org.nz/record/registers/registered-logos.html |archive-date=14 October 2008 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Historic New Zealand political parties}}
Category:Political parties established in 1994 Category:Green political parties in New Zealand Category:Political parties disestablished in 2001 Category:Defunct political parties in New Zealand Category:Defunct green political parties