Russel Norman

Russel Norman ( born June 2, 1967 in Brisbane, Australia) is a New Zealand politician and environmentalist. He is a member of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, is the spokesperson and co-chairman of the party and since 2008 a member of the Parliament of New Zealand.

Training and Private

Russel Norman grew up in Brisbane together with five other siblings in a hard-working family. His parents were up in the 1980en Labour supporters, but broke with the policies of New Labour at this time. Russel was coined by and joined early on during his high school days the extra-parliamentary alternative movements. A study of medicine, to engage in developing countries, he broke off and was interested in from there more for the policy.

He completed his bachelor's degree with distinction on the subject of the Alliance Party and therefore already his first contacts to New Zealand. In 1996 he began his studies in political science, which he completed in New Zealand with a doctorate. He lives in New Zealand since 1997 and currently resides with his partner Katya Paquin in Wellington.

Professional career

He was from 1988 to 1995 in Australia worked in various jobs, including in a car factory and most recently as a gardener. In New Zealand, arrived he first worked from 1997 to 1999 as a farm laborer on a sustainable farm and an organic market garden, then moved in 2001 to get an education in not-for -profit management for a year. At the same time he was secretary of two parliamentarians from the Green Party. From 2002 to 2004 he was a member of the Green Group in the Parliament in order to take over the position of campaign - Manangers the following year. Yet in 2005 he was a research associate of the Association of University staff and did so until the middle of 2006.

Political career

Russel Norman was active in numerous campaigns for environmental protection and social justice, and from 1995 to 1996 the Australian Greens in Australia. After he moved to New Zealand in 1997, he joined New Zealand in the same year the Green Party. Again, in many different groups active at last he came through participation in the party organization and the parliamentary party of the areas on the list of candidates for the parliamentary elections of 2002 and was elected in 2006 to co-chair next to Jeanette Fitzsimons. In the parliamentary elections in 2008, he finally came across the list on which he took second place, to Parliament.