Nandor Tanczos
Encyclopedia
Nándor Steven Tánczos a member of the New Zealand
Parliament from 1999
to 2008, represented the Green Party
as a list
MP. He briefly lost his seat in the 2005 General Election
, but returned to Parliament following the sudden death of Rod Donald
just prior to the first sitting of Parliament, as he was next ranked on the party list. In 2006, he contested the male co-leadership of the Green Party, but was beaten by non-MP Russel Norman
in a STV
vote by delegates from electorates around the country at the 2006 AGM. In 2008, he resigned from Parliament, though he intends to remain a political activist.
He was the NZ Green Party spokesperson for the Environment and Sustainable Land Management, Justice, Information and Communication Technology, Constitutional issues and Commerce.
Tánczos, one of the more "colourful" of New Zealand's politicians, attracted both strong criticism and enthusiastic support as an MP.
The New Zealand media portrayed Tánczos primarily as the voice advocating the liberalisation of the cannabis
law in New Zealand, although he also actively campaigns against genetic engineering
and in favour of restorative justice
. He also has a reputation as New Zealand's first and only Rastafarian
MP. His most significant legislative achievement, the Clean Slate Act, conceals non-violent criminal offences if the offender does not re-offend after 7 years. His Misuse of Drugs (Hemp) amendment bill led the way for regulation changes to allow hemp growing in New Zealand. He introduced the Waste Minimisation Bill to parliament with a narrow majority but succeeded in building near unanimous support across parliament. He negotiated the establishment of an Independent Prison Ombudsman, and has advocated for a Criminal Cases Review Office to look at miscarriages of justice, and against unsustainable dairy farming. In addition to his political policies, Tánczos also supports open source
software, and uses Ubuntu Linux on his laptop.
, often citing his role as a spokesperson for the Wild Greens
, a direct-action
group that claimed responsibility for uprooting a trial crop of genetically-engineered potatoes in 1999. Some regard him as a comic icon, not as an earnest, sensible politician. His supporters, however, reject both images of Tánczos, instead presenting him as intelligent, lucid, and constructive, a view backed up by more recent comments by conservative New Zealand politicians. Younger voters generally find "Nandor" more popular than older voters do.
, having held the fifth place on the Green Party's list. His previous involvement with parliamentary politics had involved the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party
. In the 2002 elections
, Tánczos occupied the fourth Green list place, and remained in Parliament. In the 1999, 2002 and 2005 elections, Tánczos also contested the Auckland Central electorate, winning 9.2%, 20.0% and 14.4% of the vote respectively.
. Tánczos ranked 7th, moving down 3 places from 2002.
As of election night (17 September) the Green Party polled 5.07% of the vote, qualifying them for 6 seats, which meant that Tánczos stood to lose his parliamentary seat. In both the 1999 and 2002 elections, the number of special vote
s for the Green party had sufficed to earn them an extra seat once the official count finished. The final total in 2005 (announced on 1 October) fell just short of the number required for a seventh seat, leaving Tánczos out of parliament.
However, soon afterwards, in November 2005, the Green Party co-leader Rod Donald
died suddenly. This allowed Tánczos to return to Parliament as the next candidate on the Green list.
. It was initially not clear when he would resign his seat as he intended to see his member's bill, the Waste Minimisation Bill, through Parliament. The bill was due back in the house in March 2008, after passing its first reading with Government support in 2006. He also wanted Russel Norman
the Greens co-leader to enter Parliament in his place (because of the advantages in having the co-leader in Parliament in an election year); ex-MP Mike Ward
, who was above Norman on the party list, initially declined to stand aside but changed his mind.
Tánczos left Parliament on 26 June 2008, giving a last speech, in which he remarked that he "was going away to cleanse his soul". He commented that his opinions of parliamentarians had changed during his time as an MP, from initially seeing them as a bunch of 'bastards' to recognising that "there are many good people here. The very notion that all politicians are dishonest is misconceived." Expecting politicians to be dishonest and venal is letting them off the hook. He said that he believed most MPs came to Parliament with honest intentions, but not many left with their honesty intact because of how the system itself compromises people.
His main point was that in almost every country, governments of whatever flavour are so compromised by corporate agendas that they cannot do what is needed in the face of our environmental crisis. It will be up to people working in community to take control: "When the people lead, the leaders will follow."
He ended by noting that he had bought a watch for the first time when he entered Parliament and had since been chained to time as a prison rather than an ally. He then took it off and smashed it, saying, "When I look at the state of our rivers, our atmosphere and our communities, I don't need a watch to know what time it is".
, and a diploma in sustainable land management at Unitec. He is the only parliamentarian in the world with a qualification in permaculture
design. He co-founded Hempstore Aotearoa, a business
that produces hemp
-related products such as cosmetics and clothing.
Tánczos has had disputes with the New Zealand Police
over his refusal to wear a bike safety-helmet
. He now has an official exemption, giving him the legal right to ride without a helmet.
Tanczos has attracted controversy for his admission that he consumes cannabis, in accordance with Rastafari ritual. He is however, a teetotaller
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Parliament from 1999
New Zealand general election, 1999
The 1999 New Zealand general election was held on 27 November 1999 to determine the composition of the 46th New Zealand Parliament. The governing National Party, led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, was defeated, being replaced by a coalition of Helen Clark's Labour Party and the smaller Alliance...
to 2008, represented the Green Party
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is a political party that has seats in the New Zealand parliament. It focuses firstly on environmentalism, arguing that all other aspects of humanity will cease to be of concern if there is no environment to sustain it...
as a list
Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in elections in which multiple candidates are elected...
MP. He briefly lost his seat in the 2005 General Election
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
, but returned to Parliament following the sudden death of Rod Donald
Rod Donald
Rodney David "Rod" Donald , was a New Zealand politician who co-led the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, along with Jeanette Fitzsimons.He lived in Christchurch with his partner Nicola Shirlaw, and their three daughters....
just prior to the first sitting of Parliament, as he was next ranked on the party list. In 2006, he contested the male co-leadership of the Green Party, but was beaten by non-MP Russel Norman
Russel Norman
Dr Russel William Norman is a New Zealand politician and environmentalist. He is a Member of Parliament and co-leader of the Green Party alongside Metiria Turei.- Early life :...
in a STV
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
vote by delegates from electorates around the country at the 2006 AGM. In 2008, he resigned from Parliament, though he intends to remain a political activist.
He was the NZ Green Party spokesperson for the Environment and Sustainable Land Management, Justice, Information and Communication Technology, Constitutional issues and Commerce.
Tánczos, one of the more "colourful" of New Zealand's politicians, attracted both strong criticism and enthusiastic support as an MP.
The New Zealand media portrayed Tánczos primarily as the voice advocating the liberalisation of the cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
law in New Zealand, although he also actively campaigns against genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
and in favour of restorative justice
Restorative justice
Restorative justice is an approach to justice that focuses on the needs of victims, offenders, as well as the involved community, instead of satisfying abstract legal principles or punishing the offender...
. He also has a reputation as New Zealand's first and only Rastafarian
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
MP. His most significant legislative achievement, the Clean Slate Act, conceals non-violent criminal offences if the offender does not re-offend after 7 years. His Misuse of Drugs (Hemp) amendment bill led the way for regulation changes to allow hemp growing in New Zealand. He introduced the Waste Minimisation Bill to parliament with a narrow majority but succeeded in building near unanimous support across parliament. He negotiated the establishment of an Independent Prison Ombudsman, and has advocated for a Criminal Cases Review Office to look at miscarriages of justice, and against unsustainable dairy farming. In addition to his political policies, Tánczos also supports open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
software, and uses Ubuntu Linux on his laptop.
Character
Opinions of Tánczos vary greatly. Political opponents have tended to categorize him as a dangerous radicalExtremism
Extremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
, often citing his role as a spokesperson for the Wild Greens
Wild Greens
Wild Greens are a youth movement of the Greens, usually associated with one of the Green Parties.It began in 1997 as a semi-autonomous wing of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, committed to direct action and taking risks of bodily harm to protect the environment. The Green Party's youth arm...
, a direct-action
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...
group that claimed responsibility for uprooting a trial crop of genetically-engineered potatoes in 1999. Some regard him as a comic icon, not as an earnest, sensible politician. His supporters, however, reject both images of Tánczos, instead presenting him as intelligent, lucid, and constructive, a view backed up by more recent comments by conservative New Zealand politicians. Younger voters generally find "Nandor" more popular than older voters do.
Political career
1999 Election
Tánczos first gained election to Parliament in the 1999 electionsNew Zealand general election, 1999
The 1999 New Zealand general election was held on 27 November 1999 to determine the composition of the 46th New Zealand Parliament. The governing National Party, led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, was defeated, being replaced by a coalition of Helen Clark's Labour Party and the smaller Alliance...
, having held the fifth place on the Green Party's list. His previous involvement with parliamentary politics had involved the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party
The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party is a political party in New Zealand. It is dedicated to removing or reducing restrictions on the use of cannabis and similar substances...
. In the 2002 elections
New Zealand general election, 2002
The 2002 New Zealand general election was held on 27 July 2002 to determine the composition of the 47th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the reelection of Helen Clark's Labour Party government, as well as the worst-ever performance by the opposition National Party.Arguably the most controversial...
, Tánczos occupied the fourth Green list place, and remained in Parliament. In the 1999, 2002 and 2005 elections, Tánczos also contested the Auckland Central electorate, winning 9.2%, 20.0% and 14.4% of the vote respectively.
2005 Election
In April 2005 the Green Party announced their list for the 2005 electionsNew Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
. Tánczos ranked 7th, moving down 3 places from 2002.
As of election night (17 September) the Green Party polled 5.07% of the vote, qualifying them for 6 seats, which meant that Tánczos stood to lose his parliamentary seat. In both the 1999 and 2002 elections, the number of special vote
Special vote
In New Zealand, a special vote or special declaration vote is a vote made by an elector who is unable to visit a polling place in their own electorate on election day, or is not on the electoral roll on election day....
s for the Green party had sufficed to earn them an extra seat once the official count finished. The final total in 2005 (announced on 1 October) fell just short of the number required for a seventh seat, leaving Tánczos out of parliament.
However, soon afterwards, in November 2005, the Green Party co-leader Rod Donald
Rod Donald
Rodney David "Rod" Donald , was a New Zealand politician who co-led the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, along with Jeanette Fitzsimons.He lived in Christchurch with his partner Nicola Shirlaw, and their three daughters....
died suddenly. This allowed Tánczos to return to Parliament as the next candidate on the Green list.
Return to grassroots politics
Following the death of Rod Donald, Tánczos stood for leadership of the Green Party but was defeated by Russel Norman. On 17 January 2008 Tánczos announced he would not be standing in the 2008 electionsNew Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
. It was initially not clear when he would resign his seat as he intended to see his member's bill, the Waste Minimisation Bill, through Parliament. The bill was due back in the house in March 2008, after passing its first reading with Government support in 2006. He also wanted Russel Norman
Russel Norman
Dr Russel William Norman is a New Zealand politician and environmentalist. He is a Member of Parliament and co-leader of the Green Party alongside Metiria Turei.- Early life :...
the Greens co-leader to enter Parliament in his place (because of the advantages in having the co-leader in Parliament in an election year); ex-MP Mike Ward
Mike Ward (New Zealand)
Mike Ward JP is a Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand politician. He was an MP for one term from 2002-2005. He was co-leader of the Values Party from 1985 to 1988...
, who was above Norman on the party list, initially declined to stand aside but changed his mind.
Tánczos left Parliament on 26 June 2008, giving a last speech, in which he remarked that he "was going away to cleanse his soul". He commented that his opinions of parliamentarians had changed during his time as an MP, from initially seeing them as a bunch of 'bastards' to recognising that "there are many good people here. The very notion that all politicians are dishonest is misconceived." Expecting politicians to be dishonest and venal is letting them off the hook. He said that he believed most MPs came to Parliament with honest intentions, but not many left with their honesty intact because of how the system itself compromises people.
His main point was that in almost every country, governments of whatever flavour are so compromised by corporate agendas that they cannot do what is needed in the face of our environmental crisis. It will be up to people working in community to take control: "When the people lead, the leaders will follow."
He ended by noting that he had bought a watch for the first time when he entered Parliament and had since been chained to time as a prison rather than an ally. He then took it off and smashed it, saying, "When I look at the state of our rivers, our atmosphere and our communities, I don't need a watch to know what time it is".
Private life
Tánczos's Hungarian-born father fled the Hungarian Communist regime in 1957; his South African-born mother has Khoi, Dutch, and German ancestry. Tánczos completed a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree at the University of WaikatoUniversity of Waikato
The University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...
, and a diploma in sustainable land management at Unitec. He is the only parliamentarian in the world with a qualification in permaculture
Permaculture
Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that is modeled on the relationships found in nature. It is based on the ecology of how things interrelate rather than on the strictly biological concerns that form the foundation of modern agriculture...
design. He co-founded Hempstore Aotearoa, a business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
that produces hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
-related products such as cosmetics and clothing.
Tánczos has had disputes with the New Zealand Police
New Zealand Police
The New Zealand Police is the national police force of New Zealand, responsible for enforcing criminal law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace throughout New Zealand...
over his refusal to wear a bike safety-helmet
Bicycle helmet
A bicycle helmet is a helmet intended to be worn while riding a bicycle. They are designed to attenuate impacts to the skull of a cyclist in falls while minimizing side effects such as interference with peripheral vision...
. He now has an official exemption, giving him the legal right to ride without a helmet.
Tanczos has attracted controversy for his admission that he consumes cannabis, in accordance with Rastafari ritual. He is however, a teetotaller
Teetotalism
Teetotalism refers to either the practice of or the promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. A person who practices teetotalism is called a teetotaler or is simply said to be teetotal...
.
External links
- Green Party biography
- Nándor's website (Seems inactive)
- Dread Times: Watchman Ras Nandor Tanczos reports from Aotearoa / New Zealand Tánczos' blog