Tanczos high on campaign trail

Nelson Mail   09 March 2005

Green Party MP Nandor Tanczos has taken his election sky-high.

Mr Tanczos made his second tandem hang gliding-flight yesterday with friend Glenn Meadows over Stoke, during a break from campaigning in Nelson.
"It's the most amazing thing I've ever done. I love being up in the air.''

He said it was something he could easily get addicted to and hoped to find the time to learn to fly alone.

Mr Tanczos said he wanted to let young people know politicians were not all "old people in suits''.

"It was a good excuse to go hang-gliding. I enjoy having fun.''

Back on the ground Mr Tanczos met supporters on the streets of Nelson and Motueka and visited students at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology.

"I'm campaigning for young people to vote and have their say.''

The afternoon was spent meeting with Community Action for People and Planet in Motueka where Mr Tanczos discussed the viability of a sustainable future for smaller New Zealand centres, particularly the possibility of furthering the region's hemp-growing status for bio- fuels and hemp by-products such as fibreglass.

Providing government assistance for farmers considering switching to organic certification was a Green Party aim for rural communities.

The bolstering of state housing purchases and sweat equity schemes, by government in order to provide affordable housing in areas such as Motueka was also a priority.

Mr Tanczos also spoke of the Green Party's stand on reinstating a rail network throughout the country as an alternative to road freight.

Duncan Eddy of Community Action said support for Green Party policies was growing among so-called "mainstream New Zealanders'' as issues such as peak oil and climate change became more apparent in the lives of individuals.