Editing Values Party (section)

== Origins and organisation ==
The initial idea for a new New Zealand political party came in 1972 when [[Tony Brunt]], then a political student at [[Victoria University of Wellington|Victoria University]], was reflecting on his own research into the [[Club of Rome|Club of Rome's]] ''[[The Limits to Growth]]'' and [[Charles A. Reich|Charles Reich]]'s ''[[The Greening of America]]'' (among other publications). Brunt saw the potential for a new constituency driven by a new set of social and environmental values.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=The development of the first two Green parties New Zealand and Tasmania – Sotto le querce |url=https://sottolequerce.altervista.org/w/index.php?title=The_development_of_the_first_two_Green_parties_New_Zealand_and_Tasmania |access-date=2022-09-16 |website=sottolequerce.altervista.org}}</ref> Brunt met with his ex-''[[The New Zealand Herald|New Zealand Herald]]'' colleague Norman Smith who immediately became the party's "1st hand man" and organiser.<ref name=":2" />  "The media experience of Brunt and Smith stood them in good stead when it came to publicising the new party, and a former colleague on the ''New Zealand Herald'', Alison Webber founded the Auckland branch."<ref name=":1" /> At the first meeting of the nascent party on May 30 1972 at Victoria University concern was raised that they had no support, structure, finances - "who is going to support this party?" There was a long pause and finally the young David Parkyn, having hitchhiked down from Auckland, stood and was the first to offer his support.<ref name=":2" />