Mike Ward

Member of Parliament

Ward was an unsuccessful candidate at seven New Zealand general elections before being elected in the 2002 general election at No. 9 on the Green party list, after the counting of special votes. Although he moved up one place on the list for the 2005 election he lost his seat as the Green vote fell. When he was in Parliament, he was the Green Party spokesperson on Arts and Culture, Older Persons, Small Business, Sports, Fitness and Leisure, Tourism and Waste-free. These portfolios were taken over by the remaining six Green MPs after Ward lost his seat.

Following the death of Rod Donald, shortly after the 2005 election, Ward put his name forward as a contender for the male co-leader position. He lost the position on 3 June 2006 at the annual meeting to Russel Norman in an STV vote by delegates from electorates around the country. Ward was next on the Green party list to re-enter parliament when Nándor Tánczos resigned in 2008. Ward initially declined to stand aside so that Russel Norman, the now co-leader, could take Tánczos's list seat when he resigned from Parliament. Ward changed his mind, because of the advantages in having the party co-leader in Parliament during an election year, and Norman became an MP on 27 June.

Nelson City Council Ward served as a Nelson City Councillor from 1983 to 1989, from 1992 to 1998 and from 2011 to 2016. He unsuccessfully stood for mayor in 2010. coming fifth. Ward has also stood unsuccessfully for the Nelson City Council on a number of occasions in 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2025.

Creative Alliance In May 2017, Ward announced the formation of a new political party called Creative Alliance. However, as of July 2019 the party has not stood in any elections and is not registered.

Other activities

In 2005, shortly after that year's general election, Ward won the Montana World of Wearable Art Supreme Award. Ward is the only person who completed all the first 28 Coast to Coast races. Ward is also an appointed Justice of the Peace.