THE LEGACY OF NANDOR

Nine Years After His Colourful Entrance To Parliament, Nandor Tanczos
Today Farewells His Colleagues

His maiden speech to Parliament began with greetings in the name of
the Creator, the Most High Jah Ras Tafari, he was stomped on by
Melbourne cops during an anti-globalisation protest a few months
later, and he is probably the only New Zealand MP investigated by
police for drugs.

But beyond the turban and the wispy Bob Marley-style beard, the hemp
suits and the skateboard, he has proved to be more earnest and
bookish than the radical rabble-rouser many stereotyped him as. More
bespectacled than wild-eyed, pensive rather than raving, Nandor
Tanczos has turned out to be . . . well, a bit nerdy, really.

Nine years after he came into Parliament on the Greens' list, New
Zealand's first Rastafarian MP will farewell his colleagues today and
head to the trees to ponder where to next.

Even those who most despised and feared his nonconformity - he came
to Parliament strongly advocating cannabis law reform and
direct-action protests - would have to concede he leaves behind a
mild, even sensible, legacy.

It includes negotiating the creation of an independent body to
investigate abuse of prisoners and a select committee inquiry on the
rights of crime victims. He spurred the Government into allowing the
commercial cultivation of hemp - versatile, but banned as a relative
of cannabis - inspired a law allowing minor criminals to expunge
their records after seven years, and took the controversial waste
minimisation bill inherited from former colleague Mike Ward to the
point where Labour adopted it as its own.

That is not to say Mr Tanczos has shed the more radical views that
spooked conservatives when he first came to Parliament - he still
believes cannabis should be decriminalised and would no doubt be
first to chain himself to a bulldozer - rather, that he has learned
to pick fights he can win.

"The reality is in Parliament that you can only do what you can get
support for. I faced a lot of prejudice and stereotyping when I went
to Parliament, and I think one of the things that has happened is
that a lot of those stereotypes - at least among my parliamentary
colleagues - have dwindled away.

"I went into Parliament, I think, with a pretty realistic idea of
what it was like. People often ask me if I've become cynical about it
and I don't feel like I had any illusions. It hasn't been like I've
expected to be able to achieve more."

Mr Tanczos' entry to Parliament was the culmination of an interest in
politics, social justice and activism that began around the family
breakfast table.

The son of a Hungarian father and a mixed-race South African mother,
he moved from Britain to New Zealand with his family at seven and
grew up in a politically aware, though not politically aligned, home.

At high school, an interest in punk rock music led to an interest in
anarchy, and he was drawn to the anti-cruise missile protest camps
when he later spent time in Britain.

He has a social science degree from Waikato University, along with
other qualifications, and joined the Greens in the mid-1990s. In
1999, he led the youth Wild Greens, who were accused of a $430,000
raid on GE crops at Lincoln University six months before the election.

Nine years on, he refuses to confirm or deny whether he was involved
in the attack, though police found no evidence against him.

He is less coy about his cannabis use - the issue which, rightly or
wrongly, overshadowed his time as an MP.

In 2003, he was investigated by police after NZ First MP Craig McNair
complained about public admissions that he used cannabis as part of
his Nazarite Rastafarian faith.

The lengthy investigation resulted in no charges as police were
unable to pinpoint specific dates, times and places needed to prosecute.

Mr Tanczos, 42, says he still uses the drug "regularly, but
sparingly", but insists if that is the issue that defines him for
some, it is their problem.

"It dominated, certainly, the coverage of me for a number of years,
and I'm sure still dominates some people's thinking. Yes, I still use
cannabis. It's a sacrament of my faith, as far as I'm concerned.
It's, if you like, a religious right guaranteed under international
human rights conventions. It continues to be illegal, but
nevertheless, it's my human right to practise my faith."

But his strong support for cannabis law reform hurt his political career.

Though the Greens back a law change, Mr Tanczos' vocal advocacy
caused tension as the party sought to broaden its support in 2005,
and he was dropped from fourth to seventh on the list.

The demotion meant he missed out on a seat as the Greens scraped
home, but he was returned two months later after the sudden death of
co-leader Rod Donald.

He was jolted and asked not to be given the cannabis law reform
portfolio, fearing stereotyping of him was clouding the issue.

Further political maturing followed as he prepared a carefully argued
strategy for the Greens positioning themselves to work with both
National and Labour - anathema to its hard left, but essential to
long-term survival.

The strategy was central to his campaign for the vacant co-leadership
spot - and has since been championed by eventual winner Russel
Norman, who takes Mr Tanczos' seat next week.

Mr Tanczos' decision to go comes after he courted further controversy
by staying till the way could be cleared for Dr Norman - a process
that involved convincing a reluctant Mr Ward to stand aside.

Mr Tanczos says he only ever intended to stay for three terms, and
though he would have kept on had he won the co-leadership, he is
looking forward to exploring other avenues.

"Parliamentary work is very abstract in the sense that we're creating
laws and we're creating opportunities and spaces for people. But in
terms of actually practically building anything, it's always up to
someone else, so I'm quite looking forward to getting my fingers in
the soil again . . . seeing some real things come to fruition and
getting back involved in grassroots activity and community activity.

"It's a good time for me to take a little while and take stock and
take myself somewhere kind of away from people and just sit down and
clear my head . . . I really need to meditate and seek some spiritual guidance.

"I like to think that I've changed Parliament, but I think it's also
true that Parliament's changed me - for the good and the bad.

"I've got a huge new experience and I've learnt an enormous amount
and I've developed skills in negotiating ...

"In terms of my spiritual development, it hasn't been particularly
good. It's a pretty toxic place. It's not a place where people spend
much time engaging in deep philosophical issues. It's very
opportunistic and short term, and often very short-sighted. Living
and breathing that context for nine years has taken, I think, some of
the polish off my soul, if you like, and that's one of the things
that I want to do, clean some of that encrustation off."