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Ricardo Menéndez March

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Ricardo Menéndez March
Menéndez March in 2023
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Green party list
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 October 2020
Personal details
Born1987 or 1988 (age 35–36)[1][2]
Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Political partyGreen

Ricardo Menéndez March (born 1987 or 1988)[1] is a New Zealand activist and politician who, since 2020, is a Member of Parliament for the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand in the House of Representatives.[3]

Early life and career

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Menéndez March moved to New Zealand from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico in 2006.[4] He worked as a film projectionist for a decade in Auckland, but was made redundant due to film digitisation. After that role, he worked in hospitality, then in migrant advocacy.[5]

Menéndez March served as male co-convenor of Young Greens of Aotearoa New Zealand in 2016.[6] At the University of Auckland Public Policy Club Baby Back Benches debate in 2016, a group of Young New Zealand First members started chanting “Build the Wall” at Menéndez March, who is of Mexican descent. Young New Zealand First later apologised to him.[7]

Menéndez March is the coordinator for Auckland Action Against Poverty,[8] a role he took up in late 2017. A writer for Stuff described him in 2020 as "a thorn in the side of the Labour-led Government in the past few years". In this role, he had frequently appeared on television, radio, and quoted in newspapers – once a week on average, by his estimate – stating that the government had been failing the poor, that benefits are too low and housing is too expensive.[5] Menéndez March has been particularly critical of KiwiBuild, arguing that the scheme should be targeted towards working poor and unemployed families and that the current set up will make homeownership rates fall further by encouraging increased property speculation and gentrification.[9]

Menéndez March is gay.[10]

Political career

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New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2020–2023 53rd List 10 Green
2023–present 54th List 8 Green

Menéndez March ran for the Green Party in the 2017 New Zealand general election. He ran in the Mount Roskill electorate and received 1,200 votes.[5] He was 21 on the party list, and was placed too far down to be allocated a seat.[11]

First term, 2020–2023

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For the 2020 New Zealand general election, Menéndez March was placed tenth on the Green party list, and ran for the Maungakiekie electorate.[12] During the election campaign, he criticised his party co-leader James Shaw for supporting $11.7m of funding for a private green school.[13] Menéndez March did not win the Maungakiekie electorate, coming third place behind the National MP Denise Lee and Labour MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan, with 2,666 votes.[14] However, the Greens received 7.9% of the party vote (226,754),[15] and his list placement was high enough for him to enter Parliament as a list MP.[16][17] Menéndez March was one of three new Green MPs in the 53rd Parliament.[3][18]

In December 2020, Menéndez March travelled to Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic to care for his family. His step-mother had aggressive cancer and had been given months to live, and his father had had major surgery with long-lasting effects. The person who had cared for the couple had become extremely ill herself and was unable to care for them.[19] He was criticised by opposition leader Judith Collins for doing so.[20] In late February, Menéndez March drew media attention after National MP Chris Bishop disclosed that Menéndez March had made two attempts to gain a place in "managed isolation and quarantine" for "national interest" reasons.[21]

In April 2023, the Greens confirmed that Menéndez March would be contesting former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Mount Albert electorate during the 2023 New Zealand general election as part of a "two ticks" campaign.[22]

Second term, 2023–present

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During the 2023 election held on 14 October, Menéndez March came third place in Mount Albert behind Labour MP Helen White and National MP Melissa Lee, with 9,296 votes.[23] Despite failing to take Mount Albert, Menéndez March was re-elected to Parliament on the Green party list.[24]

In late November 2023, Menéndez March assumed the Green Party's social development and employment, workforce planning and development, immigration, and associate health (primary health) portfolios. He also became the Musterer for the Green Party.[25]

On 30 July 2024, Trade Minister Todd McClay was recorded as saying "you're not in Mexico now, we don't do things like that here" to Menéndez March during a parliamentary sitting. Menéndez March subsequently raised the matter with Speaker Gerry Brownlee, who ordered McClay to withdraw and apologise. Following the incident, Menéndez March described McClay's remarks as "pretty racist and unacceptable".[26]

Views and positions

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Political views

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Menéndez identifies as a "proud socialist" and a "true Marxist".[1][27] He said that the Green Party would work hard to offer support to Labour to enact "genuine bold socialist policy".[28]

Anti-monarchism

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Before sitting in Parliament, Menéndez March expressed reluctance to swearing the required Oath of Allegiance to the Queen of New Zealand, Elizabeth II. He posted a meme about it, which received criticism from monarchists. He did however take the oath.[29]

Israel-Palestine

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In May 2021, Menéndez March drew media attention after he posted pictures on himself on Facebook and Twitter with the caption. "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!" in response to the 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis. The New Zealand Jewish Council criticised Menéndez March's post, claiming that the slogan was used by Hamas to promote antisemitism and the ethnic cleansing of Jews.[30] However, the use of the slogan was defended by Alternative Jewish Voice, arguing that freedom is not "a zero-sum business".[31] Menéndez March's posts led the libertarian ACT Party's Deputy Leader Brooke Van Velden to oppose the Green Party's motion calling for Members of Parliament to recognise the right of Palestinians to self-determination and statehood. In response to Van Velden's criticism, Green MP Golriz Ghahraman asserted that Menéndez March was defending the rights of both Arabs and Jews to having equal rights in their homeland.[32][33]

During the 2023 Israel-Hamas war, Menéndez March attended a Palestinian solidarity rally where he joined fellow Green MPs Chlöe Swarbrick, Steve Abel and Darleen Tana in chanting "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."[34]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Vance, Andrea (23 December 2020). "New Zealand's first Latin American MP says adopted country has many blind spots". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Compare the candidates for Maungakiekie — NZ Election 2020". Your complete guide to NZ Election 2020 — Policy.
  3. ^ a b "Election 2020: The 40 diverse new MPs entering Parliament". The New Zealand Herald. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020 – via Newstalk ZB.
  4. ^ Baume, Matt (11 December 2020), ""Be Gay Do Crime": Queer, Latinx Lawmaker Drops the Mic in Amazing Speech", Them., retrieved 28 July 2024
  5. ^ a b c Manch, Thomas (25 May 2020). "A poverty agitator, a climate negotiator, and a psychotherapist take on doomed mission for the Greens". Stuff. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  6. ^ "First Latin American To Stand For New Zealand Parliament | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  7. ^ "Winston's children: meet the tempestuous youth wing of NZ First". 11 September 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  8. ^ Scanlon, Glen (8 May 2020). "Work and Income acts 'unlawfully' over benefits and redundancy payments". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  9. ^ Palmer, Scott (29 October 2018). "KiwiBuild 'not aimed at low-income families' – Phil Twyford". Newshub. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  10. ^ Thomas, Anna (20 October 2018). "Ricardo Menéndez March – first gay Mexican Green MP". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Green Party unveils strongest ever candidate list". Green Party (via Scoop.co.nz). 30 May 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  12. ^ Manhire, Toby (25 May 2020). "Green Party list ranking revealed: can this group lift them over the threshold?". The Spinoff. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  13. ^ Moir, Jo (28 August 2020). "Pressure on Green co-leader James Shaw to pull support for Taranaki Green School". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  14. ^ "Maungakiekie – Official Result". Electoral Commission. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  15. ^ "2020 General Election and Referendums – Official Result: Nationwide Party Votes Results". Electoral Commission. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  16. ^ Thomas, Anna (20 October 2020). "Ricardo Menéndez March – first gay Mexican Green MP". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  17. ^ "2020 General Election and Referendums – Official Result Successful Candidates". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  18. ^ Lynch, Jenna (6 November 2020). "NZ Election 2020: Judith Collins will 'definitely not' stand down as leader despite National's crushing defeat". Newshub. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  19. ^ "New Green MP travelled to Mexico to see step-mother who has aggressive cancer". Stuff. 10 February 2021. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  20. ^ McCulloch, Craig (10 February 2021). "Green Party gave list MP Ricardo Menéndez March permission to travel overseas". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 15 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  21. ^ Manch, Thomas (25 February 2021). "Green MP Ricardo Menendez March sought emergency room in MIQ a second time for 'national interest' reasons". Stuff. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  22. ^ Neilson, Michael (4 April 2023). "Greens make another push into Labour territory, Ricardo Menendez March to run in Mt Albert 'two ticks' campaign". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  23. ^ "Mt Albert – Official Result". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  24. ^ "2023 General Election: Successful candidates". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  25. ^ "Greens unveil portfolio spokespeople". 1 News. 29 November 2023. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Trade Minister Todd McClay apologises to Green MP Ricardo Menendez March over remarks allegedly referencing Mexico". The New Zealand Herald. 30 July 2024. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  27. ^ "Companies (Address Information) Amendment Bill — First Reading". Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  28. ^ "Menéndez March, Ricardo". Hansard. New Zealand Parliament. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  29. ^ "Opening of Parliament: What happens today and how some MPs will navigate swearing allegiance to the Queen". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  30. ^ New Zealand Jewish Council (21 May 2021). "Green Party MPs Use Hamas Slogan". Scoop. Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  31. ^ Garson, Marilyn. "Thinking about 'from the river to the sea'" (PDF).
  32. ^ "Green Party motion to call for recognition of Palestine's right to self-determination". Radio New Zealand. 19 May 2021. Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  33. ^ Manch, Thomas (19 May 2021). "Green Party's motion to declare Palestine a state fails in Parliament". Stuff. Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  34. ^ McConnell, Glenn (7 November 2023). "'A very loaded statement': Chris Hipkins expects Labour MPs to avoid 'river to sea' chant". Stuff. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
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