Janet McVeagh

McVeagh worked for the Crippled Children Society (CCS) as a recreation officer in New Plymouth and later Auckland. She had four children, three sons and one daughter.[1]

She was a long-time advocate for the environment and social justice, leading her to join the Values Party upon its foundation in 1972.[1] McVeagh was the organiser for several local environmental campaigns including protests against the government Think Big policies, to oppose the building of a synthetic petrol plant at Motunui and a clean sea action group which lobbied to get a clean sewage treatment plant in New Plymouth.[1] In 1982 she founded, Residents Against Dioxin, a New Plymouth-based group to cease the production of 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (a toxic pesticide used in agriculture) in New Zealand.[2]

She contested the electorate of New Plymouth as the Values candidate at the 1978, 1981 and 1984 elections.[3] In 1981 she was elected a co-leader of the Values Party.[4] She led the party in two general elections before resigning at the 1988 party conference.[5] The Values Party was wound down starting in 1989 and in 1990 the remnants became part of the new Green Party. McVeagh became the Green Party's disabilities spokesperson.[2]

In 1993 McVeagh moved to Auckland and at the 1999 election was the Green Party candidate for Epsom.[6] She was also allotted the relatively high list placing of 13.[7] She finished fourth out of eleven candidates and was not high enough on the Green Party list to be elected.[2] In Auckland McVeagh started her own business, Janet McVeagh Recreation Ltd, which provided recreation services for disabled adults and children.[1]

She died in Auckland in January 2005.[8] Her children continued to run her company after her death.[1]

• Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.