Who's behind the Greens?

Expose? Nope. An interview with Russel Norman's partner by Andrea Vance.

KATYA PAQUIN
Green party co-leader and economic policy heavy weight Russel Norman has a secret guilty pleasure.
He watches ''really bad'' TV, his partner Katya Paquin reveals.
After long days pressing the flesh and pushing the party message, Norman, 44, comes home to their home in Wellington's Hataitai, chats through his day with Paquin and then switches on some rubbish telly. Quite how bad, she won't say. ''There's no way, it's too terrible.''
Paquin was the party's political director until she left to have their first child, Tadhg, earlier this year.
''We definitely talk about politics. We were colleagues and we shoot stuff around at home.
''We do talk about other stuff,'' she laughs.
''We talk about what happened at playcentre.
''We also watch TV, sometimes really bad TV. It's the thing [you do] when you are finished with your ability to have a sensible conversation.''
Norman also gets to do the laundry.
''He finds it really therapeutic. No, I'm kidding,'' she says. The couple met in 2002 when he was working for MP Sue Bradford and she was Sue Kedgley's intern.
Unsurprisingly, she's charged about the upcoming election.
''I think they are really fun. It's high-energy.''
Rongotai residents might spot her dropping off leaflets, or doing a bit of campaigning, but she will be low-key. ''I probably wouldn't identify myself.''
Guarded, Paquin is interviewed and photographed reluctantly.
Her famous sister, True Blood star Anna Paquin, is off limits. Norman is careful not to exploit the Hollywood connection.
Also not up for discussion is her health, she suffered a brain tumour in 2008, other than to say she is well.
''I'm happy to do bits and pieces if it helps get a better understanding of who Russel is. But he's the one standing for election,'' she explains.
The young family are ''in a good spot,'' she says. But asked if they will be expanding the brood she gives a curt ''certainly not going to comment on that'' reply.
Although she misses ''the close knit team'' at Green HQ: ''I'm not divided about what I'm doing now.''
And she's not fazed by Parliament's long hours or the relentless campaigning which keeps her partner away from home.
''We are close to Parliament and it makes it easier. It probably puts us in the same camp as heaps of families who are doing the best to get time together.''
Besides, she wouldn't have it any other way.
''I think what he is doing is great. He's got a really conscientious dedication to be a really strong spokesperson on the economy and I feel like he's achieved that. He's really shone.
''He's someone who does the hard yards and deals with the detail to make it happen. And a side people don't see, because you always see politicians talking, is he is a good listener. I could go on, but ...!''