Sophie and Harita interview Ricardo Menendez March.When we look at the state of politics today, it's easy to get caught up in the daily media cycle—the quick soundbites, the political sparring, and the surface-level debates. But every now and then, you encounter a leader whose entire life story functions as a direct challenge to the status quo.Ricardo is a Green Party List MP based in Mt Albert, Auckland, but his path to the halls of Parliament in Wellington was anything but traditional. Born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, he moved to New Zealand as a young adult, working his way through the hospitality and care sectors. He experienced firsthand what it means to survive on a low income, face the anxieties of the immigration system, and witness the systemic gaps in our social safety net.Instead of letting those hardships isolate him, Ricardo channeled them into fierce, grassroots activism. As a coordinator for Auckland Action Against Poverty, he became a relentless voice for the marginalized, arguing that poverty is not a personal failure, but a deliberate political choice.Now, as the Green Party’s spokesperson for Social Development and Employment, he is taking that fight directly to the government. Whether he is championing a Universal Basic Income, fighting automated welfare decision-making, or advocating for migrant worker protections, Ricardo’s definition of being "radical" means going straight to the root of the problem. In this conversation, we’re stepping away from the 30-second news clips to look at the bigger picture. We explore what it really takes to move from the streets to the select committees, how his personal identity shapes his politics, and how he maintains the audacity to dream of a more equitable Aotearoa in a highly polarized political climate. This is the second time we've interviewed Ricardo. We interviewed him in the lead up to the 2023 elections and it was great to chat about his life as well as what has happened in those 3 years since we last interviewed him.Support the show

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