Former Alliance Party leader and Cabinet minister Laila Harre has joined the Green Party's staff.

Harre will take up the newly created position of issues director and will be based in Auckland.

The former lawyer and trade unionist was an MP from 1996 to 2002 for the Alliance Party.

She was Minister for Women's Affairs, Youth Affairs, and Statistics and Associate Minister for Labour and Commerce.

Since 2010 she has been working with the International Labour Organisation in Fiji.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said the party was pleased to have her on board.

"Laila's experience in central and local government, coupled with her strong campaigning background, makes her ideally suited to this job."

As issues director she will be one of the Greens three senior political advisers.

- © Fairfax NZ News