Mr Fletcher said he had attended one meeting of the Wagga branch.

For him, the experience was so bad he said yesterday: "Next time, I would rather poke my eyes out with hot knitting needles, because it would be less painful."

He said The Greens' democratic way of politics had impressed him.

"They genuinely believe in open and accountable policy, not policy for Labor mates or Liberal business connections," Mr Fletcher said.

"The Greens are grass roots - as a member you can put forward a policy at a group meeting and that idea can become policy."

David Fletcher, 38, is married to Liz and they have three children - Jenny, 8, Andrew, 6, and John, 5.

He was a full-time house husband for six years and now works at the Wagga RSL Club on bar, Keno, TAB and general duties.

Mrs Fletcher is a teacher and the family lives at Forest Hill.

Mr Fletcher takes over as The Greens candidate from Ray Goodlass, who at the last two federal elections increased his party's primary vote in the Riverina from 2.43 per cent of the primary vote to 4.9 per cent.

He has stood down to concentrate on his duties as a Wagga City councillor.

Mr Fletcher said he had a passion for public education and health and is disillusioned by the attitudes of the major parties toward these issues.

He wants far greater funding for these two areas of public interest.

"Forest Hill Public School, for example, had quality teachers, but the buildings are a shame," Mr Fletcher said.

"And what concerns me about the Federal Government's new public hospital policy is that (Prime Minister) Kevin Rudd will use it as a pork barrelling exercise.

"In other words, it will be targeted at Labor electorates and marginal electorates.