It’s a truism in politics to state that party operations are a beast somewhat overtly resembling an iceberg.
There’s what you see ‘above the waterline’ – MPs making media appearances, press releases and public rhetoric – but also, and arguably much more importantly, that which takes place submerged within the briny, chthonic depths.
Much of what actually shapes and influences our politics and Parliamentary environment today will likely never come to the general public’s attention, barring the occasional serious SNAFUs which from time to time forcibly drag the actions and activities of ‘political operatives’ into the unyielding limelight.
A grand example of this in motion was the #DirtyPolitics saga. All of a sudden, surreptitious and covert maneuverings by a bewildering array of ‘backroom boys’ to create and shape our Nation’s political discourse were in full view of the public. Figures such as Jason Eade had to resign.
But sub-surface political maneuverings, and the spaces where the secondary cogs of various different party-political machines intersect, are not always so incredibly odious in the forms and outcome of their operation.
Something as simple as two politicians meeting up in a bar or Bellamy’s can also form the basis for surreptitious political co-operation.
But the personal relationships between potentially rival MPs have historically not proven to be precisely the best foundation for enduring political co-operation between vehicles, leading to common situations wherein certain highly-ranked and trusted staffers are unofficially deputized as prime points of contact with their opposite numbers and the representatives of other parties with a view to forcibly jamming the door open for future political – even coalition – coagulation.
This is speculated to have been one of the lead reasons behind Labour taking on Matt McCarten as its beleaguered Chief of Staff in the run-up to the 2014 Election. Despite David Cunliffe taking public steps to rule out working with Internet-MANA after the election, it was apparently thought that McCarten’s strong links to much of the organizational backbone of the MANA Party, and wide mana in harder-left activist circles generally, would provide a fertile avenue for re-opening that door betwixt Labour and InternetMANA in the event that the former required the latter’s votes for Confidence & Supply in the House to form a government.
So clearly, the appointment of a party’s Chief of Staff is not just the selection of a quality candidate for an important role. It’s an implicit, screaming, statement about a party’s present and future priorities, as well as where they see themselves in relation to other political actors and vehicles.
Going into the immediate pre-pre General Election run-up, these decisions offer a revealing and powerful insight.
And that is why I was so surprised (perhaps even a little taken aback) at the Green Party’s choice of one Deborah Morris-Travers to fill the vacancy at their own Chief of Staff position.
On the face of it, Morris-Travers’ appointment makes strong sense. Even leaving aside her previous political experience as both a Parliamentarian and Cabinet Minister (both phenomenally impressive positions to have attained as a comparatively young person of 26) – her work in the PR sector, and demonstrable experience with campaigns and advocacy-work, all combine to grant her a competent resume. She will, no doubt, have built up an impressive trove of contacts, profile, and professional aptitudes.
But what’s particularly interesting about Morris-Travers’ background, which the Green Party press release which went out in Metiria Turei’s name yesterday entirely unsurprisingly fails to mention … is just where Morris-Travers got her political start from in the first place.
Hint: it certainly wasn’t with the Green Party.
She came in at number 9 on the New Zealand First Party list back in 1996 – and quickly made a name for herself as an outspoken progressive, who found herself implacably at odds with some of the older and more conservative political forces of the day.
Sadly, those eventually wound up including her – and my – Leader, Winston Peters, and she eventually ended up resigning from the Party at about the same time the National-NZF Coalition fragmented.
Hm. Smart, young, progressive 26 year old who breaks some stereotypes for NZF before getting offside with Winston and fireballing out. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it 😛
In any case, the reason why Morris-Travers background is worth mentioning has little to do with minor political arcana from the first MMP Government. Instead, its relevance lies with what’s happened since, and more importantly with what might yet unfold.
I am given to understand that Morris-Travers has remained on positive terms with the Party – and with Winston and Ron Mark in particular. The positive citations for both contained in her Valedictory Speech make for illuminating reading. In private, Winston has also previously been complimentary. Interestingly, my Greens sources also suggest that Morris-Travers has been overtly talking up her “close relationship” with Winston to ears within their party.
The significance of Morris-Travers appointment to the Greens’ Chief of Staff role, then, lies in the fact that she might well find herself one of those crucial inter-party linkages for the setting up of a prospective post-election governing arrangement in late 2017. And, more importantly, as one of a very few range of political figures both capable and potentially willing to help me bridge one of the more fractious and internecine fault-lines which has historically bedeviled the Left – that which exists between New Zealand First and The Green Party. (As you may recall, Rod Donald publicly compared Winston to Hitler in the run up to 2005, Winston shut The Greens out of Government from 2005-2008, The Greens voted in Parliament to have Winston censured in 2008 after Russel Norman twisted the knife on Winston in the Privileges Committee, then attempted to capitalize upon this for political gain by making an appeal to NZF supporters to abandon our Party for pastures Greener in the run-up to 2011 … and on and on the cycle of revenge and recrimination went)
Sadly, the conflicts between The Greens and New Zealand First are not a problem which we can safely talk about in the past tense. I am told that there are significant voices within the Green Party who would prefer to run an electoral strategy going into the 2017 General Election of setting up a Government-In-Waiting with Labour which tacitly (if not explicitly) excludes New Zealand First.
Such a strategy would, obviously, be hugely positive for the Greens’ own political credibility (as it would start to see them publicly deemed fit to take Ministerial positions and have a serious influence over Government policy from *inside* the tent for a change – they tried something similar in 2014, but due to a lack of Labour interest and some rather … optimistic demands, were basically laughed out of the room) … yet of questionable utility in actually securing a left-wing outcome to the 2017 Election.
The numbers, you see, don’t add up.
Barring some absolute miracle on par with the Labour Party recruiting its very own Trump equivalent at some point in the next sixteen months … the Labour Party is likely to remain mired at best in the mid-twenties, and therefore well out of Government range, even with the most optimistic predictions of The Greens polling in the high teens.
The only conceivable Pathway To Government in 2017 for both Labour *and* The Greens lies squarely through New Zealand First.
At this stage, there’s no way around it.
So to all my comrades out there who’d rather dearly like to see a progressive change of government come 2017 … the message is simple.
Best start to be building bridges – not walls.
“The only conceivable Pathway To Government in 2017 for both Labour *and* The Greens lies squarely through New Zealand First”
So the left are stuffed then. Winston, being a moderate tory, will only espouse coalition with Labour if he can be sure its left-ness is perceptible only through a microscope.
Very interesting. I for one would welcome a Labour, Green, NZ First coalition. Together the parties policies are all better than individually.
Winston’s got the Charisma and record to take National votes down and skill to u turn this country.
Labour’s got the party faithful.
Green has got the future growth.
I hope they can play in the same sand box because another term of toxic and corrupt National policy or a National coalition will kill the country.
Everything SAVE NZ and Curwen said is our wishes so we need to now build on this “partnership to un seat Nasty NATZ and banish them come next year.
I just want a government that governs for New Zealanders, not corporations. I want free education, free health care, social housing, subsidised public transport, public owned utilities.
If the Scandinavian countries can why cant we? Again.
I don’t care which party heads the government. But it seems to be that the left are hell bent on remaining fractured for the benefit of …….who?
+100 Brigid
+another 100 Black, Green and Red will work for me if it gives us the above
Hear Hear !!!.
There is a particular poster on the Daily Blog who regularly writes about the ‘Great Institutionalized Lie ‘ with passion. In a nutshell, – he’s right.
We have far too many scoundrels and thieves in high places who are only interested in tailoring legislation designed solely for the purpose of siphoning off the wealth of the commons into their ( Panama Papers, anyone? ) offshore trusts and bank accounts.
There is no reason AT ALL why we cannot have a similar system to the Scandinavian country’s. None whatsoever.
Yet these thieves operate year after year with impunity – their audacity clearly evident to those watching that not only do they have the cheek to run for public office , but enact through our very own parliament laws designed to enable that ongoing public swindle of the commons purse.
They are exactly the opposite of what is needed to pass the character, ethics and transparency test yet here they are again , the same old tired persona’s still arrogantly and obnoxiously seeking public office yet again the following election whilst continuing to preach their brain washing mantra to the public til saturation point – using our public broadcaster to boot.
I’m with you on this. The plaintive cry of these scum that NZ cant afford these things is to be seen as a total crock when there is cash for a flag referendum no one ever wanted and cash enough to have tax cuts for the rich yet punitive taxation and low wages for the working populace and a gutted social service sector. Even more so with the impending further release of the Panama Papers.
This country and its people have been deceitfully and royally shafted by these thieves for 32 years now – 1984 being the high tide mark heralding what was to come.
Bill English once stated proudly that ”we should be glad we have a low wage economy as that encourages foreign investment ” ….
REALLY ?
If I was Bill English I would have hid my head in shame at my absolute and total incompetence as a finance minister to have been presiding over that portfolio and yet still possessing the colossal gormless mentality to issue a public statement such as that to the voting public – a voting public who have several hundred thousand workers who live below the poverty line , work longer hours than ever before and still cant afford the basic necessities in many cases to care for the needs of their family’s , – let alone buy a house one day.
Is that the picture of a prosperous society, Bill ?
Is that the picture of a brighter future , John?
This is no time to be playing games anymore with this criminal element. This public should be demanding some serious inquiry’s into the conduct of these types of manipulators. And for those who would wish to have the position of leadership roles they should first approach it from the perspective of being a servant.
Not a lord , not a boss – but that of an honest and humble servant.
Thumbs up from me there WK 🙂
+200 from me.
I am sick of my young diabetic friend going through hell trying to raise money to pay for his meds and having to beg and harass friends every week to do so.
Its wrong to put anyone in this position no matter who they are.
I like what you say Brigid.
We need a Government that represents the people. All of the people. Not just the ones that pay the most, or scream the loudest.
The only way to do it is leave the left and right behind.
A coalition of the centre.
Be gone, Andrew Little, begone John Key. Only people who will give of themselves for MP.
You are on to it Bigid basic humanitarian requirements for the NZ population is what most people are really looking for.
let the 1% percenters entertain themselves in Hawaii or the Mediterranean, just give basic New Zealanders basic, health, education, housing and public transport, is this asking too much?
I am afraid that while there are policy areas that may represent some common grounds with the Greens, New Zealand First is on the whole not all that much a “progressive” party as many of us would see it.
And therein lies the problem, the Greens have long positioned themselves on the progressive side of politics, despite of recent attempts to reach out to that so ambiguous if not mythical “centre” ground.
Of course their leaders and MPs will have to be pragmatic, but a Labour, NZ First, Greens coalition would have to make so many internal compromises, it would not be able to make all that significant changes overall, I fear.
The same may apply for a Labour – Greens coalition arrangement supported by NZ First.
Although Winston may go on about the 1 percent, the corporate capitalists and so forth, he also has bizarre positions on international trade, for instance his endeavours to ignore sanctions that have been imposed on Russia (as a consequence of the Crimea and East Ukrainian conflict) by the EU, US and so forth. He repeatedly advocated for more dairy exports to Russia.
Now some may rather side with Russia, but Putin is hardly a progressive one who believes in true democracy, freedom of speech and tolerance.
Winston’s course seems a bit “adventurous” same as John Keys, the latter putting us in a permanent juggling position between the strategic interests of China and the US. Key and Nats love to trade more with China, but on the other hand want to stay loyal as de-facto allies of Australia and the US.
With some policies you simply cannot have it both ways, certainly not all the times.
On the other hand there is common ground on stopping overseas real estate buying, on stricter investment rules and some other matters.
And then we have a rather socially conservative mindset within NZ First, where their spokesperson for social security seems to try and defend and promote boot camp style training camps for unemployed.
I honestly cannot see enough common ground between the Greens and NZ First.
Time to present a petition to the Governor General demanding he sack the inept, worthless and corrupt Key government.
If the Governor General won’t take any notice then take it directly to the Queen.
300% Mike the lefty.
Nice work, CWR. I hope you’re right re a long overdue increased level of maturity and realism developing between the Greens and NZF re working side by side. I don’t necessarily agree with your comment about the Greens gaining credibility with a pre election arrangement with Labour, though. The way Labour are tracking, they’ll be lucky to break the 20% mark in 2017, such is the level of disappointment among progressive voters in Labour’s wishy washy propensity to sit on the fence on crucially important matters such as the TPPA, their frequently flip flopping, poll dancing leadership, their ongoing support for fracking and deep sea oil drilling expansion, and their support for the govt’s increased spying on Kiwis (why??). It’s clear that these parties need to come to an arrangement in order to govern in 2017, but I’m hoping that Labour leaks quite a few seats to the Greens and NZF so that the Labour old guard’s neo liberal influence is considerably reduced.
A Labour/Greens/NZF coalition Government is the only alternative going forward to the 2017 Election otherwise it is another 3 years of Key/Joyce/English plus ACT/United Future?/Maori Party? God Help!!!
Winston has said that he’ll go with the largest party. Actually it doesn’t matte what he says, he’ll do as he pleases anyway.
If Winston goes with National again, it’ll be a repeat of 1997/99 all over again. be warned, Mr Peters, the public do not take kindly to “treacherous turn-coats”!!
If Labour, NZ First and Greens are able to openly demonstrate fairly soon they are able to work as a mature progressive collective for the benefit of NZ and Kiwis, burying hatchets, petty squabbles etc, then I might consider supporting a Red/Black/Green team next election. But to get the support, they are going to have to pull their fingers out and go for it fairly quickly!
However until that becomes a reality, at this stage I’m still favouring Mana.
MSARY A is correct as we all have now seen this Country being torn apart as never before!
So NZ First/Labour?Greens all now seriously see a new urgency to bind together to save NZ, it is as simple as that.
United we stand – Divided we fall is the new motto for 2017 folks.
Comments are closed.