Russel Norman’s damning assessment of Greens should wake them up – will it?

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I can’t remember if I’ve actually watched The Nation this year – but this damning appraisal of Marama Davidson’s performance by Russel Norman should force Green Party Woke that they need to actually wake up…

Former Green leader Russel Norman labels Marama Davidson’s interview ‘terrible’, won’t call her right person for the job

Former Green Party co-leader Russel Norman has hit out at current leader Marama Davidson’s “shocker” interview about the party’s flagship welfare policy.

Asked on Newshub Nation if Ms Davidson was the right person to be co-leader, Mr Norman didn’t answer – and labelled her interview with The AM Show on Monday as “terrible”.

Asked how much her party’s plans for the welfare system would cost, Ms Davidson admitted that was a “fair question”, but couldn’t provide a number.

“I don’t have the full cost, but reasonable compared to what we lose when we don’t allow people to make their ends meet… Too many people are struggling to make ends meet at the moment, and that’s not good enough”.

But Dr Norman doesn’t believe that’s good enough.

“She obviously needed to have those numbers. You can’t walk in having announced a policy and not know what it costs. I mean that’s just not one of the options on the table,” he said.

…I’ve watched the response from their twitter feeds to this damning appraisal by Russel and astoundingly it’s all the medias fault and it’s racist nitpicking by men who don’t like women in power.

The Green Woke are in absolute denial that this is poor media planning and strategy and any attempt to suggest it is gets attacked as heteronormative patriarchal misogyny.

Their mutation into a middle class Identity Politics vehicle living in a woke twitter bubble is too alienating for the vast majority of NZ and I’m becoming more and more convinced that they risk dropping below 5% in the 2020 election if TOP put forward a strong  campaign.

The Greens have dropped in support each election over the last 3 elections, it is not inconceivable their incompetent political messaging could cause them to crash out altogether.

I wonder who they will blame if they do?

 

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

34 COMMENTS

  1. Yes we hope the Green Party wake up!!!!!

    They are a disappointment now really, & not really doing much to save our environment now sady.

    I see nothing in their agenda now for our failing rail system do we?

    • Ohhhh dear, still banging your one policy Rail drum I see Cleangreen, “I see nothing in their agenda now for our failing rail system do we?”

      You have said you voted NZ1st as some MP promised the railway would be sorted if voted into Parliament, well NZ1st are Govt. and you are STILL surprised nothing has been done, you are a perfect voter for MP’s in campaign mode Cleangreen…they say yes to everything at every townhall meeting up and down the country, anyhooo perhaps 2020 election someone will promise you again, then perhaps 2023 election?, at 75 you haven’t many more elections to go!

        • You still have not answered the question Cleangreen, you told us all you voted for NZ1st because the NZ1st MP at your local town hall meeting was the only one to ‘agree’ to your fix the railway and basically agreed with your wants and needs regarding the Napier to Gisborne rail line. Now I ask again, has that promise been fulfilled?, are you hopeful in this election cycle or again will you attend the town hall meetings in 2020 and try again, and then in 2023 if no railway is up and running?…you may think I’m pathetic, but you’re evading the question.

          • @ IM RIGHT…me thinks your are actually IM WRONG AGAIN

            CLEANGREEN has every right to hold politicians to their promises without being ticked off by you!

            …with congested roads full of heavy trucks …totally upgraded rail around the country is an ENVIRONMENTAL green issue, as well as a tourist experience issue, a safety issue, a pollution issue and an economic issue

            ….and as CLEANGREEN says the Green Party is a “disappointment”!…they have gone completely off the rails

            … they are now the faux Green Party ( FGP)woke , or the (FGPW)

            (btw IQ test :there are two rude words which could be liberated beginning with f…… and w…… make them respectively adjectival and plural and use your imagination )

      • @ IM RIGHT … towards the end of your comment …

        “… at 75 you haven’t many more elections to go!”

        Disgraceful comment to make!

        No need to be so disrespectful towards someone who has worked tirelessly for his community to have their railway service restored, for the benefit of future generations.

        • Ah yes, disgrace is I’m rights middle name. He couldn’t have waited just 12 hours until the budget numbers were crunched, not that guy. If he had of been patient like every one else he would have heard the rail maintenance going through.

      • Hey ! @ IM fucking RIGHT ! Fuck off wanker. You nasty little troll punk.
        You think you’re so tough, bitch?
        Who, or rather, what, are you but a cruel, mean, little Right wing sociopathic waste of sperm? You should find your old man and go back where you splashed out of. He’ll be the drunk loser asleep at the end of the bar spending the rent money.

  2. The Green Party is the only party that doesn’t believe the illusion that you can have your cake and eat it too, and that you can find solutions that will please everyone. As such, they occupy a part of the political spectrum that no one else occupies.

  3. What an amazing difference it would have been if Russel Norman , Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald where still having influence in the Green party now they are partners in this government.
    Since Rod Donalds premature death the party has seemed lost with no clear strategy.
    Russel was the best spokesperson they had and you were never in doubt as to his views and what needed to be done.
    We need the Green party now more than ever because Labour and Winston will never adopt environmental policies without them.

    • Once I would have said Eugenia Sage as environment minister was their best shot at achieving environmental betterment.
      Instead she rubber stamped another China water give away, and picked an unnecessary fight with hunters by instigating a tahr cull without due consultation.
      These people live in a purist holier than thou bubble
      They will not receive a vote from me next election.

  4. Julieanne Genter would have made a better job of it.
    She has always stood up to windbags like Garner and other nasty political correspondents.
    She also has a very firm grasp of policy detail and the costs involved.
    Marama really can’t cut it.

    • Spot on MOSA. Greens are falling by the wayside very quickly and that fall has been hastened by having Marama Davidson as co leader. I had high expectations of her being in a leadership role. However, I am terribly disappointed by her pathetic performance so far.

      JAG should replace MD as co leader and fast if the party is to survive in Parliament.

    • +1.

      I clearly thought Genter was clearly the better candidate, for the same reasons. Marama is very likeable but not as sharp on details.

  5. TOP Party or not, if nothing changes, they are going to go below 5% on their very own.

    It seems inconceivable but its almost like an inside job to destroy the Green Party as a political force in NZ!

    • it was only those of us that had enough political nous to know that the greens were very much in danger of missing 5% in 2014 and that we bit the teeth and made sure they did, otherwise another 3 years of the dipton burglar was on the cards..i for one certainly will not do it again having seen the disgusting mess they have made of the charity vote given to them, what a disgusting bunch of trough seekers we have been landed with.

  6. it was only those of us that had enough political nous to know that the greens were very much in danger of missing 5% in 2014 and that we bit the teeth and made sure they did, otherwise another 3 years of the dipton burglar was on the cards..i for one certainly will not do it again having seen the disgusting mess they have made of the charity vote given to them, what a disgusting bunch of trough seekers we have been landed with.

  7. Russel has shown intelligent understanding of the bigger picture and suffered personal attack to his family for his forthright addressing of NZs needs in financial realignment.

    Environment wise his position shows commitment and realism to fighting the ignorance and greed driving human demise.

    The latest IPCC report is just another watered down pandering to the same malicious greed that is our problem causing terminal damage to the chances of human survival.

    In my one to one discussions with two members of the IPCC writing group, it became obvious that they were both dismayed at the extensive compromise forced on the papers by puppets for business as usual, and sponsored by Govts when appointments are made for these committees.

    The thrust of the message from science is mostly lost in the final papers published. This pattern is organised and surreptitious pressure is put upon many delegates taking part.

    The IPCC position on methane is effectively one of denial although the actual scientific input is plain and clear. But while the pattern is not at all deniable, the argument of detail is enough for it to be relegated to the too hard to agree category, so there for left out of consideration.

    The elephant does not rate recognition nor its effect of accelerating runaway.

  8. Yeah and Russell Norman achieved what in opposition? If the greens want more policy wins…they need more votes.

  9. All I can think of is that the Greens are being attacked and influenced from the inside via key people in dirty politics meets spying type ops.

    They really need to consider internal sabotage or influencing from volunteers, people close to them and advisors who may not be working in their best interests but for spy agencies and big business.

    Marama has gone from activist warrior type to be a complete screw up and maybe there is someone close to her, helping this transformation along?

    I never thought Marama was right for the role, because you need to be the type of person who can handle dirty politics and understand it and be vigilant for it and I think instead the Green Party have done the opposite and clung together for support and keep being influenced negatively by woke left discourse to do or say the wrong things.

    That could end the centre left government next election and let the apocalyptic right loose again in NZ. We already pretty much have a Neoliberal focused left government but wait it could be worse.

    Lets face it, it keeps coming out, how the government and private agencies send in internal spies and fifth columnist from Greenpeace to Oil free Wellington, to the sinister Laurie Moore in a relationship with an animal activist to the earthquake commission spying on people just wanting to get their houses fixed!

    Then the revelations that private realities can be created on an individual level via Facebook and social media thought to influence massive political events like Brexit and US elections.

    Woke left might not even be real, maybe just a right wing ‘strategy’ to create a false group to divide and conquer the left.

    I’m gonna vote Green next election because they are still the best of a bad bunch – and in my opinion are obviously being seriously compromised somehow as this is not the Green Party of old with all the screw ups and weird behaviour.

  10. Can someone get Russell Norman back into the Greens!

    Save the country for our kids!

    Russell Norman also victim of harassment and dirty politics campaigning which drove him out of parliament just like David Cunliffe.

    The politicians that go after neoliberalism seem to be harassed out of parliament whereas if you just worry about trivia you are left alone…

  11. I didn’t see the interview as I don’t watch the AM Show. However Marama’s not having the costs at her fimertips is no big deal. If the interviewer wants to know them he can always do some digging later. M

  12. They are becoming politicians – the same grey pollies as the rest albeit with different policies haha and it simply doesn’t suit them.

    The paradox for the Greens is that they are more effective in parliament when they are free to propose and oppose without constraint. How many of their policies were adopted by Labour and transNational? A considerable number. They don’t have to be in government to get things done.

    Now, locked into a coalition with NZF they’re looking muzzled and ineffective. Ministerial offices, perks and recognition are all very well but they are for politicians of the mainstream not activists.

    Confidence and supply is enough to provide and that leaves room for assessing policy by policy and the room to critique all parties.

  13. The ‘ Green ‘ party is being sabotaged by a Machiavellian traitor ( But which one…? There are so many! ) to ensure NZ/AO farmers don’t come to realise that, in fact, The Green Party would be their saviour. Provided, that is, that the Green Party were who they claim they are to be. Which they’re not.
    I would go as far as to suggest that the Green Party are a National Party initiative, Deep State-esque, toxic red herring to confuse and distract from our coming environmental/agricultural realities.
    They give the, frankly, imagination challenged farmer something to scoff at and look down their noses at whilst standing along side the deviant National Party representative who’s just rolled up the farmers drive way offering cheap lip sticks and fish nets for the farmers favourite sheep. In return? Keep working. Ask no questions. Make no fuss. Nothing to see here. “Like my new Range Rover, by the way, Mr/Mrs/Ms Farmer? “
    Agriculture is our Primary Industry. Our Industry… Prime. That means, with out [it] we’re fucked. And agriculture is umbilically tethered to our environment. Or at least it should be. We can now see what happens when the farmer’s bestie buddies, the National Party, sell them out to foreign banksters. About a hundred years of cluster fucking and vast, urban, private wealth creation.
    Christchurch people can no longer drink what was once considered the purist natural water supplies to any city in the world. Nice going heading that one off The Green Party. You useless fucking wankers! Or! Or…? You crafty, sneaky, dirty, all bought and paid for little shits. What’s it like? Being down in there, in The National Party’s dark, deep and dirty little pocketses then ?
    There. How about that?
    “Tell that to the young people of today and they’ll not believe you”
    https://youtu.be/ue7wM0QC5LE

    Is that not right Chloe Swarbrick?

  14. The only true ‘Green Party’ is now Greenpeace NZ, and globally the only true environmental ‘party’ is Greenpeace International.

    While I can without much hesitation sign email support messages and petitions for Greenpeace causes, I am these days struggling to support the Greens in Parliament, who I used to party vote for.

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