I have been very harsh on the Greens this term, but I have zero interest in relitigating those criticisms because right now, the Greens are facing their greatest possible electorate win next month and it has enormous impacts on the future of the Political Left in NZ.
Four amazing things are happening all at the same time for the Greens.
1 – The Greens have been relentlessly focused and disciplined in terms of messaging. They have put the Wealth Tax idea front and centre of the debate by demanding a fundamental redesign of the economic structure to tap new revenue streams created from untaxed wealth accumulation. We can’t fund better social services and infrastructure if we don’t have the taxation and we should only get that taxation from those sectors and individuals who are using their market position to milk us. The identity politics has taken a backseat to the pragmatic issues people struggling want answers to, and this has helped enormously!
2 – Labour’s incremental fecklessness and cautious nothingness has seen a wholesale landslide of Labour Left walking over to the Greens, I mean after that bullshit Captain’s Call on the Wealth Tax, why bother voting Labour? GST off my banana don’t mean jack shit.
3 – The re-emergence of Marama and the brilliance of Chloe in the debates is generating the kind of buzz that activists need to be enthused by to turn up.
4 – Demographics have changed and there are more Gen X and Millennials voting than Boomers and their fears and hopes and aspirations are not being catered to by ACT, National, NZ First or Labour.
When the Greens were part of Alliance they won 18% of the vote, but strip the Alliance away, the highest result the Greens have ever had was 11.1 in 2011.
I believe the conditions are rip[e for a 15% Green Party win plus two electorates.
The weakness of Labour has given the Greens a platform to shine on and they have.
The importance of strong bottom lines in any Labour/Green/MP supply and confidence arrangement will be as important as the level of protest the Greens decide to use against National and ACT’s far right romper stomper campaign from Opposition.
Either way the Greens are set to record an historic win and permanently reshape the political landscape either from inside or outside Government after October.
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Just because the Greens are saying sweet words now doesn’t mean that they won’t revert to type post election, which is the politics of envy, and their ghastly divisive identity politics nuttiness.
I see your point but I disagree. I think plenty of people in the Greens have got the message: having a belief that colourblindness is good policy isn’t inherently evil, the current iteration of trans rights is not progressive, women’s rights matter, and you shouldn’t tell gender-non-conforming kids that they are broken and need to be fixed.
I think those people will be much more assertive within the Greens post-election. They will say: when we talked about identity we were on 6%, when we talked about tax, inequality and the climate crisis, we were on 15%.
Funny how Snowflakes call anyone who engages in a little bit of equity envy, and pointing out inequality nuttiness.
Snow White, maybe it is a politics of ‘equality’ and not ‘envy’. The facts are clear that our current tax system and economy drive increasing inequality and this is at the heart of many of our social problems. To continue to ignore this inbalance, and in some right wing polices increase it, is a recipe for continued social decline.
You’re beginning to worry me @ Snow White. Hopefully you’re not becoming another revenge voter.
They’re ALL bloody ghastly, and that’s just the way we’ve allowed the political class to become. (Yea/Nah, more fool “us”)
Once was… “ They’re All bloody ghastly.” Correct. That Winston Peters suddenly becomes a voice of reason is surely some sort of evidence of this. He and Luxon now articulating the need to clear up the damaging gender ID ideology – and it’s ideology, not science – being imposed upon school children offers a small ray of hope, and one or both of them have been addressing dedumbing the education system. Bottom line has to be freedom of speech for all pressing issues needing to be addressed – the disproportionate transgender dialectic may even be another diversionary tactic.
Snow White sounds like you’re talking about National, oh you were!
100% Snow White – As soon as the election is over straight back to divisive and nuttier than squirrel shit.
When Chloé leads, I’ll vote Green. Marama is all wrong as leader. She’s lost her way imo. She’s just their for the paycheck and “glory”. James is a decent bloke. But he never gets to wear the pants. He should.
When questioned about the Greens bottomline of a wealth tax during last night’s debate. Chris Hipkins again categorically ruled it out whilst he is PM.
The Greens cannot deliver their economic policies without a wealth tax.
He may only be PM for a short while then they’ll get their wish.
Yep roll him for sure (Hipkins) he’s too nice and very bland.
Bring on Chloe for PM. This may be the Greens we have been waiting for.
A green party that is pro-immigration is an oxymoron.
In retrospect, the best thing to happen for the Greens was the outrageous “cry baby” text from the now departed MP that sent it. Look, all political parties have factions, as evidenced by David Parker! chucking his portfolio on the table due to the PM’s Cap’n’s call on wealth tax.
Greens have had great policy since they started and have moved a little to the left now–heh–a lot actually compared to NZ Labour.
The good news is that progressive voters of whatever age, with a 21st century world view, do not have to be “tribal” they just need to vote any of Labour/Green/Te Pāti Māori to grow that potential Government bloc.
It will be razor close in the end, particularly as more people get to know Incel fool Seymour.
I mostly agree except I actually think it might be strategic for the left to not party vote for TPM they’re unlikely to coat tail an extra MP looking at recent polls and a low party vote could generate an overhang if they get 4 electorates.
Party vote Green and electorate vote TPM in the Maori electorates, Green in Auckland Central/Wellington Central/Rongotai and TOP in Ilam!
We are in “reckon” territory here…Green vs TPM…I guess that is why Bomber has been saying–don’t vote early–let’s see how all those polls are looking, even if they are basically bent in the respect of both observing and creating behaviour.
“The re-emergence of Marama and the brilliance of Chloe in the debates is generating the kind of buzz that activists need to be enthused by to turn up.”
Indeed it is.
It is great to see the re-emergence of these women leaders from behind the empty suit that is James Shaw, that Shaw has been invisible during this election campaign, that’s a good thing.
Instead of using his profile as Climate Change Minister to publicly lobby the Labour Government to take real action on climate change, Shaw has wasted the majority of his tenure as Climate Change Minister, in back room negotiations with Right Wing National opposition MPs trying to get cross-party consensus with National on climate change, only to have it blow up in his face.
Anyone with any political nounce knows National and ACT are the political representatives of the corporate polluters, who put profit above planet.
The sooner this political lightweight is dumped as Green Party co-leader, for a real bare knuckle street fighter for climate action the better.
WHY are the debates not focusing/questioning on the real life consequences of National’s uncosted tax cuts on the economy, as evidenced in the UK with Liz Truss tanking the British economy with exactly the same policy, in less time than it took a lettuce to wilt????
WHY is National not been quizzed on what they would have done over COVID in their accusations that Labour was spraying money around to help people out?
WHY is Chippy even allowed to make a ‘Captain’s Call’ in our parliamentary system, he is the Prime Minister, not the President. Prime Minister’s do not have the same unilateral abilities a president has.
A blue green party emerging perhaps.
Sorry no. Environmentalism without the left-wing politics is called “gardening”.
After months of being unable to decide between the Greens and Te Pati Maori for my party vote I think I’ve finally settled on Greens seeing them up and TPM down on recent polls, not only are TPM unlikely reach a high enough party vote to coat total a 4th or especially 5th MP but if they win 4 electorates then a low party vote could cause an overhang. Also TOP bumping up from 0.7 to 1.9 on the recent Newshub poll also makes me think Raf might actually have a shot in Ilam after all…
If the left vote, the left win!
oWhat about a troika. I have trouble with Marama after that self-indulgetnt defence in respect of females. But if she is there because of tacit Maori support and inherent wit plus women, then what about men? Is James good for the men overall. He may have done some good things that have not surfaced for long. The fact he was attacked isn’t enough to make him a leader – not time for simple sympathy.
i’m sorry, but what was your point?
The Greens have probably picked up some votes from TOP this week, there was enough left flavored TOP policy, and an opportunity to make the ‘we’ll sit on the cross benches regardless of who wins’ position an attractive/effective possibility in a tight result till Raf came over all ‘we’ll coalition up with NACT’ in his interview with Duncan Garner
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