In defence of the Greens supporting the Waka jumping legislation
Much has been written in scorn of the Greens somehow losing their moral and ethical compass in supporting the waka jumping legislation.
I am not one of them.
Their support of this is probably one of the smartest tactical things they’ve done since replacing Dave Cormack as their communications and strategic genius.
Here’s the simple reason why the Greens needed to give Winston this.
We have a looming economic collapse, as the new Government attempt to counter it with State intervention, National will immediately attempt to woo disaffected NZ First MPs to jump ship to them.
With this legislation in place, Winston has the guarantee he needs to be a blessing to make big calls with Jacinda.
The smart money right now would be for Marama to hold a quiet and discreet late night whisky evening with Winston and his Chief of staff on getting support for a far more impressive cannabis proposal that the Greens can hold up as a total victory for them because the Carbon Zero by 2050 will soon look like the pointless bullshit it as as weather conditions get more and more extreme.
The Greens need to go into the 2020 election with a huge cannabis reform win with the promise of a new industry to ensure the stoners get to the polls.
Oh, and while I have the attention of the Green Party, someone needs to tell Eugenie Sage that she is flailing all over the place and is looking terribly incompetent in her role.
The only way the Greens can save their pride and principles is by abstaining from supporting or opposing the bill, but that will not be enough, to save NZ First from embarrassment and turning into a rage.
Labour have already been bending over backwards for NZ First.
It would possibly start the end of the government as it is arranged, should the Greens not support the bill.
This will cost the Greens votes.
Martyn on this you are absolutely wrong. This is an important issue that many MPs from the Greens have spoken on in the past, it is totally undemocratic and I fail to understand how they think they can get away with this.
I heard Marama – such a disappointment to me already – speak on this on Morning Report and most of what was said is complete bullshit! This was never part of their agreement and they simply did not have to support it at all.
The fall out within the party by the end of the year will be huge.
Many of us within the party know the Eugenie is not up to it, personally I think that she is a waste of a ministerial role.
The real problem with the party is that all of them are far too ‘new’! We lost Metiria – who was part of the old guard and who knew the history of the party and who understood the fundamentals of democracy.
I have zero idea why the Greens are even against the waka jumping bill. If you are voted in on the list and don’t support the party, you should be out on your ear!
If you are an electorate MP I’d have more sympathy.
Anyway I’d say for 95% of voters the Waka-jumping bill is like – “the what??? never heard of it” and more like 20% are worrying about – Where do I get a food parcel?
Waka jumping is a 5% media and Wellington melodrama.
Lucky to be 5-10% of the population would even have a clue what “the Waka Jumping Bill” is about, most don’t even care ?
Waka Jumping all but destroyed NZF after the first MMP General Election in 1996 when a numbers of NZF MP’s were enticed over to the National Party by Dame Jenny Shipley, I don’t think those MP’s displayed any party loyalty to NZF and I don’t think any of them are still left in Parliament. Their loyalty was to themselves not NZF which was the Party they were aligned to when they were elected in the 1996 General Election.