A bigger, stronger Green Party says it will not be “tuakana teina” to anyone.
Green co-leader Metiria Turei is today set to stake out what the party plans to make of its increased caucus and party membership.
In Maoridom, “tuakana teina” describes a relationship between an older and younger sibling. In a keynote speech to the Green Party policy conference in Palmerston North today, Turei will assert that the party should expect to be in government in 2014, but not in a “tuakana teina” relationship with either of the major parties.
“What we have seen when Labour and National have negotiated deals, the small parties have been the receivers of whatever the bigger parties want to dole out but not necessarily decision making,” Turei said.
“We will be the ones who decide how we engage with government. From the outset, we need to make it really explicit that we are the ones that make the decisions.”
That'll put the cat among the pigeons, where it should be at this time in history.
Ka pai ra, e whaea!
All very well and good, but without the leverage of being able to form a government with either the red OR the blue team, the Greens will still be taken as a hard left appendage of Liarbour. Clarkula managed it easily for three terms.
ReplyDeleteThats also one of the reasons why such a disgraceful fraud as Winston First has done so well over the years. He is seen as being able to swing both ways.
Paranormal
paranormal - if public opinion swings further to the 'green', as I believe it is doing now, the Party will be of such a size that it will be able to lever all it likes. This is the stated aim of the Green leaders and if the progress they've made over the past 5 years is an indication of their success, you'd better prepare yourself!
ReplyDeleteI wish you wouldn't use 'Liarbour' and 'Clarkula' here, they're cheap shots and don't suit your level of comment at all.
It is interesting that in her "Politics" column in the Listener, Jane Clifton rarely refers to the Green Party and this was especially true this last week. In her overview of Maori politics and Maori parliamentarians she mentions the Maori Party, Hone, Winston and Shane Jones. Given Metiria's high profile at Waitangi, her blazing speeches on the failings of the Maori Party in Parliament and the fact that the Greens now have three MPs of Maori descent it seems rather negligent.
ReplyDeleteIt is becoming increasingly clear that the Green Party is represents a broader church than just a few environmentalists and it is about time more political commentators recognized what is happening in front of their blinkered eyes.
When you are wearing rose-tinted spectacles, bsprout, green is invisible.
ReplyDeleteExactly Robert, I was going to say "...recognise what is happening in front of their blinkered, rose coloured spectacles covered eyes." -But it seemed too much of a mouthful. ;-)
ReplyDeleteRG I don't think the Greens will acheive any greater than about 15%.
ReplyDeleteIt has nothing to do with policies, public leanings or otherwise. It's more to do with politics in NZ. The minor parties do well when the major parties are in decline. Act for example did well in the early 2000's when National was polling at it's lowest and Winston First in the 90's.
Whilst you may retain some residual, once Labour sort out their party & clean out some deadwood, they'll come powering back and suck up people that see them as their natural home.
Also the greens have done well in staying out of government to retain their core base. A very wise ex-minister of the crown (from the red team) once told me that government is death by a thousand cuts. That's because every week you have to make decisions in the best interests of the country that alienate an element of your constituency. So if you make it to the Treasury benches to actually implement your agenda, it's the death knell for your party.
Paranormal