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Russel Norman - Source: Q+A -
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The Greens probably don't get the media attention they deserve.
As Parliament's third largest party, and the only minor party consistently polling above the 5% threshold, they are serious, long term political players.
Perhaps too serious for the media at times, to be honest.
The struggle for control of the Act party or the fight between the Maori and Mana parties has the drama and tension news editors understandably look for when putting together appealing newspapers and news bulletins.
The Greens almost never fight among themselves - at least, not in public - they rarely rort their expenses or say outrageously provocative things, which tends to limit their media coverage somewhat.
So it was good to spend 15 minutes on live television with Russel Norman on Q A on Sunday discussing Green policy and Green politics.
Norman is finding his feet as a serious party leader and beginning to fill the big shoes left by the late Rod Donald.
He summed up his pragmatism by talking about the Green Party moving "into the suburbs" - a neat way of saying the party needs to move from the fringes and into the mainstream, if it is to wield the influence necessary to implement Green policies.
But the Greens face a barrier along the road to suburban acceptance: that constituency still regards some of their social and security policy as a little bit nutty.
Green defence policy includes the assertion that: "The New Zealand armed forces should dispense with capabilities gained to enable New Zealand to operate as a subordinate part in a combat task force led by the United States, Britain or Australia."
So, what would those capabilities be? Er, like, guns?
The policy that Norman himself appeared embarrassed about is the Green Party pledge to make cannabis legal for people aged over 18.
The policy is attractive to some Green supporters and quite possibly a source of thousands of votes. The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP) got 34,398 votes at the 1996 election. But when the Greens came into Parliament and, with Nandor Tanczos in its ranks, became identified with cannabis law reform, the ALCP vote fell away to just 12,987 in 2002 and 9515 at the 2008 election.
What is harder to judge is how many people are frightened off by the policy.
Contrary to popular myth, the Greens have many middle and upper income supporters.
In fact their three highest polling electorates for the party vote are Wellington Central (where they scored more than 20% of the party vote), Rongotai and Auckland Central. All three are higher income electorates.
I can't prove it but I imagine a significant proportion of those voters would be attracted to the environmental and economic policies of the Greens Party but be turned off by its drugs policy.
The Legalise Cannabis policy best illustrates the tension the Greens face between being serious mainstream players and remaining fringe activists.
The Greens must be tempted to quietly jettison this policy for the coming election.
After all, if you want to move into the suburbs where the families live, you might have to leave the bong in the city at the student flat.
Read more Guyon Espiner opinion.
What do you think about the Greens as a serious political party? Have your say on the messageboard below.
Add a Comment:
Post new commentmarykaydirector said on 2011-10-31 @ 11:17 NZDT: Report abusive post
Guyon: didn't National borrow money to pay for tax cuts to rich? Every time I hear talk of creating new jobs, the next thing is large numbers of people loosing jobs? National created the auckland super city to save us money and have more effiencey-but our house values have now gone up and so have taxes-so a double increase, People who worked there lost their jobs and/or had to take pay cuts! I am very very fearful of what might happen if national got a majority?good questions to ask lynn duncan
Max Coyle said on 2011-05-11 @ 19:05 NZDT: Report abusive post
He didn't appear embarrassed over policy to me Guyon, just looked like he thought your bringing up of the subject funny as people have already said its a non issue, an issue for the health portfolio, not one to be tying up our courts and wasting police time and tax payers money
QuentinZ said on 2011-05-11 @ 15:33 NZDT: Report abusive post
You seem to forget that the 'Heat Smart' program which has this week insulated its 100,000th home was a Green initiative and they worked with National to get it implemented. And what about that polarizing 'Anti-smacking' bill as it's been dubbed by the mainstream media? But no, its so much easier to just dismiss the Greens as just potheads...
nozali said on 2011-05-11 @ 13:16 NZDT: Report abusive post
You banged on about cannabis not Russel. Green's policy is close to the Law Commission and health drug practitioners. It's a health issue, stupid, not the law. Always has been. Patronising Paul Holmes! "He presented well didn't he." Uugghh. We're 73/79 year olds ex Remuera.