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House renovations - Source: ONE News -
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It's a big week for the Greens. Today has seen the announcement of the home insulation package they secured from National as part of their Memorandum of Understanding. This weekend they elect a new female coleader to replace Jeanette Fitzsimons. Everything speaks to a new beginning; or new green shoots, if you prefer.
The deal the Greens signed with National was a risk. They will argue in very worthy terms that if it takes a deal with the devil to insulate some homes, saving some kids from asthma and electricity from being wasted, then so be it. That's politics. They may even hope that their willingness to deal across the political spectrum broadens their appeal into the suburbs and the blue-greens out there. Certainly Metiria Turei, one of the candidates for coleader and a former corporate lawyer, seems to be making noises in that direction, saying that the left-right spectrum boxes them in and stunts their potential growth. She has a point.
But what price do they pay? And did they get enough from the deal? Is their essentially left wing base happy to see party leaders shaking hands with the "fat cats" in National? Do they undermine their brand as the party of political purists who don't do impure deals? What happens when the government's popularity inevitably drops and Labour points to them traitors to the left?
It could be argued that the deal is just a way to get some policies won, and nothing more. But add to it Russel Norman's provocative decision to stand in Mt Albert rather than rally round a single left-wing candidate suggests a decoupling from Labour and - long-term - a willingness to take on Labour as the dominant party of the left. Consider that the Greens are promoting their "Green New Deal" vigorously, positioning themselves as the only party with new ideas in troubled times. And then note that in his reply speech to the budget today, it was Norman, not Goff, who called on the ghost of Michael Joseph Savage in his criticisms of National.
All this sends the single that the Greens are nobody's hand-maiden, but are working their way ultimately towards being a major, double-digit party in their own right. Sue Bradford, the other candidate to be coleader with Norman, has said that the party "belongs" at 15-20%.
If that's their goal, today's budget will have done them no harm. The Green-inspired home insulation package is the only 'what's in it for me' part of Bill English's first budget. In a terribly ordinary budget for such extraordinary times, the Greens' policy is the only feel-good factor in the whole document. A lot of ordinary New Zealanders will be saying, thank goodness for the Greens, or it would have been nothing but misery this year.
Given that the Greens have won $323m to help insulate 180,000 homes, $244m of which is new money, it's a winning day for the minor party. So they'll go into this weekend's annual conference confident and looking forward.
The Greens are very much the party of the moment, which is why
we've got the new coleader - be it Turei or Bradford - on Q+A this
Sunday. It'll be the new coleader's first major interview. Don't
miss it.
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Add a Comment:
Post new commentYady said on 2011-11-28 @ 09:41 NZDT: Report abusive post
the country is full of complacent morons who love to complain but dont get of there arse to vote.... cant beleive where this country is headed, where just like the yanks, maybe worse because we think we are better than them....shame shame shame..... who can blame us for moving to aussie... the nz government is for the nz rich list, they dont care about the poor..... shame shame shame..... and the media should be held accountable.... they done this... i want to hear the tea tapes!
Yady said on 2011-11-28 @ 09:35 NZDT: Report abusive post
those who didn't vote should be ashamed of themselves.... this country is full of moaning couch potatoes..... just what national needed... shame shame shame....
cheekychick said on 2011-11-27 @ 10:03 NZDT: Report abusive post
Michelle Boag calling Winston names is disgusting and offensive Jan
troberts88 said on 2011-11-27 @ 10:00 NZDT: Report abusive post
Yay John!
cheekychick said on 2011-11-27 @ 09:28 NZDT: Report abusive post
Winston Peters is needed in Parliament to keep them honest. Janice