Greens want coalition with Labour, but will still deal with National if they have to. Your view?
The Green Party is indicating it would prefer to form a coalition government with Labour after the November 26 election, although says it would be happy to continue with its current agreement with the National Party.
The Greens currently have a Memorandum of Undersatanding with the National-led government, which has seen the parties work together on projects such as the 'Warm up New Zealand' home insulation scheme.
Greens co-leader Russel Norman said it was highly unlikely the Greens would enter into a confidence and supply arrangement with National, due to current National Party 'green' policies.
Your view?
See the release from the Greens:
A proposal on political positioning is in front of Green Party members.
A draft remit circulating with branches considers support arrangements for either large Party after the November election. It expresses a preference for supporting Labour with a confidence and supply arrangement and describes as ‘extremely unlikely’ any confidence and supply arrangement with a National-led Government.
“Our members are considering how we can best make good green change after the election,” said Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman.
“In this proposal, there’s a preference for supporting Labour with confidence and supply under the right circumstances. Supporting National with confidence and supply is extremely unlikely given our political differences, but the option is on the table for our members to think about.”
The draft remit on political positioning is with branches of the Party for feedback and will ultimately be put to a vote at the Greens’ AGM in June. The draft remit may be revised before or at that annual general meeting.
“The Party is committed to democracy so all of our members have a say,” Dr Norman noted. “Their collective decision on our political position will come in a few months’ time.”
Dr Norman noted that the proposed remit confirmed the Greens could again work with National through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as it has in the current term. The 2009 MoU has seen the Green Party work with the National-led Government on areas of common interest such as the Warm Up New Zealand home insulation scheme, the national cycleway, and a pilot program to help protect forests and native species through better pest control.
“I think all Green Party members feel a great sense of urgency about tackling the environmental and social challenges facing New Zealand, but we’re also determined to stay true to our values. Right now our members are looking at all the available options for the next term of Parliament.”
The Green Party’s AGM takes place June 4-6 in Pt Chevalier, Auckland.
The full text of the draft remit:
"That this AGM:
Pre-election political positioning
1. Agrees that the Greens will campaign on the basis of the following political positioning in 2011:
(i) The Greens are an independent party which, in order to urgently advance green policy goals, will attempt to work constructively with, and challenge, whichever party leads the government after the 2011 election;
(ii) To support any government, we would need significant progress on key Green environmental, economic and social policies such as cutting greenhouse gas emissions, reducing poverty and inequality, cleaning up waterways and retaining public assets for future generations;
(iii) Based on current Labour Party policy positions, the Greens have a preference to consider supporting a Labour-led government in the right circumstances, ahead of a National-led government;
(iv) The Greens could work with a National-led government to progress particular Green policies as we have over the last three years; but based on current National Party policy positions it is extremely unlikely that we could support a National-led government on confidence and supply.
Post-election process
2. Agrees that the following process will apply to post-election negotiations by the Green Party after a general election:
(i) a Negotiating Team, jointly chosen by the Parliamentary Caucus and the National Executive, may enter into post-election negotiations with a view to reaching an agreement on policies and processes that will advance the Green agenda;
(ii) in addition to the negotiating team there will be a Negotiating Consultation Group consisting of five members nominated by Caucus and five members nominated by National Executive. The Negotiation Consultation Group does not directly participate in the negotiations but is to receive daily briefings from the Negotiating Team during the course of the negotiations;
(iii) all decisions concerning the negotiations (including what agreement, if any, would potentially be taken to a Special General Meeting (SGM)) are taken by the combined Negotiating Team and Negotiation Consultation Group;
(iv) any agreement with one or more political parties that includes confidence and supply votes will be referred to an SGM, unless in the opinion of the National Executive an SGM is not warranted;
(v) the National Executive will start the process of forming the Negotiating Team and Negotiating Consultation group following the AGM in election year and will tentatively schedule an SGM once the election date is known."
17 Comments
stay with labour rus,got a small problem with the real world of pay-your-way economics to deal with.come on john tell him he'd be less effective as you're turning out to be.should have been in chch with a1000 compost toilets to prove the greens aren't full of sh***.
The best status - (sad choice of name)
"McCarthy, who had been drinking heavily for many years, was discovered to have cirrhosis of the liver. An alcoholic, he was unable to take the advice of doctors and friends to stop drinking. Joseph McCarthy died in the Bethesda Naval Hospital on 2nd May, 1957".
Just though I'd bring you up to speed.
no one doubts that the right isn't doing a good (or even acceptable) job of managing reserves/resources but one would have liked to see realistic propositions instead of tax on tax mentality offered whilst sitting comfortably on the gravytrain.the hand that feeds you and all that stuff.
i don't have an answer for chch,i don't live/work in chch,i don't even know if i will re insure next year.i will more likely take steps to cover any possible damages through my own savings.borrowing is not a word i now use,what events will we get saddled with in the next 12 months?
that isn't an answer!it's another TAX anybody can say tax tax tax,you say recovery i say redevelopment,the government is in charge and it will be the only redevelopment we can afford going forward.i work in export industries on low wages,i have given and i would give again but i ain't rich!
I find greens a waste of space.
They have no grip on economic reality and believe the rest of the world actually give a toss about NZ's (expensive) green iniatives.
In a perfect world, the green party would have no preference to the major party it supports but this goes to show they are in essence a socialist party with a green facade.
This reminds me of my high school ball when the girl I asked to go said she would, as long as she didn't get any better offers.
If the greens are going to do the dirty on National as soon as they get the opportunity, why bother working with them?
I suppose what you are trying to say is that in a pefect world the national party would have some concern re environment, peak oil, climate change, income inequality, innovation, etc. That is what I think you mean when you say in a perfect world the green party would have no preference to the major party it would support.
In a different perfect world I suppse act would have no preference to the major partry it would support.
Meanwhile back in the real world, .....
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