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A Labour-Greens-NZ First coalition would be a 'very good government' for NZ, Andrew Little says; Attacks Maori Party, says he would rather have NZ First in the fold over them if choice was there

A Labour-Greens-NZ First coalition would be a 'very good government' for NZ, Andrew Little says; Attacks Maori Party, says he would rather have NZ First in the fold over them if choice was there

A Labour-Greens-New Zealand First coalition would ensure a “very good government” for New Zealand, Labour Party leader Andrew Little says.

Importantly, regarding post-election coalition potential, Little said that after turning initially to the Greens, he would then favour bringing New Zealand First into the fold over the Maori Party if either of those two would give him the extra numbers to govern.

Speaking to media Tuesday morning, Little would not go as far as to completely rule out working with the Maori Party, but said the scenario was not part of his current thinking.

Little attacked the Maori Party as having shackled itself to the National-led government while the wider situation for their people had gone backwards over nine years. He said he’d look to Maori leadership in Labour’s own caucus – Kelvin Davis and Nanaia Mahuta – to alleviate that.

“In the end, the future is about Maori sitting around every table where decisions are made. Not being called in on a grace and favour basis, as happens at the moment. That’s the big difference between us and the Maori Party and its relationship with National,” Little said.

“They haven’t proven themselves to be able to make a difference with the National Party. We’ve been working very closely with the Green Party, where we also have plenty of common ground, with the…New Zealand First Party where we also have plenty of common ground. Those are the places I am looking if I have the privilege of forming a government.”

“I am looking at the Green Party and New Zealand First, first, if I have the privilege of having the numbers and being able to put together a government. I am not contemplating or anticipating contacting the Maori Party as part of that.”

Asked whether he would rule out the Maori Party in a Labour-led coalition, Little said: “I just don’t see it happening. The way things are going at the moment, I think ourselves and the other two Opposition parties, the Greens and New Zealand First, we work well together, we have plenty of common ground.

“If the numbers fall our way we’re quite capable of putting together, in my view, a very good government for New Zealand. We won’t need anybody else,” he said.

Little was speaking after two sides of the Maori Party were put on view Tuesday morning. Interest.co.nz published an interview with co-leader Marama Fox, who said the animosity towards the Labour Party was the ‘old-school’ view, and that she could see a scenario where party members backed entering a coalition with Labour.

Later, party president Tuku Morgan on Radio New Zealand ripped into Labour’s treatment of its own Maori MPs. During an interview about the party teaming up with One Pacific in Auckland, Morgan said: “Our game and our outcome that we seek is always to break the stranglehold that the Labour Party have held over the Maori seats and Pacific Island community.”

“We understand the frustration of being oppressed by people like Andrew Little,” Morgan said. “Andrew Little has thrown his Maori MPs under the political bus. They don’t give a stuff about Maori aspirations, and the past nine years is an indication," Morgan said.

“It’s been to our salvation that they haven’t been in government and they will be a further three years on the backbenches. We’re absolutely confident that we can shut out the Labour Party…”

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26 Comments

I'm sure Little would prefer a straight Labour majority

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They have tendency to be a bit bent!

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Hi Chairman Moa,

And just what do you mean by that?

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A very good govt....you dont say. After 9 years in opposition, desperate for the Government benches more like. Is this news...how can any politician be impartial about how good they might be in the Government benches?

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Presumably Winstone would be prime minister in that scenario...

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Little indicated on Morning report that the Greens are preferred to NZ First. The Greens and NZ First are diametrically opposed on immigration. Andrew Little sees immigration as hitting a speed bump and nothing more.

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If Labour want to govern, it's not through an association with the Greens OR NZ First but the Greens AND NZ First

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Sounds like desperation.

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Dr Bryce Edwards discussing interview with David Cunliffe on the Nation (TV3).

“Absolutely, there is a wider disconnect between what he said and what the wider public think. Among the Labour Party and liberal left in NZ there are two ideologies that are really important to them and that's this ideology of identity politics and rape culture. Political threat lists or identity politics is where what you are (man or women, gay your ethnicity) is more important than what you say and do. Rape culture holds that collectively there is this misogynist attitude amongst males that enables others to rape and commit crime."

http://www.3news.co.nz/Panel-Willie-Jackson-Bryce-Edwards--Trish-Sherso…

They mirror public opinion?

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I would like all the politicians to answer the following:
1. What underwrites public debt?
2. What underwrites private debt?
3. What underwrites government handouts?
4. What underwrites political party policies?
5. What policies need to be implemented to reduce the underwriters liability?
6. Which legislation and policies are currently non-complying with the NZ constitutional arrangement?
7. What will politicians do to ensure all legislation and policy is fully aligned with our constitutional arrangement?
8. Which politicians would consider that legislation and policy that is not aligned to our constitutional arrangement should be treated as fraudulent and corrupt?

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This would be an interesting qualification test for politicians.

If you go in that direction... a slightly more elementary version of this quiz may indeed be appropriate for a qualification test for voters... (good luck with that!)

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""A Labour-Greens-New Zealand First coalition would ensure a “very good government” for New Zealand"" well can't be much worse than the current coalition. However it does remind me of the problem where a goat, tiger and cabbage have to be taken across a river.

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How about a goat, tiger and a leak across the river ? Lol

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Take the goat over first, take the cabbage over and bring the goat back, then take the tiger over and leave it with the cabbage, then return and take the goat over. All a lot more trouble than it's worth, a bit like this coalition option.

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How about the Winston goat eats the green cabbage - except that leaves only a Little tiger.

Seriously strange bedfellows - as weird as ACT and Maori??

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ACT and Maori won't get as much say as the Greens and Winston will want, and be able to command.

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How about a roat, giger and a teak across the liver. Any sort of mumbo jumbo would describe a lot like this.

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I agree- Labour/Green and NZF offer the best chance to escape from the clutches of a neoliberal government hell bent of lowering the majorities quality of life.

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Red, Green & Black but not necessarily in that order. Same as the flag of Afghanistan but doubt that it would be anywhere near as peaceful.

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I would actually like to see the Greens try and work with National. If they could come to an actual agreement on each issue I think we would all be better off.

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Fortunately Little won't get the opportunity to form a Govt. The latest policy of bring back national awards or "Fair Pay Agreements" as they're calling it is a throwback to 1970's unionism and is really the final nail in their coffin.

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We will have a change of government sometime but the thought of Labour mixing and working well with the Greens and throw in NZF how are all those EGO'S going to get along........along with the fact pretty much all of them have never been in Government.... I see a very unstable Government just like across the Tasman. Like them or not National has provided a very stable 9 years and economies need that ! A National Green mix seems a better option......wishful thinking !

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Well if you want Labour but don't want a coalition (like we have presently - heard of charter schools?), then you need to vote for them!
The point people need to get over is that we have an MMP system, that demands negotiation.
Not voting for the party that you want, because the polls say they are not popular, is self-defeating.

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Charter Schools have been a success. Not so much the Super City.

National and Green would be a great mix if Green party focused on the environment. Both have keen young MPs unlike the Labour party.

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Charter Schools not so successful when measured by usual standards. For some reason they're an ideological darling of some on the right, though. Maybe just another chance to give taxpayer money to private businesses?

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Two remarks , one is that I wish I could believe Andrew Little and share his optimism about the intended coalition not being dysfunctional

The second is that Winston really cannot be trusted , he has been bounced by every previous leader when he has been in a coalition. He is also non -committal , if this were 1840 , and he was a Maori leader , he would be the one who would be the you -know -who- in- the- woodpile, playing games and refusing to sign

There are so many English turns of phrase that one could use to describe Peters , like running with the foxes while hunting with the hounds , we know that tigers dont change their stripes or leopards . dont change their spots , or whatever .

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