Isn’t it funny how on Blogger just above the text box is the ‘recover post’ link, this is kind of like a recovery post. So the election is finally over, sort of. And thank god the initial media frenzy around the potential government discussions has calmed down, I think they all finally figured out that when the politicians keep telling them that we won’t know until the specials are out, they actually meant it.
So what does the next term hold for the Greens? Well, who knows. It all depends on the specials and if Nandor gets back in, which I think he probably will. We worked out that there’s about a 85% chance of getting him back. And I really really hope we do. Firstly, because we need someone in there proactively working on positive solutions to the Corrections mess. The idea of building more prisons is about as sensible as building more roads to get rid of traffic. We need some serious investment in the prison education programme. I must say I was amused to read Graeme Capill moaning about the lack of access to education. What was he expecting? It’s not all lounging around watching TV as people of his ilk tend to think it is. I have heard stories of people in prison spending six months trying to get hold of the prison educator and giving up. And these are people with post high school education. Can you imagine what it’s like for people who dropped out before School C? One of the things that Nandor has worked really well with the government on has been corrections issues and I’d like to see him there pushing habilitation centres and better education services during the next term. So yeah, bring back Nandor!!
But back to the Greens in general.. I want to see Jeanette as Minister of Energy, if we can get that, I will be happy. But to be honest, another term on the cross benches with a bit more Budget will satisfy me.
As for me, I’m having a well earned rest, and getting ready for a big development in my life. I will reveal soon…
But I just want to say thanks and well-done to all the volunteers from all the parties in this election. It was a messy election but all the people I had dealings with treated each other with respect, no matter what party they were from. I think that’s a sign of a healthy democracy. Yay for us.
Radical Youth welcome our new overlords.
The spectacle that was the General election has been and gone, your obedient and doting youth are still as marginalized as ever. While we cannot vote we appreciate the fact that you who are so wise and noble are willing to make decisions for us.
We also like the fact that you so intelligently restrict you’re voting to once every three years, and don’t get to say what policies you like or disagree with. And as youth we really don’t really mind that we are still discriminated against and disenfranchised.
We especially like that we get paid less for doing exactly the same work. The election was great to watch, we think it was great that you all bought the messages that the parties sold to you. We think the lines about economic growth being the underpinning of our society were the best.
However…
We demand a world in which the voices of youth are heard, and one where the decisions that will affect our lives are actually made by us. The politicians have no regard for the youth. Why else then, would there be such a blatant disregard for issues such as global warming, which, although only beginning to express itself, will affect us our entire lives? You’ve failed us, by creating a world that relies on the destruction of the very systems of life that sustain us to maintain unrestricted material growth, meanwhile poverty afflicts every nation and exploitation is incorporated into law.
Our generation has been handed a vision that requires continual consumption devoid of meaning.
And we have bought into it as never before (advertising and television tell us who and what to worship.)
We don’t want a new world, we want this one back!
And we’ll do whatever it takes to reclaim control of our lives.
Release here
So it’s over 100% of votes counted and Labour has the majority. Here comes Helen for her speech…
Yay thank you mainstream New Zealand! (although I would say fuck the mainstream, I’m part of a braided river).
I am a wee bit sad that the Green vote has dropped a bit and the idea of parliament without Nandor does make me sad. But he’s not gone yet and at least we’re there!
And I can’t wait to see Keith run naked through the streets of Epsom!!
Bring on the Labour government, no matter what it looks like… (bar Winston).
Yay this is getting better. Did have a few issues with the Greens being below 5% and the gap between the major two parties but went out for a bit and things got a whole lot better!
And the one big surprise? Rodney’s actually kicking ass!
And Blumsky has conceded. yay!
And we are now watching Jeanette’s speech and the grin on her face has infected everyone in this room!! Damn she’s wonderful.
Tonight I will be reporting from the Green Party election party at Thistle Hall Cuba Street Wellington.
We’ve been setting up here all afternoon and the place looks great! I certainly think no matter what happens in the polls we’ll be rocking here tonight.
So we’re currently on 4.7% and smiling. There’s a few people here and the bottles have been cracked…
Til later.
Tomorrow the people of Aotearoa will go to the polls to decide the fate of the nation for the next three years and in some policy areas, beyond that. This campaign has been the closest in my memory and probably the dirtiest. It has been long and gruelling and very tiring. But the highlight for me has been talking to people on the street and restoring my faith that this country is bursting with people with vision.
When I go and vote tomorrow I am going to vote with that vision in mind. I am going to vote with the hope that over the next three years we will have a Government that will be brave enough to deal with the effect the global energy crisis is having on this cuontry. I am going to vote with hope that our Government will turn its investment eye towards our children and their children and shift our economic investment from the bottom of the cliff to the top. I am going to vote with hope that my children will be able to enjoy this beautiful country as well as I have. I am going to vote with hope that we as a nation will have the courage to stand up to the idea that this planet has infinite resources. And I am going to vote for a future Aotearoa based on honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi, because this world will never move on from colonialist attitudes towards people and the environment until we respect, honour and celebrate difference and diversity.
I hope all the readers of this blog will vote tomorrow and I hope you all vote with vision and hope.
To all the people who have worked on this election, from all political persuasions, thank you. The fact that we don’t have to use violence to exercise our democratic right to participate in the governing of this nation is a truly wonderful thing.
Kei a koe te mana!
I’m sure you’re all aware of the smear leaflet (if not, check out frog)
I must congratulate Jeanette on her handling of this one. The Green reaction definitely shows a political maturing. In 1999 and 2002 there were a number of leaflets distributed about the Greens. My personal favourite was the leaflet distributed in Ohariu-Blemont about how the Greens would make kids smoke pot at school! But we have learnt our lessons.
The first thing about dealing with attacks is learning from other experiences. The Greens are by nature a threat to the dominant system so whenever we run for office, we should expect attacks. The Greens are also a global movement so we can learn from the experiences of other Green Party campaigns. Bob Brown was here this week talking about the experiences with the propaganda the Australian Greens had distributed about them before the last election, which was very damaging, and so close to the election there wasn’t time to deal with the effects. The outcome in the Australian case was a victory at the Press Council, but too late for the election.
What we learn from this is that attacks are inevitable. Attacks need to be dealt with promptly. And if attacks are dealt with successfully, they can have positive results.
The other big lesson the Greens here have learnt is to pre-empt attacks. And this is what we have been doing, particularly with the drug policy. The biggest lesson we learnt after the last election is that we must front foot this issue, if we don’t, we let our opposition tell the public what our policy is. If members of the public have heard what our policy is from us first, they are less likely to believe the spin about our policy when they hear it. The other part of front footing policy is educating members. I will not try and pretend that the drug policy is not a contentious one within the party, but it’s not because people don’t agree with it, it’s that they don’t feel confident responding to all the arguments. So we have been supporting our members to learn how to deal with these arguments. And I must say 10 and a half points to the effort that has been made.
Now when Peter Dunne and others say things like “the Greens want kids to smoke drugs”, he just looks the fool (as he did last week). And we have an easier time explaining the policy to people because the debate has moved on from whether or not drug policy will stop drug use to will it actually help reduce drug harm?
And according to today’s SST poll it’s working. 34% supporting change to the current drug policy is a very high number. And I would put money on the fact that the 55% who didn’t want a change in the law would be a smaller number once the arguments for change are explained to them in a rational way. For starters that the law as it stands simply doesn’t work.
Aah this election is fun.
That was me going a bit busy for a while. So time for an update.
Isn’t the weather lovely!
Last weekend I went to the Radio NZ minor party leaders debate at Circa Theatre in Wellington. And I must say what a refreshing debate it was! They were such a polite bunch of well-mannered politicians, who debated actual policy. I know this sounds radical, but it’s true. Actual issues! There was stuff all rhetoric and the only hassles they gave each other were good natured and usually quite witty.
I think they all performed very well, but I would give Pita Sharples the award for winning the debate as he started on the back foot, yet put across his vision and his party’s vision exceptionally well.
And I know this has been reported elsewhere, but I did find it entertaining that Winston declined to come due to not considering his party to be a minor party. Yeah right. Today’s poll results are certainly backing that theory *snigger, snigger*
I agree with frog that this is a shocking campaign from Winston, and I believe things can only get worse for him. It seems that some of the journalists who were usually pretty sympathetic to his schmoozy attitude have finally had enough of his arrogance and aren’t giving him as much coverage as they used to. There was a time that he only had to open his mouth and he would get coverage, but he’s struggling now. And when he won’t even turn up to broadcast leaders debates, he is making silly mistakes when it comes to coverage.
On that note, I’m pleased to see that the rest of the country is waking up to the realities of what’s going on in Tauranga. I was up there at Easter and people were already talking about this threat to Winston’s seat. Now I know that Bob isn’t hugely keen on being a politician and this is getting the locals a wee bit miffed, but still, he’s thrown his hat in the ring now, so he does have to follow through with it. I hope Don is on the phone with him giving him a rark up about how important he is to keeping Winston out. Imagine Parliament without him! Bliss! I don’t know how much people pay attention to Winston in the House, but he is a vile, vile man. He says some of the most disgusting things to other people. And is one of the main reason the Wellington High students who did their violence analysis study condemned their behaviour so much.
Change topic…
I must send out all my aroha to the people of New Orleans. The disaster that they are facing is absolutely devastating and the response by the US government is making me sick. Five days without food is inexcusable for the richest nation in the world. I would be so angry if I was a citizen of America right now. Good to see the media actually having a decent analysis of the situation. Seeing mainstream media questioning the class and ethnic disparities over who has been looked after, and the comparisons to the spending in Iraq is a very pleasant surprise.
And I must respond to Mr Farrar and his obviously misinformed comments about the Green Employment policy. Now to claim that getting rid of youth rates is going to disadvantage young people, Mr Farrar obviously hasn’t spoken to many young workers recently. You try working in a pizza shop for 4 hours a day, earning $5 an hour before tax and then losing your job at 18 because they won’t fork out the minimum adult wage. That is not fair. What also isn’t fair is when 12 year old kids are going out to work to support their parents and have absolutely no legal protection when it comes to exploitation. What also isn’t fair is that kids have to start working earlier now to get experience. If they start working at 18, they are starting on the back foot, from their friends. What also isn’t fair is the fact that National Party policy will only make this situation worse.
OK that’s the end of my rant of the week. Expect more as I remember things I was going to write about.
P.S. Who else knew that Maurice Williamson used to be a C++ programmer! He’s an actual geek, crikey.