There are many political pundits who credit the Values Party, by bringing the environmental issues to the forefront of political thinking led the world by formulating their own environmental policies.
The party was the beginning of a new generation that started pushing back against the conservative, conformist culture that dominated New Zealand at the time. The Values Party emphasised the desire to propose innovative and alternative policies.
While the Values Party contested that 1972 General Election and again in 1975, when it secured just over 5% of the vote, it did not win any seats due to the first-past-the-post voting system.
The idea of an ecological, zero-growth society envisaged by the Values Party clashed head on with the cold economic reality of high price-inflation and miniscule capital investment of the day.
In the late ‘70’s, the aptly named "Think Big" strategy of Muldoon’s interventionist government, proposed the development of oil, gas, coal and electricity resources, using borrowed overseas funds, to build large the infrastructure projects. The promise to create many more jobs was embraced by voters and the zero-growth society of the Values was left in the dust!
Values contested five general elections between 1972 and 1984, but never managed to win a seat.
The party council decided in 1989 to wind the party up. In 1990 some remaining members joined forces with other environmental groups to become the Green Party of Aotearoa
After New Zealand adopted the MMP electoral system in 1996, the Alliance gained entry to Parliament, bringing three Green list MPs with them; Jeanette Fitzsimons, Rod Donald and Phillida Bunkle.
In 1997, feeling that the Alliance had subsumed their “Green” identity, Fitzsimons, Donald made the decision to stand as green candidates independently of the Alliance at the next election. Bunkle stuck with the Alliance. Conversely, some of the Alliance party members, notably Sue Bradford and Keith Locke both joined the Greens.
In the 1999 election, the Greens gained 5.16% of the party vote and seven seats in Parliament. Fitzsimons also won the electorate seat of Coromandel.
The Green Party, in its various incarnations, has spent decades debating, often clumsily, the concept and the individuals who hold its leadership roles. I would suggest Fitzsimons and Donald were two of their best. Holding high levels of integrity and both were genuine defenders of the environment.
I would not say that of those who have followed in their footsteps.
Let’s, for a minute, look back to 1972 and the philosophy of that newly formed Values Party.
That new political party was formed with the stated goals for the country of zero-population and zero-economic growth, abortion, drug and homosexual law-reform, were against nuclear power and arms and most importantly, believe New Zealand's future lay in becoming egalitarian, ecologically sustainable society.
Pretty wacky for the time, right?
Easy to imagine the opinions Muldoon would have expressed around the cabinet table!
Not too dissimilar from today’s Greens policy though?
Now add to those their very prominent promotion of human rights, not just in New Zealand but world- wide, and especially recently, their very loudly expressed and visual advocacy for the Palestinians.
Layer on top of those the philosophies of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Their Rainbow Policy seeks “…to create a vision for takatāpui and Rainbow health, well-being and relationships. It explores conceptual and practical ways to address the homophobia, transphobia, interphobia and biphobia that impacts on people with diverse genders, sexualities and sex characteristics.”
Then there is their position on the very contentious race issues besetting NZ. They play a role that is, effectively, a proxy of the Maori Party. This robust support for maori self-determination further distances them from, I believe, their ability to call themselves a “Green Party”.
Their website proclaims – “The Green Party will uphold tino rangatiratanga, enhance the mana of the Waitangi Tribunal, return land lost through colonisation, and support the customary roles of tangata whenua. We will address the systemic causes of inequalities for Māori, including in education, health, resource management, and justice."
From its earliest formation 50 years ago, leadership has always been a vexing issue for the Greens.
But it is not just leadership issues that have created complications and convolution for the Greens.
Over the last, near decade, the greens have been beset with scandal and indignity. Illogically, all self-inflicted!
And it is these reasons I am suggesting that over the last decade the quality and capability of Green MP’s makes me question their viability and competence to be taken seriously as a valid political party!
August 2017 Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei brazenly declared she has no regrets about admitting she committed benefit fraud! Incredibly Turei stated she would not resign over her controversial benefit history!
Then thing got weird as only things in the Greens can. The Green Party suspended two MP’s who resigned in protest at co-leader Metiria Turei's actions!
Greens leadership said they would also go further and expel senior MPs Kennedy Graham and David Clendon from the party altogether, forcing them to finish their Parliamentary careers as independent MPs.
Amazing carry-ons! Foretaste of Darleen Tana!
Turei later announced she had resigned as Green Party co-leader, saying scrutiny of her family over her past welfare history has become unbearable.
In October 2018, the Greens were accused of cynicism in the extreme by taking advantage of an erupting political scandal to push their agenda of taxpayer funding for political parties. The Simon Bridges – Jamie Lee Ross scandal had it all - leaks, anonymous texts, threats, secret recordings and explosive allegations.
The Taxpayers’ Union, responding to Marama Davidson's public funding call said - “The proposal is opportunistic, self-interested, objectionable, and would have a corrosive effect on our democracy.”
The spotlight was securely on Greens leadership issues when in August ‘20 co-leader and Climate Change Minister James Shaw approved $11.7 million funding for the Oakura 'green' school in Taranaki, despite his party's stance not to fund private schools.
Perversely, he did not reveal that the Green School had already been turned down by the Provincial Growth Fund for $1 million a year earlier.
The money came from the government's $3 billion 'shovel ready' projects fund. He did, reluctantly, apologise for trying to extort $11.7 million for the provisionally registered school by threatening to block every other shovel ready project until his demand was met. Very big of you James!
Christof Melchizedek, self-described as a "navigator, architect and guardian" in the service of the "Devine Plan" ran courses at this “green” school that Shaw flung $11.7m at! This “New Age architect” held a “sacred ceremony” at Oakura’s Green School. A “lions gate abundance and manifestation ceremony” that included “bio-energy field cleaning” and “DNA activation” ceremony !
Melchizedek had also planned to plant a sacred crystal grid on school property with students.
Where was the due diligence, James!
What a textbook example of a politician’s disrespect for the taxpayer dollar!
By the way, after leaving parliament in May ’24, Shaw conveniently stepped into a lucrative role as an operating partner at Morrison, a multinational infrastructure financing company that reportedly manages $US24 billion in “sustainable” investments. Shaw ditched his Green Party membership because he thought it inappropriate for the new job. That’s “green” commitment for you!
In March 2022 Green MP Elizabeth Kerekere resigned her Covid-19 and health portfolios and apologised for breaking self-isolation rules after she admitted to flying from her Tairāwhiti home to Wellington, despite a household member testing positive two days earlier.
Moving forward to May ’23 we saw an exponential increase in ill-discipline and misconduct by Green MP’s.
Elizabeth Kerekere resigned from the Green Party after calling Chloe Swarbrick a "cry-baby" in a text message. But as is want by Green MPs, not before taking aim at its co-leaders handling of the issue, saying she was pushed and she believed the cry-baby message was leaked purposely, from an MP attempting to get a higher list ranking at her own expense. She also accused Green Party MPs of "racism" and "abuse". "This was an epic failure of leadership."
How’s that for “slamming the door on your way out!”
The “fires of controversy” really began blazing in December ’23 when the party first heard the reports that Golriz Ghahraman was accused of shoplifting. The 43-year-old was convicted in March ’24 on four charges of shoplifting. She resigned as an MP after the allegations came to light.
At Ghahraman’s sentencing, Judge Jelas said Ghahraman's show of remorse and repayment of stolen items, as well as her good credit as a first-time offender.
Possibly first time caught would have been a more accurate description.
March was a tough month for newly elected co-leader Chloe Swarbrick. It seemed like all Green MP’s has been issued with a rifle and told to take aim at their feet!
Darleen Tana was suspended on full pay after a series of allegations of migrant exploitation against her husband Christian Hoff-Nielsen's bicycle company, and claims she was also involved.
The claims include texts showing Tana told a migrant worker he could continue working in her husband's bike shop despite that being a breach of his visa conditions.
Tana stayed in the House. Whether suspended or as an independent MP, she was quite content to take her $172,000 salary courtesy of the taxpayer!
Not a lot of integrity there.
Swarbricks and Davidson’s failure to be transparent on the Tana difficulty instantly gifted the story legs. You have to ask, why if they knew back in February and stood her down then, why not make that public?
Most likely “gun shy” given the escalating series of embarrassments?
Controversy continued to plague the Green Party when in May ’24 Julie-Anne Genter crossed the floor of the debating chamber and angrily waved a book in the face of National minister Matt Doocey while haranguing him about a controversial plan to ban cars from Wellington city centre.
Further allegations of inappropriate behaviour emerged. Including claims, she grabbed the arm of a Wellington businesswoman during an exchange about cars in the city centre.
"I am the violence prevention minister - and I know who causes violence in the world - it is white cis men. That it is white cis men who cause violence in the world."
Infamous words uttered in March ’23 by Greens co-leader Marama Davidson. Stupidity epitomised!
Do you think she regrets making such an outlandish and demonstrably false statement? No. She’s the type of politician that believes they can make unaccountable statements with impunity!
Now, for me, here is the icing on the “green” cake!
Tana’s replacement is one Benjamin Doyle. Doyle is Māori (Ngāpuhi, Te Kapotai, Te Popoto) and Pākehā (Scottish and Irish), uses the pronouns they/he/ia, is 33 years old, a parent, takatāpui and lives in Hamilton Kirikiriroa. They also identify as whaikaha (disabled). They have almost a decade’s experience working in education and a record of organising and advocating for social and environmental justice in the community.
Have a look at the utter stupidity that emanates from they/he/ia mouth. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9NElEApZS0k&si=NUhiXWnldB-FxAWq
Can the level appropriateness for a Member of Parliament diminish any further? These “people” govern our country, these “people” make laws we have to abide by! These “people” are not defenders of the environment!
Do they really expect to be taken seriously?
Green or a home for the disaffected?
Disaffected- adjective- discontented and resentful especially against authority
Definitely THE DISSAFFECTED!
John Porter is a citizen, deeply concerned about the incremental loss of democracy and the insidious promotion of separatism.
10 comments:
Thank you for this comprehensive history John. I was a dedicated Green Party member all the way through that until Metiria Turei's blatant, unrepented dishonesty, and the appalling treatment of Clendon and Graham. I am astonished that so many people continue to support this tattered remnant - some because they are equally stupid, but some, even less acceptably , because they just thoughtlessly 'tick the box' because Green is good
Greens, the new Red, a home for Communists.
The Benjamin Doyle clip is interesting in that it demonstrates the way some speakers are able to communicate sophistication and empathy while saying absolutely nothing of substance: the very definition of 'word salad'. For another equally fascinating demonstation, try Mihi Forbes' interview of Meteria Turei on National Radio last Saturday morning - if you can stomach it.
To anon @ 8.50 AM 11 Nov. - if you "only knew the history of the Green Party at an International level - you would then see how very close to the truth your comment is".
Excellent article, John.
As you so clearly describe, the "Green" party is made up of a bunch of mainly anti social, confused discontents.
Thankyou John. As a Values Party supporter through the 70s, I'm saddened by what has become of the remnants. I guess when your aspirations for human behaviour are so unrealistic, a person is highly likely to be undone by their own behaviour. The support for Hamas, from the Greens and others, just indicates a lack of knowledge of history. The Jewish people are not going to meekly stand by and get slaughtered any longer.
There have been other recent posts about the sensibilities of the average New Zealander and how sadly lacking they appear to be. The Greens represent but a small portion of that ignorant, wayward, and thereby quite dangerous, cohort. Our MoE & Universities desperately need their swamps drained, starting at the top and then, just maybe, our country might have a chance? Until then, too many of our 'leaders' have been supping the Kool-aid of 'woke' and our future is bleak.
Agree anon 8.50. The Green Party members are all watermelons (green on outside but red inside)
I too held some hopes for them in those early days, and voted for them (environmental watchdog as it were, when few were). However, as others have noted they evolved/degenerated into the sideshow they are now. One day a leader with real clues and integrity might appear in their ranks, but that's drawing a long bow. For now, they are a living metaphor for much that's wrong in MMP politics.
Having said that, Te Pity are far worse as of late - blatant, racist extremists.
They are a butch of whucked up idiots, who live off the tax payer, you only have to look at the German greens, they were indirectly trying to get Germany involved in a war with Russia, re the Ukraine, these people are sick and have no real morals, the sooner they are dumped into the compost bin of time the better our country and the world will be.
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