New Zealand Greens’ crazy wish list
New Zealanders go to the polls on November 8 in a general election to decide whether to give Prime Minister Helen Clark and her Labour Party a fourth three-year term, or put the National Party under new leader John Key back in power for the first time since 1999.
The polls have consistently pointed to a National Party victory, but New Zealand’s complex Mixed Member Proportional, or MMP, system means that unless one party gains 50 per cent plus one of the primary vote they will be forced to form a coalition with one or more of the six minor parties.
If National has the highest vote, they will almost certainly negotiate a coalition government with any or all of the ACT, United or Maori parties. They have ruled out forming a government with the New Zealand First party of scandal-ridden Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
If Labour gains the highest proportion of the votes, or is a close second to National, they have indicated they will be prepared to negotiate with the radical New Zealand Greens.
Political observer and blogger David Farrar has been looking into the Greens and has posted on his blog “Kiwiblog” an interesting article with a list of 85 things the Greens want to ban. It is scary reading and a major concern that they could yet be part of a left-wing government. Perhaps it will convince voters that electing National with an overwhelming mandate for a return to conservative, responsible government is the only option.
Kiwiblog says:
The Greens are often a contradictory party. They stand up for civil liberties on the one hand, but want to ban almost anything they disagree with or think is bad. They advocate in favour of scientists when it comes to climate change, but campaign against science when it comes to genetics.
In many ways they are the ultimate nanny state party. The list of things they want to ban puts Labour in the shade.
… But what is scary is looking at the list as a whole, and seeing how banning is their first instinct.
Check out David Farrar’s list of 85 things the NZ GReens want to ban. And note, as David points out, the list could be much longer.
