Henare thus succinctly stated a view I have long held, as much vis-a-vis any 'minor' political party as the Green Party as such, simply because once they're drawn into the ambit of the 'major' parties via a coalition and/or other special governing arrangement they're the very first to suffer any subsequent fallout from disillusioned voters once the Government of the Day loses its status of flavour of the month...
...voters for some reason or other seemingly reserving their harshest criticism and retribution for those parties (and individuals) seen as propping up a particular government...
Which for the Greens obviously works in the interests of their major partner, Labour, since they ever serve as a convenient 'fall guy' for unpopular Government decisions, the 'good guy:bad guy' sort of arrangement so easy for sports-obsessed kiwis to be taken in by, an effective poisoned chalice.
So yes, such an arrangement is most definitely in the interests of the Labour Party, and hence they might *under normal circumstances promote such, as the insightful and ever so reasonable Newstalk ZB host Miles Davis asked (of such a political scenario) the other night: "Is Labour [just] using the Greens as extra currency [for future contingencies], to blame if things go pear-shaped?"
And hence the sound wisdom behind those such as (former Green MPs) Sue Bradford and Catherine Delahunty, both of whom have been interviewed in this regards in the days and weeks immediately following the election, in their cautioning and advising the Greens (and Green Party members) in resisting the natural urge to eagerly grasp for what that denizen of MMP politics, the Right Honourable Winston Peters, deemed the (alluring but deceptive) 'baubles of office'...
...baubles he himself, it cannot be denied and ought not be forgotten, has in practice not been all that 'un-enamoured' of!
And of course the major parties themselves are not exactly uneducated in the practice of using such minor players in the Machiavellian art of thus deflecting criticism of themselves before the voters by attempting to pin any blame accruing to their particular administrations onto these small stumbling stones in the successful prosecution of their political designs...
...as if to say, 'There [we might well have come] but for the [obstruction] of these [minor irritants]...
Some such as the ever-opinionated and outspoken, never shy to declare the emperor (or Empress) of kiwiville has no kit, Mike Hoskings, have argued both ways...suggesting that the very and indeed one and only reason any party like the Greens is - or at least ought to be - in politics in the first instance is that of actually achieving tangible, concrete, legislative results...
...so that everything is measured in terms of their actually being 'in the tent' throwing their weight around (like NZ First is no stranger to) or advancing their agenda (somehow-or-other), in actual 'rungs on the board' as it were...
...though some might rightly suggest the Green Party's ever softly-softly, tread carefully and create no (or few) ripples approach to governance has hardly served its own interests well, and that for a very long time...indeed, i've always felt they've been taken for a ride by the likes of Helen Clark & Co over the years, such politicoes well knowing the Greens simply had nowhere else to go...
...or, to use less flattering words, 'played for suckers' by their supposed political bedfellows...
And so, though I've never been a Green Party voter, or even supporter - except over the Clark Government's approach to Corngate and ending the moratorium on genetically-modified/engineered organisms - I've ever felt some degree of sympathy on their behalf for ever having their self-respect undermined on an ongoing and regular basis...
...yet others would - and do - rightly claim they are the authors of their own misfortune by refusing point blank to ever go into coalition (discussions/conversations even) with the National Party...
...otherwise they could have ever upended Winston and NZ First on a regular basis over many election cycles, making themselves the coalition makers or breakers...
Yes, they've been honourable and noble - to a veritable fault - yet gained nothing thereby; ever acted the idealist and the dreamer (of better things), but with their heads held firmly in the clouds have signally failed to achieve practical results 'on the ground', for which their own supporters would surely argue New Zealanders themselves have been the losers...
Yet there is an answer to such dilemmas, and that is, to adopt Tau Henare's catchy phrase, worthy of the language of the Good Book itself (about the Messianic Age to Come wherein the Christ will indeed one day soon
rule/reign in the midst of His enemies)
for the Greens to rule from the cross-benches, thus achieving 'the best of both worlds': i.e. being able to effectively and authentically distance themselves from the ongoing faults, failings and other foibles - not to mention outright outrageous disasters and devastations small and great wrought - of the major party they're naturally aligned to, and so protect their voter base, but moreover even extend this base by managing to successfully 'prosecute' the particular principles and policies/measures they heartily believe in, effectively putting these up for general cross-parliamentary debate by and voting on of all other parties in the chamber (of Parliament)...
...and occasionally, if only occasionally - but progressively, by-and-by - getting some of these accepted by and embraced/supported by others in Parliament, thus getting increasing community 'buy-in' for their agenda...which, in the longer run if not in the shorter term, might well help increase voter buy-in also...
So no, Mr Hosking et al, for the Green Party to achieve power at all costs, to sell their soul for the baubles of office, thus gaining and exercising tangible political power whilst in the process selling out their essential agenda and principles, and likewise merely achieving a few minor rungs on the ladder of real legislative change, is most definitely not in the Greens' interests, long-term or otherwise...
...that is, if being in the political game is really about tangible change and progression of a positive agenda, and not just about the cynical manipulation of the levers of power by small self-interested cliques and elites, something it would seem other political 'players' know all too much about...
*However this election (result and background) is far from normal, and since it is now apparent that a sizable number of National Party voters crossed over to prevent the Green Party exercising any let alone a major role in Labour's governance, Labour itself is only too well aware of this situation, and hence realizes such cross-over voters would readily feel betrayed if too many concessions let alone levers of power were given the Greens, and so feels unable to offer such this time around...
...though even the small favours which look set to be dished out may ultimately prove too high a price for the Green Party to pay for their formal support of a Labour Government...
But anyhow Labour now can govern on its lonesome, and so has no absolute need of such political cannon fodder, which otherwise could prove only too useful for getting out of any (periodic) jam...
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