Greens voting in support of the Government’s budget tax package has raised eyebrows and prompted debate at The Standard.
Micksavage: What the feck Greens
The Green Party caucus decision to support the Government’s tax reduction legislation is hard to comprehend and has created a perception of messiness in the way the Labour-Green MOU operates.
It appears the Labour Green Memorandum of Understanding did not work as well this week as it was intended. The Greens decided to vote for National’s tax reduction legislation while Labour voted against it.
I am struggling to understand why the Greens did this. This budget does nothing beneficial for the environment. It promises more irrigation allowing more dairying and more polluted streams with a miniscule amount set aside to address the consequences. It does not address New Zealand’s response to climate change. Putting to one side the environmental devastation that will be caused it does not address how we as a country are going to address the $14 billion hole in our finances that the payments required under the Paris Accord will cause. And the home insulation scheme is being cut, completely.
But they chose to support the Government’s tax reduction law.
There are some interesting discussions on that thread. It seems to have prompted two posts from a Green supporter.
Weka: The Greens on record
Despite rumours to the contrary, the Green Party was highly critical of National’s Budget.
There’s been a fair amount of speculation about the Green Party’s position on the Budget. If you want to see how they are voting, or to discuss that, have a look at the post The Greens and voting on the Budget.
There are a lot more links to Green responses too.
Weka: The Greens and voting on the Budget
Wondering about what the Greens are voting for? It might not be what you think.
The various Bills going through Parliament currently can be seen here. Explanations of how the Budget process happens are here.
Spokesperson for Māori Development, Social Housing, Human Rights and Pacific Peoples, Marama Davidson explains in a blogpost why they are voting for that Bill that gives a little bit extra for those on low incomes.
But that has sparked more debate.
Meanwwhile Martyn Bradbury at The Daily Blog: Can the Green Party of NZ do anything without taking a huge smelly dump on the chest of the Labour Party?
The Greens have allowed themselves to get played by the National Party who are right now running around telling everyone who will listen that even the Greens support this rip-off Budget, bloody Bill English did yesterday!
I wonder if Bradbury applied for a job at Greens, he certainly isn’t happy with the person who was successful (at getting a communications job).
My understanding from sources within the Party is that there are deep divisions over how James Shaw has run things since becoming leader.
I doubt that Greens and many others will put much weight on Bradbury’s understanding.
Serious question time, if these schoolboy errors in political tactics and strategy are all the Greens can muster how the Christ can they be trusted with Executive Power?
It’s a bit tragic that, similar to Cameron Slater, Bradbury has been left flailing around without a political home because no parties want anything to do with them.
But there does seem to be quite a bit of discord on the left over the Green vote last week and over the Green-Labour Memorandum of Understanding.
PDB
/ May 29, 2017Micksavage: “I am struggling to understand why the Greens did this. This budget does nothing beneficial for the environment.”
Obviously a bit slow on the uptake as the ‘Greens’ have not been a true environmental party for some time having been taken over by far-left wing interest groups and ideologies.
The sooner a real environmental party (that can work with both sides of the political spectrum) joins the NZ political landscape the better.
Zedd
/ May 29, 2017@PDB
more ‘rightie’ misinfo. & nonsense.
The Greens charter is based on Environmental & SOCIAL JUSTICE issues.. not a one dimensional view on the environment 😦
make sure you brain is engaged, before you put your fingers into gear (on the keyboard)
PDB
/ May 29, 2017As long as people like yourself & Micky Savage bury their head in the sand then the environmental movement in this country is as good as dead.
Take this for example:
I also note you avoid answering why your beloved Greens voted for the budget the other day which you reckon was for rich people only? Doesn’t suit your narrative I presume – a smoke, packet of chips and back to bed for you I think.
Zedd
/ May 29, 2017again with the presumptions.. they are a seperate party, from Labour & obviously saw some merit, in supporting this bill.
btw; the Budget it still being debated & the Greens have not committed to voting for it.. check your ‘facts’ PDB. The bill last week was only part of the whole, not ‘the budget’ 🙂
PDB
/ May 29, 2017You are deflecting – the Greens voted for a key plank of the budget which you reckon was just a payout for National’s ‘rich mates’ in a post that showed you can’t do basic math – so much for checking your ‘facts’.
Rod Donald would be turning in his grave.
PDB
/ May 29, 2017With your mathematics ability it is no wonder you would side with the left….
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2017/05/labour_now_calls_an_increase_a_cut_as_someone_got_a_bigger_increase.html
Zedd
/ May 29, 2017?? whatever that means ?? 😀
traveller
/ May 29, 2017Oh dear, a marriage fracking -er, I mean cracking at the seams.
The Greens didn’t get that memo about always objecting to absolutely everything the Tories do or say, regardless of merit and regardless of any benefit to the electorate.
Blazer
/ May 29, 2017you quite clearly do not understand what a …MOU…is….no surprise there.
John Schmidt
/ May 29, 2017The genius bit is what would labour actually do if in the unlikely they form the next government given the changes take affect in the next term. They have no actual alternative budget so they dont have anything to show other than try to turn a silk purse into a sows ear.
Blazer
/ May 29, 2017bit premature there ..John…time and again National appropriate Labour policy,usually dilute it and present it as their…own.