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The Spinoff
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
The Green Party positions itself as the left's leader, and a friend to the coal miners
Sitting at around 10% in recent polls, the Greens will need to reach communities they haven't traditionally related to if they realistically want to lead the left bloc. Many of the promises made by political progressives this year have fallen under the umbrella of 'we'll clean up whatever the other guy is doing'. Labour would repeal the Regulatory Standards Bill within its first 100 days, Te Pāti Māori would establish a te Tiriti commissioner, and the Green Party, well, they hope to be leading the pack. Already armed with an alternative budget and a fiscal strategy, and with their sights set on a new eco-friendly industrial era and a new voter base among miners and farmers, the still self-described hippies reckon they're the strongest offering the left has got – but they're self-aware enough to know they'll have to spend the next 12 months convincing Aotearoa of that. The mood at the party's annual general meeting, held over the weekend at Wellington's Te Auaha – a Whitireia and WelTec creative campus set for the chopping block in the Te Pūkenga demerger, much to the party's chagrin – was jovial, ambitious and resolute. Powered by vegan salads and doughnuts from plant-based bakery Belén, party members spent the weekend fundraising by way of a 'Greenathon', which saw MPs perform in front of attendees for donations – Lan Pham did a dance routine with her twin, while Steve Abel, Benjamin Doyle and Kahurangi Carter belted out a rendition of Chappell Roan's 'Pink Pony Club', the latter of which raised $20,000 in five minutes. In the more serious moments, attendees did breathing exercises to deal with the bullshit, reaffirmed their political earnestness and also reaffirmed the importance of trying to understand where your racist uncle is coming from every now and then. When co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick delivered her address on Sunday – the main event of the AGM – she urged her supporters not just to connect with each other, but with 'the New Zealanders outside of this room', to build a bridge between those who 'straight up hate' politics and 'a bunch of earnest nerds' (aka the Greens). It's time to build a bridge and get everyone over it, the Greens reckon. 'In the political arena, it is pretty common for people to accuse the other side, and particularly the people who vote for them, of being idiots,' Swarbrick told the crowd. 'If we can't understand why people do the things that they do, then the logic tends to flow: they're wrong, and they just don't get it. That's clearly not a winning formula.' She's right – in terms of giving the major parties a run for their money, it hasn't been. The Greens have a loyal core voter base and 2023 was their most successful election ever, with 11.6% of the party vote and three electorates giving them 15 seats. Since then, polling has kept the party safely above 10% of the vote, and it remains the best-polling minor party alongside Act – but there's still a long way to go in terms of getting a shot at leading a government. And though the Greens have stayed mum on whether their closest frenemy's inability to dream up something concrete in terms of policy will aid them in the long run ('that's a question for the Labour Party,' Davidson told The Spinoff, smiling), there's no doubt that being the man with a plan has to mean something to someone. The Greens' AGM coincided with the tail-end of a small stint around the South Island by the Labour caucus, which reaffirmed that the legacy left party wouldn't commit to any policy promises until closer to the general election. In lieu of announcing any concrete policy, the party has instead gone hard on highlighting what they see as the government's failures, from school lunches to Family Boost to the price of butter – and are still polling on triple the numbers that the Greens have. Of course, the Greens are also constantly scrutinising the government's decisions while also offering up policies and alternative plans, but they have struggled to get the biggest power on the left bloc on board with the likes of their Green budget . It's one thing to be the 'big idea' factory, as Swarbrick described the party, but if you can't get the CEO to sign off on the proposals, you're not going to get anywhere. So why not try to position yourself as the one who should be calling the shots? Future finance minister? And so, the party has hopes that those who aren't traditional Green voters (specifically, the farmers and miners) could be persuaded to see the light. Yet reaching out to the blue-collar worker – who probably has some underlying feelings of class consciousness because their boss is driving a BMW while they've had to pick up extra shifts and still be stuck on public transport – hasn't been something the Greens, and the progressive left as a whole, are best at. After recently visiting miners on the West Coast, Swarbrick reckoned her party had 'a heck of a lot more in common with coal miners' than most realised – their shared interest being decent incomes, community and pride in their work. 'There were a few surprises to be perfectly honest [because], as you say, it's not a ground the Green Party are expected to occupy,' Swarbrick said. 'But it's not good enough for us simply to have the stacks of evidence if we're left clinging to [it] when the last tree is cut down – we have to bridge that gap.' With her sights quietly set on a possible future as finance minister, Swarbrick wouldn't confirm whether the party had any bottom lines ahead of possible coalition talks following next year's election. She and her co-leader have plenty of time to try to talk things through with Chris Hipkins, and less time to convince swing voters and those literally at the coal face that their version of a tail-wagging government would be better than the current one. And anyway, Swarbrick and Davidson made sure to repeatedly reaffirm their belief that 'no political party, no politician, is entitled to anything – New Zealanders get to decide the future of our country'. So, all of this aside, there might still be a bigger and more uncomfortable truth for the Greens to deal with: there are still many New Zealanders who aren't ready, or just don't want to, elect what's being touted as Aotearoa's most progressive parliament. Page 2
RNZ News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Youth MPs renew call to lower voting age
Thomas Brocherie. Photo: Supplied / Lola Fisher A majority of this year's youth MPs have, once again, signed an open letter calling for the voting age to be lowered to 16. Youth Parliament, held every three years, is taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was originally established in 1994 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of lowering the voting age to 18. The Make It 16 campaign was founded during Youth Parliament in 2019, making this the third consecutive Youth Parliament where young people have called for the government to lower the voting age even further . Sixty-three youth MPs from every political party represented in Parliament signed this year's open letter, extending the legacy of their predecessors. "Our diversity of thought proves that there can be cross-partisan support for this policy," the open letter read. This year's Youth Parliament was also the first since the government's withdrawal of the Electoral (Lowering Voting Age for Local Elections and Polls) Legislation Bill, drafted after the Supreme Court declared the voting age of 18 inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act in 2022 . Last year, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown said he wrote to the chairperson of the Justice Committee informing him the government did not intend to support the bill through further Parliamentary stages, and requested that the committee end consideration of it . Make It 16 co-director and youth MP for the Green Party's Lan Pham, Thomas Brocherie, said it was "deeply ironic" that many of them will not be able to vote in this year's local election "despite being invited to stand up for our communities on a national stage". "Fundamentally, 16- and 17-year-olds will deal with issues that politicians deliberate on more than any other generation, and we don't get our voices heard at the highest level with our right to vote, and I think this is the greatest shame of modern democracy. "This open letter shows that young people are capable, that we have nothing more to prove, that we can vote and that we will vote." Parliament. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson Youth MP for the National Party's Hamish Campbell, Sam Allan, said it was a "strange dynamic" to go into Youth Parliament after the withdrawal of the bill. "We're about to spend three days with politicians saying how important they find youth voice, and how amazing it is to have young people's perspectives, but they never put their money where their mouth is." Lincoln Jones. Photo: Supplied / Lola Fisher Youth MP for the Labour Party's Willie Jackson, Lincoln Jones, said lowering the voting age was about "fairness, inclusion and strengthening our democracy". "Young people are already engaged, informed, and taking action on the biggest issues facing Aotearoa - from climate change to education, to mental health, to cost of living. We contribute to society, we pay taxes, and we speak out, but yet we're excluded from the most fundamental democratic right, which is voting. "The open letter, signed by a majority of youth MPs, over 60 youth MPs from across the political spectrum, across Aotearoa, sends a really clear message to Parliament: we're ready... the legal case has been won, we won at the Supreme Court, the support is growing, and the momentum is real. I guess the only thing missing now is the political will. "We're not asking for special treatment, we're not asking for anything like that, all we're asking is to be heard." Youth Minister James Meager. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi However, Youth Minister James Meager told RNZ the government had made it clear it had no intention to change the voting age. "It's great to see our youth MPs engaged in the political process and developing their advocacy skills, that's what Youth Parliament is all about," he said. "I'm looking forward to seeing the robust debates on issues like this over the coming days as Youth Parliament 2025 gets underway." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Majority Of Youth MPs Back Call To Lower The Voting Age
For the second consecutive Youth Parliament, a majority of Youth MPs from across the political spectrum have signed an open letter calling for the voting age to be lowered to 16. A cross-party group of Youth MPs endorsed the letter that calls on Parliament to listen to youth voices and take action on an issue that has seen growing momentum both legally, politically and internationally, with the UK parliament poised to introduce legislation later this year. 'Youth Parliament is supposed to be a celebration of youth voice and civic engagement. It is a recognition from Parliament that we are capable of debating complex issues,' says Thomas Brocherie, 17, a Make It 16 Co-Director and 2025 Youth MP for Lan Pham. 'But it's deeply ironic that many of us will not have the right to vote in this year's local election, or even next year's general election, despite being invited to stand up for our communities on a national stage.' Sam Allan, Make It 16 spokesperson and 2025 Youth MP for Hamish Campbell, adds: ' We have been invited to share powerful lived experiences about what it means to be a young New Zealander. We have been loud and clear on climate change, youth homelessness, mental health and our education system. Unfortunately, politicians have still not caught up.' Youth Parliament was originally established in 1994 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of lowering the voting age to 18. In the spirit of that kaupapa, the Make It 16 campaign was founded during Youth Parliament in 2019 and has consistently advocated for voting rights to be extended to 16- and 17-year-olds. This is now the third consecutive Youth Parliament where young people have challenged the government of the day to listen and act on the aspirations of rangatahi. Since then, Make It 16 has won a Supreme Court case declaring the current voting age of 18 as unjustified age discrimination and has gathered widespread public, legal, and political support. But despite a Bill being introduced in Parliament in 2022, it was later axed by the National-ACT-NZ First government in early 2024 before any of the submissions made on the Bill could even be read. 'We have been invited to take part in Youth Parliament, to share our bold vision for tackling Aotearoa's biggest challenges, but at the end of the day, our voices are still being sidelined when it comes to the decisions that will disproportionately affect us in the future. It's time we were a real part of the decision-making table', says Lincoln Jones, Make It 16 Spokesperson and 2025 Youth MP for Willie Jackson. Currently 63 (and counting) Youth MPs have signed the 2025 open letter, joining the legacy of their predecessors from 2022 and 2019. Notes Open Letter:
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
National Direction Changes Mark Dark Day For People And Planet
Press Release – Green Party The Government has really shown their cards today. It could not be clearer that they are hellbent on pushing our natural environment to the brink, exploiting everything they can for any profit that can be squeezed out of it. Today's sweeping changes to environmental protections paints a damning picture of a government hellbent on profit at all costs, openly allowing more environmentally harmful activities under the guise of progress. 'Today is a dark day for rivers, lakes, streams, beaches, forests and all who enjoy and rely on these taonga across Aotearoa,' says the Green Party's Environment Spokesperson, Lan Pham. 'Taking freshwater as one example, 'Te Mana o Te Wai' offered us a clear legal framework that prioritised the health of our waterways and the health of our communities above corporate greed. 'Instead, the actions of this Government will go down in history as the most anti-environment we have ever seen. Councils and communities could be stripped of their ability to control the harmful impacts of industries like forestry, intensive farming, and mining. 'Further, the Government is making changes to enable more mining on wetlands, significant natural areas, and in places where our most precious indigenous biodiversity is. 'The Government has really shown their cards today. It could not be clearer that they are hellbent on pushing our natural environment to the brink, exploiting everything they can for any profit that can be squeezed out of it. 'If this feels like this is straight out of a deliberate playbook, it's because it is. The language of 're-balancing', 'efficiency', 'cutting red tape', and 'enabling industry' is often used, but what's really happening here is a systematic and comprehensive erosion of environmental protections. 'Truly prosperous economic activity is only possible if our planet is also thriving. We depend on healthy nature and a stable climate for the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the materials for life,' says Lan Pham.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
National Direction Changes Mark Dark Day For People And Planet
Today's sweeping changes to environmental protections paints a damning picture of a government hellbent on profit at all costs, openly allowing more environmentally harmful activities under the guise of progress. 'Today is a dark day for rivers, lakes, streams, beaches, forests and all who enjoy and rely on these taonga across Aotearoa,' says the Green Party's Environment Spokesperson, Lan Pham. 'Taking freshwater as one example, 'Te Mana o Te Wai' offered us a clear legal framework that prioritised the health of our waterways and the health of our communities above corporate greed. 'Instead, the actions of this Government will go down in history as the most anti-environment we have ever seen. Councils and communities could be stripped of their ability to control the harmful impacts of industries like forestry, intensive farming, and mining. 'Further, the Government is making changes to enable more mining on wetlands, significant natural areas, and in places where our most precious indigenous biodiversity is. 'The Government has really shown their cards today. It could not be clearer that they are hellbent on pushing our natural environment to the brink, exploiting everything they can for any profit that can be squeezed out of it. 'If this feels like this is straight out of a deliberate playbook, it's because it is. The language of 're-balancing', 'efficiency', 'cutting red tape', and 'enabling industry' is often used, but what's really happening here is a systematic and comprehensive erosion of environmental protections. 'Truly prosperous economic activity is only possible if our planet is also thriving. We depend on healthy nature and a stable climate for the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the materials for life,' says Lan Pham.
