Why the Greens went with Labour
October 20th, 2008 by Brad HeapFrom Kiwiblog comments:
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/10/the_least_surprising_decision_of_recent_times.html#comment-498529
Over the last few months National have rolled out policies to gut the Resource Management Act, abolish the energy-efficient homes initiative and oppose energy efficiency standards, build more new roads at the expense of public transport infrastructure, allow foreign insurance companies to compete with ACC, undermine collective employment bargaining, strip workers of most of their employment rights for the first 90 days in employment with a small employer, require domestic purposes beneficiaries to look for part-time employment, and provide tax cuts that deliver very litle for those at the bottom of the income scale. All these run contrary to Green policy.
And which of them are about creating wealth? Allowing foreign insurers to compete with ACC, undermining employment bargaining, stripping workers of their emplyment rights, and National’s tax cuts are all about redistributing wealth - from those who have less to those who already have more”. Gutting the RMA might create more short-term wealth, but at what long-term expense?
The Greens gave an undertaking to indicate a major party preference to the electorate - we think that is only fair so people know what they are voting for.
Frankly, with the policies National rolled out, Labour could have unveiled no new policy and still would have been the Greens’ preferred choice I think. Of the 12 criteria the Greens assessed Labour and National against, National beat Labour on only one - fresh water quality - and that was only because this has deteriorated so badly under Labour’s watch, rather than because National has any policy that will improve it.
If only those blind people following populist speakers would for once listen to sound policy and debate.
Tags: Elections, Greens, Labour Party, National Party, New Zealand, Politics
