Greens co-leaders in for the long haul
Green Party co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson both say they are keen to stay on for the full three-year term – and run as co-leaders at the next election.
Shaw and Davidson were both at pains to point out to Stuff in a year-end interview that this would not actually be their decision however, as the Green Party membership re-confirms their leaders every year.
They also give themselves a slight out – saying they intend to stand again ‘‘at this point’’.
The pair are sitting in Shaw’s Bowen House office for one of the last times, their staff packing up around them. In the new year the party will relocate to Parliament House, physically closer to power than they have been in years – even if their co-operation agreement gives them far less power than they had last term.
The problem for the Greens is the general success of the last Government they were in. Voters liked it so much they gave the main party – Labour – the first MMP majority in history, meaning the Greens aren’t needed at all. They can’t demand things as they have no real leverage over Labour.
Instead they have a ‘‘cooperation agreement’’ that lets Shaw keep control of the climate change portfolio and gives Davidson the slightly murky ‘‘Homelessness’’ portfolio – a role without a clear set of officials or responsibilities.
Davidson said the big win for the Left was somewhat bittersweet as it saw them lose several ministers and an under-secretary: Julie Anne Genter, Eugenie Sage, and Jan Logie.
‘‘Yes that was bittersweet for me. That’s the next goal for the next election – getting the former ministers plus more back into positions where they can make change,’’ Davidson said.
She believed the big mandate was good, however, and the two were beaming about the smattering of things that the Government had done since being elected that NZ First had been holding them back from: pilltesting, a deal at Ihuma¯tao, a climate change emergency.
Despite the clear sign on election night that Labour would not need them to govern, both coleaders nominate election night as their high point of the year.
‘‘Election night is hard to beat. Our incredible campaign managed to get us well beyond what we hoped we might get,’’ Davidson said.
They both were surprised by how well the party did, despite the
fact it basically matched their internal polling exactly.
‘‘Our internal research was actually closer to the election-night result than the public polling was. But because that’s never been true before – we discounted it,’’ Shaw said.
And like almost everyone else, they were surprised by Chlo¨e Swarbrick’s win in Auckland Central – the first Green Party electorate win in 20 years.
‘‘Without the endorsement of the most popular politician in a generation [Prime Minister Jacinda
‘‘That’s the next goal for the next election – getting the former ministers plus more back into positions where they can make change.’’ Marama Davidson
Greens co-leader
Ardern] it just seemed like a real uphill battle. But that was the thing – there were so many things about this election that defied the conventional wisdom. And it so happened that Chloe and her team, in fully backing her, busted that convention.’’
The Auckland Central seat gives them a base to dip below five per cent of the party vote and survive, although the Green Party don’t like to talk about that – it’s best for them if their voters are always fearful of them dipping below, keeping them committed from flirting with Labour.
It is Labour voters that the Greens will need to win back in order to have a larger say in the next term of Government. But that’s an awkward proposition when you are working closely with the party.
But that’s still two years away. For now the party will be attempting to push the Labour Government from both the inside and the outside – with personal lobbying mixed in with out-andout public campaigning.
The leaders correctly surmised at the last election that attacking Ardern – or as Shaw described her, ‘‘the most popular politician in a generation’’, was a non-starter.
They see that as the mistake Winston Peters made. Whether they stick to that premise over the next two years and the next election campaign is an open question.