Greens scolded after email gaffe

Labour, NZ First unhappy about ‘cheap’ horse-trading

The first ripples of discontent have emerged in the new Government, as Labour and New Zealand First criticise the Greens for “cheap” horse-trading for considering a deal in exchange for supporting a waka-jumping bill.

An internal email reveals the Green Party is considering negotiating for a national day marking the invasion of Parihaka in exchange for its support on waka-jumping, which was part of the LabourNZ First coalition deal. The Greens have opposed wakajumping in the past.

But Labour’s Justice Minister Andrew Little called the idea “cheap horse-trading”, while NZ First MP Shane Jones suggested the Greens could benefit from some expert advice from Helen Clark’s number two, Heather Simpson, who was working in Jacinda Ardern’s office.

“The sooner that Heather Simpson goes to visit the Greens, the better. The wakajumping bill is an important bill. It played a key feature in the development of the Government,” Little said.

A waka-jumping bill is an addition to the Government’s 100-day plan and would ensure a party’s proportional representation in Parliament if an MP left a party.

The Green Party’s justice spokeswoman, Golriz Ghahraman, in an internal email accidentally sent to Fairfax, floated the idea of trying to garner support for a National Parihaka Day — the subject of a Green private member’s bill.

“The Government won’t have the numbers to pass the [waka-jumping] legislation without us, and if we decided to oppose it then they would need to consider other options such as approaching the National Party, who opposed the 2005 bill,” the email says.

“Opposing the bill would cause political tensions, given the inclusion of the bill in the Labour-NZ First coalition agreement. Our Confidence and Supply Agreement gives us the independence to choose to vote against it. Supporting the bill would be seen as changing and weakening a long-standing and public party position. It would risk criticism from our core supporters.”

During the parallel coalition negotiations, Greens co-leader James Shaw put his faith in Ardern to ensure there was nothing in the Labour-NZF deal the Greens would object to, though he conceded there might be policies he was not comfortable with.

NZ First leader Winston Peters poured scorn on horsetrading tactics.

“We don’t horse trade. We don’t trade principles . . . We’re not going to do deals. This is a matter of principle.

“And the principles are, if waka-hopping destroys proportionality, it has to be dealt with. If Parihaka is a meritorious [idea], then it should be dealt with separately. But we should not, surely, you would think in 2017, be trading these matters.”

Peters said he was not aware of any discussions to do with the waka-jumping bill and Parihaka.

Ardern said doing a deal with the Greens over wakajumping had not come up “in direct conversation” and she had not given much thought to a National Parihaka Day.

A Greens spokesperson said the email was an “internal document that was sent in error”.