A political void waiting to be filled

We’re best served politically when we have a strong government, with a strong opposition holding it to account. That isn’t the case right now.

The coalition Government gathers steam while the opposition grouping of a severely weakened Labour Party searching for relevance sits well apart from the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, who now are barely separate ideologically.

Politics should be dynamic with party offerings evolving to suit the current environment. Parties change their policies from election to election, some based on principle but tailored to suit the current environment, some blatantly appealing to individual concerns of the electorate. The public either rewards or rejects the changes they see or perceive.

While New Zealand’s political landscape appears diverse, changes in policy and changes to party culture mean gaps sometimes appear in the political environment, resulting in little or no representation in important areas.

There is no real representation, for example, for voters who are increasingly aware of the need for both sustainable living and economic practices.

Balance is needed for economic growth and innovation. A party that appealed to a broad range of voters, from younger environmentally conscious individuals to business owners interested in sustainable practices and innovation, may well gain support.

It’s not hard to see how the Government coalition was established when, personalities aside, you consider parties by where they sit on the political spectrum, from conservative to liberal, and capitalist to socialist.

ACT’s classical liberal roots, supporting individual rights and freedoms, smaller government and free market policies, make the party the natural ally for the free market, conservative National Party which talks, if not always acts, minimal government intervention.

When numbers are needed, New Zealand First’s emphasis on national sovereignty and economic nationalism aren’t too hard to add to the mix. A few populist policies and immigration control are accommodated as the price of power.

On the opposition side, the Labour Party’s socialist and liberal principles focusing on social policy and strong government involvement in the economy are attractive to the Greens and Te Pāti Māori. But cultural and ideology changes within these two parties has seen them grow closer in recent times.

The Green Party of 2024 stands for social justice and indigenous rights with a touch of environmental sustainability.

Te Pāti Māori of 2024 emphasises social justice, indigenous rights and a touch of environment sustainability.

Gone is the influence of Dame Tariana Turia and Sir Pita Sharples driving collaborative change for the Māori people through initiatives like Whanau Ora and rheumatic fever vaccination. With the sidelining of James Shaw within the Greens and his imminent departure, gone too is the Jeanette Fitzsimmons and Rod Donald type of leadership of environmental sustainability.

The NZ Green Party of today is proudly anti-capitalist with a strong focus on redistribution of wealth.

This feels distinctly “off brand” in comparison to the international Green movement. While the Green Party’s internal woes have dominated recent commentary, an important shift in its emphasis to social justice and indigenous rights ahead of environmental sustainability appears to be a deliberate strategy which hasn’t received much coverage. There are very well-qualified Green MPs such as Lan Pham, a freshwater ecologist, we are not hearing a peep from but who once would have been the backbone of Green Party ideology.

Presumably she’s been told as a new MP she should just breathe through her mouth.

With the Greens straying so far from their former brand, a space has opened up for a new entrant – a party to bridge the gap between the social justice/ environmental emphasis of the Green and Māori parties, and the economic focus of National and ACT. A new political party could establish itself by advocating for a pragmatic blend of sustainability and economic innovation. A champion for green technology and sustainable economic growth, appealing to voters who are both environmentally conscious and concerned with the economic future.

Such a party would distinguish itself from the Greens by placing a stronger emphasis on economic policies and innovation, and distinguish itself from National and ACT by prioritising environmental sustainability as a core economic strategy, not just a social good.

The Opportunities Party has perhaps come closest to filling this void. At the election its focus was on evidencebased policies, including tax reform and environmental sustainability. It targeted centrist voters with a mix of liberal and capitalist leanings but was defeated by the 5% MMP threshold hurdle. It won’t be until voters recognise the need for new innovative ways of thinking about our future that the void will be filled. Like much in politics, timing is everything.

There is no real representation for voters who are increasingly aware of the need for both sustainable living and economic practices.