Dave Head: Why I’m Voting Green – Thinking beyond tomorrow
Toitu te marae a Tane
Toitu te marae a Tangaroa
Toi tu te iwi.
If the world of Tane survives
If the Marae of Tangaroa survives
The people live on.
Tena koutou,
My ‘Green” perspective.
I ‘awoke’ late to what was going on in society, influenced by those fleeing the northern hemisphere’s environmental problems and looking for paradise. They didn’t find it here, but instead began to articulate and act upon the dangers they perceived developing in our country, and that caused me to open my eyes.
Having input into issues on a local level I discovered much of the power to resolve them rests at national level. Looking for political answers I found that one political party stood out: the Greens.
Every three years our attention turns, for an indecently short time, to deciding what party to support. Voters are not helped by either the media or the hot air presented by most parties with their just-for-election policies. The Greens always have sound principled policies in place whether it is election year or not. As a member I can fully participate in policy development.
What do not change from year to year are the foundational principles of the Green Party. These principles are:
Ecological wisdom
Social justice
Non-violence
Democratic decision-making.
The Greens apply these principles across the board to all policies: economic, health, social welfare, whatever. What truly distinguishes the Green party from other parties that have stand alone “environmental” or “human rights” policies is that the Greens address the whole picture at once, not as bits and parts of some unplanned jigsaw. And they think long term, for our grandchildren and the Earth they will inherit.
The customs and traditions of Tangata Whenua teach us many things. The most significant lesson I’ve learnt is that “everything is connected.” Whakapapa is not just about family relationships, but how everything is connected and inter-related. So both the Green philosophy and that of Maori sit well with me. I now have some inner peace about how I relate to my environment and the issues and activities I choose to spend my energy on.
When I listen to or watch the bear pit of Parliament, I am appalled at the behaviour of most MP’s at question time. However you only have to observe the Green Members for a lesson on how MP’s should behave. Similarly, in general debates or working in committee, they focus on policy debate and are well informed. I have never heard one of them play the man instead of the ball! Recently a Labour MP told me how impressed he has been with the behaviour of the Green MP’s. I am thoroughly impressed and feel genuinely represented in Parliament.
Stand out Green members, in my mind, are: Jeanette Fitzsimons, Sue Bradford and Sue Kedgley. They are all exceptional stateswomen, who walked their talk long before they entered Parliament. Indeed all Green MPs have depth in many fields leading up to their election to Parliament. Our newest, Dr Russel Norman, is a political scientist and has done the hard yards of campaigning on issues like GE. My favourite is Metiria Turei, whose compassion and activism extends all the way to the endangered long-finned eel.
I feared the party would struggle to recover from the loss of the loveliest man who I think ever entered Parliament, Rod Donald; even loved by the Press Gallery! But Russel has been impressive – one of the few people I have ever heard “settle-down” Shaun Plunket on Radio NZ.
The Green Party has a well-designed and informative website with all policy detail available to the public as well as multimedia content. I encourage people to explore it: http://www.greens.org.nz
It is now years since I was last berated or abused as being a weird, tree hugging, and sandal wearing “Greenie.” By now, almost all New Zealanders have come to recognize the need for a sustainable economy and healthy environment, particularly the challenges of climate change and peak oil, and the human right of healthy affordable food. We are realizing that there are limits to the world’s resources and its ability to absorb pollution. Most know in their heart of hearts that the Greens can be trusted and have genuinely fair and sustainable solutions. They need to also know that thinking and acting green needs to be accompanied by voting Green. At the end of the day, that’s exactly what’s needed.
Dave Head
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