Greens buoyant

Written By: - Date published: 5:53 pm, September 18th, 2014 - 14 comments
Categories: child welfare, climate change, democratic participation, election 2014, equality, greens, human rights, poverty, sustainability - Tags:

The headlines recently have strongly focused on the exposure of John Key and National’s empty facade and it’s lack of vision for a better NZ.  Meanwhile, opposition parties have continued to campaign positively, with their detailed policies: making people, fairness, & environment central.

Labour green mana left

The Greens haven’t had the sensational headlines.  However, they have steadily continued with their well organised campaign: it’s a mixture of the recognition of all the things that need fixing in NZ, and of policies and values focused on helping to make the country fairer, smarter and more sustainable.

Radio National has an article up today: “Greens buoyant as campaign closes“:

About 100 supporters gathered in Auckland at the party’s final event before the election, to hear the co-leaders speak and be entertained by Lucy Lawless, Jordan Luck, Julia Deans and Anika Moa,

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said the Greens were on track for their best result ever.

“It’s super positive. I mean the Greens have got great momentum in this campaign. We’ve stuck to our clear messages – cleaner, fairer, smarter New Zealand – and I think people have really responded to that. As much as has been humanly possible, we’ve stayed out of all the other stuff that’s been going on.”

Dr Norman said he thought 15 percent was an achieveable result on Saturday night.

Green Party campaign close RNZ image

RadioLive tweeted an image of the performers at the campaign close:

Metiria Turei’s campaign closing speech included a message to people to go make change happen!  She reinforced her focus on the policy area closest to her heart – the problem, and the will to fix it:

People are ready for positive Green change.

Election campaigns mean lots of panels and lots of interviews, and one of the most common things I get asked is what do you most want to achieve if in Government?

The answer for me has always been simple.

When in government, I will do every single thing possible in my power to eradicate child poverty in New Zealand.

We cannot afford to spend any more time talking around this issue.

One in four New Zealand children now live below the poverty line.

Under National, 35,000 more children are living in severe poverty. Yet John Key says he’s done about all he can to help them. That is simply unacceptable.

Solving child poverty is not impossible; it’s entirely possible. We have the tools, and the techniques – it’s now simply a matter of choice

Next week – next week! – I hope to be part of a new Government that sits down together and puts the interests of our nation’s children at the top of its to-do list.

In Government, I will take personal responsibility for ensuring that every New Zealand child knows that they matter and that their country refuses to waste another drop of their potential.

Tureii gave an indication of the practical aspects of the Greens campaign.  Hopefully it will mean the days when the Greens vote seemed to evaporate on polling day are well and truly a thing of the past:

Both our membership and volunteer base are the biggest and strongest they’ve ever been.

This election we have run our biggest ever ground campaign, making over 15 times the numbers of phone calls we made in 2011 and knocking on tens of thousands of doors.

One in every five of these face to face conversations secures us a Green vote.

And that is why our polling puts us on track for 15 percent of the vote, meaning six new Green MPs in parliament this Saturday – 20 in total.

Russel Norman’s speech focused on the environment and economic issues, recapping his focus over the last few years:

The Greens will be a stable, grounded and positive part of a Labour-led government.

Keep calm vote left

 

[Update] NZ Herald video – parts of Turei and Norman’s speeches, plus a little bit of the music.

14 comments on “Greens buoyant ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. weka 1
    18 September 2014 at 6:07 pm

    I’ve been impressed by how focused they’ve stayed given all the distractions. Even if there is no change in govt there done well and are set for the next term whatever it brings.

  2. KJS0ne 2
    18 September 2014 at 6:28 pm

    I was out sign waving today for the Greens, if the multitude of toots we heard today are anything to go on, confirmation bias accounted for, we should be on track for 15%.

  3. Outofbed 3
    18 September 2014 at 7:02 pm

    Just had a drink in a pub in Auckland where pretty much all the Green Mp’s are
    Everyone feeling very very good and confident.
    Go Greens

  4. phillip ure 4
    18 September 2014 at 7:21 pm

    the greens are the major success story of this campaign..

    ..they have hardly put a foot wrong..

    ..and both turei and norman have cemented in their credibility as political-leaders..

    • Colonial Viper 4.1
      18 September 2014 at 11:01 pm

      Yes they have. They’re still only going to get ~12-13% this election however (which is pretty good, admittedly).

  5. lurgee 5
    18 September 2014 at 8:26 pm

    I’m 80% likely to give my party vote to the Greens. Labour lost it when they were hopeless enough to release their NZ Inc policy on the same day as Dotcom’s big reveal. Did no-one think that was bad timing? Mana lost it because of the Dotcom association, though I almost managed to swallow that rat. Almost.

    • Hanswurst 5.1
      18 September 2014 at 8:58 pm

      The timing of the announcement is enough to lose your vote? I mean, I can understand criticising it because the resulting lack of coverage for the policy might cost them other people’s votes, but do you really buy into the idea, supported by the MSM, of politics as an electoral game?

      • lurgee 5.1.1
        19 September 2014 at 6:59 am

        It’s a final, fine example of their utter cluelessness.

        Obviously, if it was the only such instance, and if there wasn’t a smart, well co-ordinated alternative leftwing party with a sane and realistic high income tax policy, I’d have stuck with Labour. But they’ve stuffed up time after time.

  6. Craig Glen Eden 6
    18 September 2014 at 8:28 pm

    I have to agree the Greens have done a great job run a good campaign they can be very proud and who knows they may just get a little more than 15 percent.

  7. philj 7
    18 September 2014 at 10:06 pm

    xox
    The MSM have been reluctant in giving balanced exposure to the hairy legged tree huggers. The MSM represents corporate interests and not all New Zealanders.

    • AmaKiwi 7.1
      18 September 2014 at 10:14 pm

      The main stream media ARE the corporate interests of NZ.

      Their first priority is to sell advertising. What they peddle as “news” is the entertainment to get you to see the ads that pay their bills.

  8. SPC 8
    18 September 2014 at 11:42 pm

    This time the media have spent more time trying to dissuade voters from voting NZ First than the Greens. Last weekend three papers “editorialised” against it (NZ Herald, Herald on Sunday and the Dominion Post) and some of their commentators joined in.

    They are now aware that this tactic has not worked.

    In 2005 the Day before the election the Herald’s editorial was against the Greens being in government, the Greens ended up one seat short of a government coalition with Labour – and so that role went to NZ First and United.

    So one awaits the direction on how we should vote from them tomorrow and whether this synchronises with that of others Dom Post, MH, PH etc.

    • Tracey 8.1
      19 September 2014 at 7:55 am

      Not in the beginning. Before the campaign they joined Key in labelling the Greens rather than analuysing them….

      Wasnt surprised to see something last minute dirtyish against CP, given their rise in the polls is at the expense of national.

      Barry Soper knows the process secretary well… clue anyone. If you watch Prime News and Soper you wouldnt know Key has slipped up, alot…

  9. Tracey 9
    19 September 2014 at 7:53 am

    If I hear one more time how unstable a left coalition will be I will hit someone. The ONLY breakup of a partnership under MMP was Shipley/Peters

    I am NOT convinced KEY will be able to muzzle Peters the way he seems to the rest of his caucus… so if anything, history tells us Winston and the Right = instability ahoy!