Te Awa 60

Tough calls to protect our indigenous ecosystems

Calling for ‘The Right Thing’ Marama Davidson on putting the heart back into our social support system

Conversion Therapy Young Greens on converting the law

One year on Our MPs reflect on time in Government

#60 Summer 2018

1080 and the Green Charter

te awa

Cover image Premiere Richard John Seddon’s statue in Parliament grounds recalls the progressive, Liberal Government he led from 18931906. Today the Green Party is at the progressive heart of the Coalition Government.

Photo/design by Tanya Piejus/ FunMark team

#60 Summer 2018 Te Awa | The River

The Green Party Charter

Te Marautanga Kakariki

greenparty@greens.org.nz Phone 04 801 5102 Level 1, 17 Garrett Street, Te Aro, Wellington PO Box 11-652, Wellington

The charter is the founding document of The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Ko te kawenata te pukapuka whakaū o te Rōpu Kākāriki o Aotearoa, Niu Tireni.

The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand accepts Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand; recognises Māori as Tangata Whenua in Aotearoa New Zealand; and commits to the following four Principles:

E whakaae ana te Rōpu Kākāriki ko te Tiriti o Waitangi te pepa whakaū (kawenata) o Aotearoa, Niu Tireni; e whakaae ana te Rōpu kākāriki ko te iwi Māori te tangata whenua o Aotearoa, o Niu Tireni, ā, ka mau pūmau te rōpu Kākāriki ki ngā mātāpono e whā e whai ake nei:

Editor Shenagh Gleeson 021 965 752 editor.magazine@greens.org.nz Copy editor Liz Gray Advertising Sharyn 027 610 5933 teawa.advertising@greens.org.nz Te Awa Board Elected members Ron Elder, Pam Henson, Philippa Stevenson Caucus rep Chlöe Swarbrick Executive Peter Hughes Policy Nick Marryatt Te Rōpu Pounamu Rochelle Surendran Authorised by Gwen Shaw, Level 1, 17 Garrett St, Wellington

To have Te Awa sent to you as a pdf rather than as a paper copy, or for queries about Te Awa distribution options.magazine@greens.org.nz

Information for Contributors Te Awa is published quarterly in Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer.

Before submitting material, please check with the Guidelines for Contributors, which you can obtain from the editor.

Opinions expressed in Te Awa are not statements of Green Party policy, but must not bring the Green Party into disrepute.

Remember please!

Copy deadline for the Autumn 2019 issue is 15 January.

Te Awa is printed on FSC-Certified Paper

Ecological Wisdom The basis of ecological wisdom is that human beings are part of the natural world. This world is finite, therefore unlimited material growth is impossible. Ecological sustainability is paramount.

Social Responsibility Unlimited material growth is impossible. Therefore the key to social responsibility is the just distribution of social and natural resources, both locally and globally.

Appropriate Decision-making For the implementation of ecological wisdom and social responsibility, decisions will be made directly at the appropriate level by those affected.

Non-Violence Non-violent conflict resolution is the process by which ecological wisdom, social responsibility and appropriate decision making will be implemented.

This principle applies at all levels.

Tikanga Toi Potapotae Ko te putake o te tikanga toi potapotae ko te tangata he wahanga no te ao tuturu. Ko te ao nei he taparepare, waihoki, kihai e taea kia tupu haere mo ake tonu atu Me ukauka te tikanga toi potapotae koia ra te tino taumata.

Kawenga Papori Kihai nga rawa o te ao e tipu haere tonu. Waihoki, ko te mea nui ke ko te kawenga papori, e whiwhi ai tena ki ona tikanga ano ki era rawa, ki te wa kainga nei, ki tawahi ranei o te ao.

Whakarite Totika E oti tika ai nga tikanga toi potapotae, me nga kawenga papori, ma nga whakarite totika a nga hunga e pa pumau tonu ana ki era take, ara, ki nga hua hoki a era whakarite.

Aukati Whakarekereke Me aukati te whakarekereke, e kitea ai te huarahi tika, e eke ai nga tikanga toi potapotae, nga kawenga papori, tae noa atu ki nga whakarite totika, e tau ai te rangimarie. Ko tenei ahuatanga e pa ana ki nga tairanga katoa.

Editorial Time to clean up political donations Shenagh Gleeson 2

From the Party Why, oh why, do I get so many fundraising emails? Peter Taylor and Eleanor Parkes 2

Letters Careful preparation needed for cannabis referendum Anna Horne 3 No more war Lois Griffiths 3

From the Party One year ago, together we changed the government! Katy Watabe and Wiremu Winitana 3 Campaign review identifies how to do better in 2020 Tane Woodley and Rachel Anderson-Smith 4 Celebrating te reo Maori 5 Looking for great Green people for state sector appointments Holly Donald 5 Party – Caucus Agreement review progresses Suzanne Loughlin 5

Policy Matters Pest management on conservation land in Aotearoa Kate Fulton 6

Greens Have Their Say 1080 through the lens of our charter Damon Rusden 7 Tertiary education: Time for sustainability to matter Gord Stewart 8

Our People Reflections on my time in Parliament Mojo Mathers 9

From the Benches One Year On What’s it like being in government? Gareth Hughes 10-11 Laying the groundwork for transformation James Shaw 12 Doing the mahi to make the changes Eugenie Sage 12 Seizing the chance to put the heart back into social support Marama Davidson 13

Our Networks Campaign to ban conversion therapy draws huge support Max Tweedie 14 Making a difference Lisa Bridson 15 Year in review - Rainbow Greens Caity Briggs and Kate Aschoff 16

Green World November 2018 Lois Griffiths 17

Flax Roots Action Green growth in New Lynn James McGoram 18 Central Otago branches out Deb Rodd 18

Reviews Beyond Manapouri: 50 years of environmental politics in New Zealand Mike Joy 19

Looking Back Creating the preamble to the party’s charter in 2002 Debs Martin 20

Contents

When The Rivers Run Dry: Water – The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century Lois Griffiths 19

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Manaaki whenua, manaaki tangata, haere whakamua Care for the land, care for people, go forward Time to clean up political donations Shenagh Gleeson

The inadequacy of the rules covering political donations

Editorial/From the Party

has been highlighted in both the Jami-Lee Ross controversy and in a policy brief by Dr Simon Chapple, director of the Institute for Governance and Public Policy at Victoria University.

Dr Chapple warns of “serious storm clouds on our democratic horizon” from both inside and outside New Zealand and calls for an outright ban on foreign contributions and a requirement that all domestic donations be declared, “regardless of size, source or nature”.

This goes further than Green Party policy which is to introduce tighter limits on anonymous donations, place an annual limit of $35,000 on total donations from any single person or entity, and introduce a ban on overseas donations.

As Dr Chapple observes, New Zealand would not be going out on an international limb by banning foreign donations.

They are illegal in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States, while Australia is in the process of banning them. In light of growing foreign interference in domestic politics around the world, we should catch up quickly.

On the national front, party co-leader Marama Davidson has recently suggested the threshold for anonymity be lowered from $15,000 to $1000.

Dr Chapple says this would be a huge improvement on the status quo. “A donor of $100,000 seeking to evade legislation and to remain anonymous would have to co-ordinate 100 individual donors, rather than seven.”

But he suggests we could go even lower, to $200, roughly on a par with Canada (C$200) and above Ireland (€100). As he says, giving $200 to a political party is huge for an ordinary New Zealander, and only a very small minority would need to disclose their names under such a law.

Marama has called for major donation reform to reduce the influence of powerful vested interests and the threat that poses to our democracy – let’s get on with it.

02

Shenagh Gleeson is the editor of Te Awa

Why, oh why, do I get so many fundraising emails?

Peter Taylor and Eleanor Parkes The party is financed primarily by donations from Green Party supporters. We rely heavily on our volunteer base too.

THANK YOU for supporting us in whatever way you can.

You probably know that the party put all of our resources into the election campaign and we do not have any reserves or millionaire backers - unlike other parties. Instead we rely on thousands of individuals like you to help fund everything we do.

This includes: • Managing and supporting our membership base • Paying for party IT needs, including our database • Supporting our volunteers • Communicating with our supporters – members, donors and volunteers • Growing our membership and supporter base • Developing our party • Paying for party staff, whose numbers grow dramatically as we head into the election and in the past has included staff for some local body election campaigns • The general election campaign – that’s everything from go to whoa, including preparation, planning and advertising.

Email appeals are relatively cheap to send, and in the last election cycle were by far the largest source of income for the party.

Every fundraising email offers the opportunity to unsubscribe from further fundraising emails, so please utilise that function if you feel the need to.

We are careful with the money we do have. Currently we have an income target, which only just covers the basic operational costs for the Green party, and does not include building or growing our campaign capacity. The party office team is small and we are doing the best we can to ensure we remain a strong political force throughout this term of government and well into the future.

Thank you for your amazing support to get us to where we are now, and thank you for your understanding in our times of need.

Peter Taylor and Eleanor Parkes are FunMark co-convenors

Your will matters Bequests are a wonderful way to make a difference. The Green Party has already been the grateful recipient of several bequests, and a number of people have been in touch to say that they are remembering the Green Party in their wills too. It is so kind of these generous people to make this sort of lasting commitment to the Green Party.

Thank you.

If you are considering including us in your will, please let us know.

You can email sonja.deely@greens.org.nz or call her on (04) 801-5105.

One year ago, together we changed the government!

Katy Watabe and Wiremu Winitana On 19 October it was a year since that amazing specially

convened meeting (via Zoom), where 144 Green Party member delegates from all around the country met to decide on whether to vote in favour of pursuing a formal governance arrangement with Labour.

After days of agonised waiting and false starts, Katy called in from Sapporo, Japan, and Wiremu from Christchurch. We both clearly remember waiting anxiously on that Zoom call, with the rest of the delegates, for Winston to make his proclamation.

Would he side with National to help a right-wing, negligent government continue for a fourth term? It turned out he’d “had enough” like the rest of us.

It was then up to the collective wisdom and experience of our party to democratically decide whether in fact the Green Party would also side with Labour and change the Government.

After much discussion (including breakout rooms for consensusseeking by provinces), delegates overwhelmingly voted in favour of accepting the confidence and supply agreement that our negotiation team had secured with Labour.

That agreement to form a new progressive Government with a Green heart was the result of an incredible collective effort, building on the work of the Green Party grassroots, leaders, MPs and campaigners over many years.

A tremendous amount of work is happening in caucus every day to realise the promises made in our confidence and supply agreement, as well as achieving wins behind the scenes that we don’t always get direct credit for.

Together we will continue to grow the Green movement through our grassroots campaigning and local community action.

Thank you to everyone who has been on this journey so far.

Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi.

Photo Katy Watabe and Wiremu Winitana at this year’s Green Party Conference Katy Watabe and Wiremu Winitana are the party coconvenors

Careful preparation needed for cannabis referendum

No more war

The referendum on legalising the personal use of cannabis will be held at, or by, the 2020 general election. How can we make it work best?

George Monbiot (Out of the Wreckage: A New Politics for an Age of Crisis) and Max Rashbrooke (Government for the Public Good: The Surprising Science of Large-Scale Collective Action) talk about rebuilding trust through participatory democracy. Their work aligns with what I observed during two of the most effective “people power” influences on Government - the Nuclear Free NZ movement and constitutional reform.

I urge careful preparation for the referendum. There are limitations with a single yes/no vote because the outcome is so reliant on the wording of the question. There are also difficulties with both binding and nonbinding referenda.

The Greens could do well to reflect back on the methodology by which we arrived at MMP. It included a broad education campaign on the various alternatives and a stepped approach to the final decision, before the legal adoption of the new system most supported by our citizens.

Wide community engagement through a public education program and fact-based discussion for at least a year prior to the referendum are vital. Rather than a yes/no question, the referendum should provide a series of choices, such as legalising, de-criminalising and retaining the status quo, with a preferential rating to guide law making.

Government should then enact the decisions promptly. It would help to reengage many in our democracy if people can see the government responding quickly and effectively to voters.

The most recent IPCC report should come with a warning: THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING. Whatever local or nationwide campaigns we run, from eating less meat, to making much more use of public transportation, to demanding that pension funds divest from fossil fuel companies, the situation will only continue to deteriorate. Whatever we in New Zealand do quietly on our own, the crisis will still escalate. The main driver is militarism.

The point I mean to make is that the situation is so dire a revolutionary change must take place, or there is no future for our civilization.

And New Zealand has the potential to lead the revolution.

New Zealand should withdraw from Waihopai and from our military commitments, and declare our role in the world to be a centre for peace and conflict studies.

Our motto needs to be: No More War. War is bad for people, including babies and small children, bad for natural resources, including forests, freshwater sources and arable land, and bad for the possibility of a stable climate.

But ... war is very good, very, very good for shareholders in war corporations. And that’s why the concept of everlasting war has become quietly acceptable.

I hope this idea will lead to thoughtful discussions. I suspect many will just shrug and say, “Oh no, we can’t do that.”

Yet we must take the IPCC report seriously.

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.

Anna Horne, Coromandel

Lois Griffiths, Ilam

Letters/ From the Party

Letters

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Campaign review identifies how to do better in 2020 Tane Woodley and Rachel Anderson-Smith The Campaign Review Committee was established in

October 2017, once the Green Party leadership regained some mental bandwidth after what can only be described as one hell of a campaign. The membership of the committee settled on Rebekah Jaung, Julie Zhu, Paul Kelland, Pete Huggins, Wiremu Winitana, Matt Taylor and us as co-convenors.

When the committee was formed there was a strong and urgent imperative to dig deep into the campaign and find out what happened. All of us had worked long and hard on the campaign and had lived through the highs and lows of 2017. We immediately started gathering the information to ensure that we had a solid, factual basis to our report. We got a great response from the party, including reports, interviews, submissions and a survey. We had a wide range of opinions from members and staff.

There were many aspects of the 2017 campaign that made it different to previous campaigns. What will probably stick in everyone’s memory is the personal story told by Metiria Turei during her AGM speech, and the ensuing turbulent polls and resignations. The personal story, the speech and subsequent events feature prominently in the report, as they featured prominently in material provided to the committee.

The report was delivered, later than we wanted, in August.

At 154 pages, it is longer than we would have liked, but to borrow a phrase from Gwen Shaw, “we didn’t have the time to make it shorter”. The campaign involved thousands of staff and volunteers working for many months on a wide range of workstreams. This was a complex and orchestrated operation, and some of that intricacy is captured in the report. It covers 16 workstreams, 14 key themes and 158 recommendations.

We considered the information carefully and sought to find lessons that will help us in the future, so we can avoid the mistakes we made in 2017 and build upon its many successes.

Key themes were: • Planning was better than previously, but still lacking in some key respects • We invested in voter research but didn’t use it fully

From the Party

Rachel Anderson-Smith and Tane Woodley are the co-convenors of the 2017 Campaign Review Committee

• There was a disconnection between the party and Parliamentary operations, which might be unavoidable, but needs to be allowed for in campaign planning • Our ground campaign was excellent, and we need to repeat it with some improvements • We shouldn’t be having internal debates when we need to be performing • Communication issues will always be present, but we did make some avoidable mistakes • We collectively overwork during elections. This is unsustainable, and a healthy campaigning mindset needs to be adopted • Our structures and systems are complicated and designed for a smaller party. This needs addressing • We still struggle to switch from a non-campaign to a campaign footing and back again • We are not as diverse as we want to be or need to be • We had a major issue with retention of knowledge in 2017, and need to keep experienced staff • Leadership was a major factor, both good and bad • Courage is a vital quality for a progressive party, but we have to consider critically any controversial actions, and weigh up the risks and benefits • Our use of technology has improved, but we still have some major issues.

The driving imperative to find out what happened has faded a little, partly because time heals but also because the review is finished and has been presented to the party. Presentations were given to the executive, policy committee, caucus, branch convenors, campaign committee and the AGM. The report is being distributed by executive, and a members’ version is being created. The 2017 CRC has stood down. We hope that our report is useful and will lead to a better result.

The 2020 election is only two years away, and planning is starting. As a party we now need to work to climb up from our current position to increase our votes, our caucus and our influence. The causes we fight for are too important for anything less.

Arohanui kia koutou

04

Photo Campaign Review Committee L-R: Rebekah Jaung, Julie Zhu, Rachel Anderson-Smith, Wiremu Winitana, Matt Taylor, Pete Huggins, Tane Woodley, Paul Kelland

Celebrating te reo Maori Photo I waenganui to mātou Mema Pāremata Kākāriki i ngā tokomaha i tae mai ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara hei whakanui i te Wiki o te Reo Māori i tērā Mahuru.

I timata te Rōpū Kākāriki i tērā wiki i te pānui o tō mātou tautoko i te hōrapa o te reo Māori ki ngā kura katoa. I whakahoungia to mātou pae tukutuku, ā, kia whakamāoritia ngā kaupapa here matua. I tautoko hoki ngā mema kākāriki i ngā hikoi puta noa i te whenua.

Photo Green MPs were among the large crowd celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Māori in Wellington in September. The Green Party started the week with an announcement on our commitment to universal te reo in schools, and we updated our website with some new phrases to describe our key issues in Māori. Members attended hikoi around the country.

Photo by Tim Onnes

Looking for great Green people for state sector appointments Holly Donald One of the opportunities that comes with being a part

of Government is being able to nominate people for a variety of state sector boards and other roles. These positions range from members on community trusts and local committees, through to national-level boards overseeing government agencies and key government work programmes.

So far we’ve been successful at getting some great people appointed. We’ve also been advocating strongly for more diverse membership, including better representation of Māori and gender balance. Our own Minister for Women, Julie Anne Genter, has announced the Government’s commitment to have membership of all state sector boards evenly represented by women and men by 2021.

We’d love local Greens to take the lead and help us find good green people to put forward for these positions. As well as looking for people specialising in particular fields (e.g. health, education, environment), we’re also looking for people with general governance experience and for strong community leaders.

This is also about honouring hard work. We want to celebrate and recognise people in our communities who are making a sustained difference and who deserve greater recognition for their contributions and achievements.

We are compiling a database of names for us to refer to when the opportunity for caucus to nominate people comes up.

If you have a lead, or would like to nominate yourself, please visit https://members.greens.org.nz/post/board-appointments.

You’ll also find more information there about the appointments process and the sorts of boards involved. We’d like to encourage discussion at your next branch meeting about key people in your communities who we should consider.

For further information on state sector appointments: • There is a comprehensive list of state sector boards here: http://women.govt.nz/leadership/all-about-boards/newzealand-boards/state-sector-boards-and-committees • The Ministry for Women runs a Nominations Service to help support women into governance positions. You can join their database and learn more about developing your skills here: http://women.govt.nz/leadership/nominations-service • Treasury also maintains a Board Appointment System for the companies and entities it monitors. You can register as a candidate and learn more about vacancies here: https://www.boardappointments.co.nz/ Holly Donald is the Green Party’s research and policy director

The Green Party executive established a group to review

the Party-Caucus Agreement following the 2017 election. The agreement has been updated annually since it was first drafted in 2002. A substantive review was needed this time to ensure it incorporated changes necessary to the party’s functioning with Green MPs in ministerial roles and a Confidence and Supply Agreement with the Labour/NZ First Coalition Government.

The new agreement has been restructured and now sets out the obligations and responsibilities of the party executive to Green MPs and caucus, and caucus and MPs to the party, as well as obligations and responsibilities of MPs and caucus to the

policy committee and the policy committee to MPs and caucus.

All operational matters have been shifted to the relevant petal’s operational manuals. Clauses dealing with ministerial roles and responsibilities and confidentiality issues have been added.

The work is near completion with a draft agreement ready to be signed off by the executive for consultation with members.

Members will be asked for feedback in terms of completeness, coherence and clarity. Members are welcome to comment individually or as a group or branch.

For further information please contact your executive networker.

Suzanne Loughlin is the executive networker for Auckland Province

From the Party

Party – Caucus Agreement review progresses Suzanne Loughlin

05

Pest management on conservation land in Aotearoa Kate Fulton

Policy Matters

One of the things I truly admire about our Green MPs

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is they have the courage to stand strong collectively, follow through with their intentions and actually deliver in making a difference to the world we live in - whether that be about climate change action, welfare reform, or protecting our very special indigenous ecosystems.

Passionate and determined, our MPs appear constantly harassed by the media and opposition, who have been ruthless in their attacks on a new narrative. Theirs is a new way of speaking in the world of politics, and it often threatens the very core of those who have used neoliberalist approaches and capitalist tactics to hold power for so many decades.

But criticisms aren’t always from external sources. Sometimes members have formulated strongly held beliefs and viewpoints that don’t align with the Party’s policy position on an issue. How do we respectfully recognise and reconcile so many differing views?

Non-violent conflict resolution is at the core of Green Party ideology. It is the fourth principal of our founding document, The Green Party Charter.

It’s vitally important that as a Party we maintain communication strategies that respect all voices, but it’s equally important that, as members, we take responsibility for our choice of words and adhere to our Party ethos of communicating without violence. This includes emotive issues, such as the use of 1080 poison, and tahr culls. Positions can be conveyed without resorting to verbal putdowns, threats or violent action.

The Confidence and Supply Agreement negotiated between Greens and Labour includes increased financial resources for DOC. The intention of this increase is to allow for the opportunity to safeguard and restore our very special, but also very fragile, indigenous ecosystems through increasing predator and pest control.

The Predator Free 2050 initiative of the previous government, which specifically targeted possums, rats and stoats and other mustelids, was a step in the right direction, but the reality is our indigenous flora and fauna are constantly threatened by many introduced species. Other pests include wasps, mice, fish, feral pigs, goats, cats, dogs, deer, wallabies, tahr and chamois.

They feast on honey dew, berries, fruit, eggs and baby chicks, ground birds, new green shoots, fungi, snails, lizards and insects.

They damage our delicate soil, root, fungi and biota ecosystems, increase soil erosion and trample new growth.

The introduced invasive weed pest list is even longer. It includes wilding conifers and smothering weeds like old man’s beard, climbing asparagus and banana passion vine.

Current best practice for 1080 is very different to past approaches and continues to be refined. Technological advances allow for accurate GPS satellite navigation, including avoiding waterways, and a much smaller quantity of bait is now dropped.

It includes a pre-drop of non-poison pellets, dying pellets green and flavouring them with cinnamon - all intended to increase the appeal to and consumption by target pests, and to decrease attractiveness to native birds.

Used to human interactions, hand-fed kea are the most vulnerable - a reminder to let our inquisitive native parrots remain wild. Despite this, because kea chicks are nine times more likely to survive in areas where 1080 has been used, the benefits of future population recovery outweigh the risks.

Kate Fulton is the Green Party’s strategic policy adviser

1080 usually biodegrades in one to two weeks and is water soluble. In streams, it rapidly dilutes to undetectable levels below 0.1ppb. The maximum allowed in drinking water is 2.0ppb, which has never been breached. Even at this level, a human would need to drink over 50,000l of water to reach a lethal dose.

The 1993 Himalayan Tahr Control Plan set targets for populations to remain below 10,000. Current populations are estimated to be over 35,000. Feeding intensively on snow tussock, they can kill entire plants, exposing soil and increasing erosion. As herds grow they trample larger areas of vegetation and damage other plants in our delicate alpine ecosystems, which evolved without large mammalian browsers.

Conservation Minister, Green MP Eugenie Sage, has spoken up and taken action to protect our Alpine taonga. She has also listened and reached consensus with those opposed. DOC will now decrease the female population by 6,000, allowing hunters to continue to hunt prized bucks as long as they also cull females.

Critical thinking continues to support adequately resourcing an evidence-based approach to predator and pest control.

Currently, we understand that without including the use of some chemical-based interventions the predator and pests will win, and our fragile indigenous ecosystems will lose. The consequences of this inaction include an increased extinction risk for over 3,000 currently threatened native flora and fauna species.

The Green Party supports the restriction and careful monitoring of any such interventions, including native flora and fauna recovery. At the same time, it seeks to develop alternatives that are more humane, safer to apply and don’t risk unintentional ingestion, contamination or leaving residual matter. The Green Party celebrates passionate and intelligent discourse that results in constructive win-win consensus decision making.

“Without including the use of some chemical-based interventions the predator and pests will win, and our fragile indigenous ecosystems will lose.”

Photo Kea, Mt Robert Ridge, Nelson Lakes National Park Photo by Kate Fulton

1080 through the lens of our charter Damon Rusden

It is not difficult to reconcile the use of 1080 with the

Green Party charter. Given that the Greens have a public position that has upset some people within the party, it is imperative that we use the charter as a reference point.

Ecological wisdom

Social responsibility

Unlimited material growth is impossible. Therefore the key to social responsibility is the just distribution of social and natural resources, both locally and globally.

Natural resources include biodiversity. It is our responsibility to look after our taonga – and we have done poorly so far. Over 70% of our native species are threatened. Environmentalists, conservation groups and governments bear the responsibility for prevention and restoration, because humans created the imbalance.

Social responsibility includes protection of native wildlife. It is undeniable that 1080 is a poison that produces by-kill. But it is the best pest control we have for the scale that we need it on, especially inaccessible conservation land.

Employment could be considered a social responsibility, and there is potential for job creation in pest control. However trapping (the main example used by those opposed to 1080) is already a profitable industry; there just seems to be a lack of interest.

Appropriate decision-making

For the implementation of ecological wisdom and social responsibility, decisions will be made directly at the appropriate level by those affected.

This is the most difficult aspect. DOC is known to inform locals of a drop, so they are able to protect their pets (particularly dogs) and farm animals. However, many individuals simply do not have a choice - and neither does the public when 1080 is dropped on conservation land.

At this point there are only small, fringe parties actively campaigning to ban 1080. There are mechanisms (such as the courts) that can be used by opponents to a drop. However, most appeals have ultimately failed because decisions by the law are about technicalities, not ethics. And this is, fundamentally, an ethical issue.

In policy application, the opportunity for the public to genuinely choose what they would like government departments to do, or how to act is, most often left to election time.

Perhaps the laws around the drops themselves need to be strengthened, without making 1080 use ineffective. Perhaps Damon Rusden is a Napier branch member

we could expand the consent process to include a vote by neighbouring landowners – this seems fair.

Non-violence

Non-violent conflict resolution is the process by which ecological wisdom, social responsibility and appropriate decision making will be implemented. This principle applies at all levels.

On an ethical level, it is hard to consider 1080 use ‘nonviolent’. It is a poison, and nobody can dispute that the purpose of a poison equates to violence on some level.

The ethical argument becomes mired when we look at domestic use of poison. Humans kill household pests relentlessly for a variety of reasons, often simply for comfort, and poisons in the garden are used to protect certain plants.

Concluding remarks

There is no doubt that the polarised debate around 1080 is something we need to resolve. And I believe we can; we need to find an alternative. 1080 is an effective pest control, but it is not without its failings. Surely we can do better.

Currently 1080 is cemented into DOC’s methods. As a party, and now in government, the only way we can resolve this issue is to make good on our public statements and policy: we propose a credible alternative. If we do not - or cannot - the opposition to 1080 will only build and continue its outbursts that may one day have an outcome destructive to our native wildlife.

Greens Have Their Say

The basis of ecological wisdom is that human beings are part of the natural world. This world is finite, therefore unlimited material growth is impossible. Ecological sustainability is paramount.

Often this section of the charter is used to discuss the wider implications of the destruction of habitat and biodiversity caused by human development. The reduction of pests is congruent with, arguably a necessity for, ecological wisdom. The destruction of native fauna by introduced species is something we all agree needs to be curbed and, while its merits can be argued, 1080 does this.

Photo Department of Conservation

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Tertiary education: Time for sustainability to matter Gord Stewart

Greens Have Their Say

“Many things on which our future health and prosperity

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depend are in dire jeopardy: climate stability, the resilience and productivity of natural systems, the beauty of the natural world, and biological diversity. It is worth noting that this is not the work of ignorant people. Rather, it is largely the work of people with BAs, BScs, LLBs, MBAs and PhDs.” Noted academic and environmentalist, David W Orr, made this observation. Harsh words, but why beat around the bush?

New Zealand tertiary institutions do a good job of training specialists – environmental scientists, ecologists, biologists and the like. Where we fail is in integrating sustainability across the curriculum. Thus, it is highly possible for students to complete a degree or diploma and, in the process, learn little or nothing about the kind of world they are graduating into.

Results of research carried out last year suggest that less than 10 percent of courses in New Zealand universities would address sustainability in even the most modest of ways. This stands in contrast to efforts overseas.

Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, for example, has the longest running commitment to sustainability across the curriculum, growing out of a policy established there in 1985. Now 10 years into its efforts, The University of Plymouth in the UK has nearly half its courses with an embedded or major sustainability element. At Emory University in the US, sustainability issues are now integrated into the likes of nursing, mathematics and language courses – not disciplines one would normally expect. These are just a few examples of innovation in higher education elsewhere.

To its credit, one New Zealand university has a core sustainability course in both first and second year (though at the time of the study these were under threat). A second university has recently overhauled its programmes and degrees.

In the process, sustainability content in the curriculum was not considered. A third institution has backed off its efforts to upgrade the curriculum, following a short burst of interest and commitment.

As for business education, the programme at one university is under new leadership and reportedly reducing its commitment to sustainability. At another business school, an exciting initiative to develop an integrated approach to sustainability has been reduced to a more limited research programme.

Where progress is occurring, it can only be described as tentative baby steps. This simply isn’t good enough, and I have raised the issue in a letter to the Minister of Education, Chris Hipkins.

In his reply, he said that in the education sector the Government is addressing Goal 4 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education. Target 4.7 will be an important one, then, as it focuses on ensuring “that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles …” Achieving this target will require a concerted effort on the part of all tertiary institutions and, arguably, nothing short of a transformation of the curriculum.

The Minister also noted the Government was “obliged to preserve and enhance the autonomy and academic freedom of New Zealand’s tertiary institutions.” This is admirable and appropriate, but it should not stop the Government from promoting better understanding about sustainability within the tertiary sector, or providing appropriate encouragement and support.

The Labour-led Government is fully committed to addressing the UN’s SDGs. Given this, we should heed the words of Jeffery Sachs, Director of Columbia University’s Earth Institute. He has noted that universities have a unique role to play and said, “I do not believe the SDGs can be achieved without them.”

To his credit, Minister Hipkins is busy ‘fighting fires’ on the education front to make up for the lost years under National. So to ensure this issue is not lost or forgotten, the Green Party needs to grab hold of it. Chlöe Swarbrick, as Spokesperson on Tertiary Education, should lead the way.

Properly embedding sustainability across the curriculum will lead to improved quality and relevance of education for all enrolled students. It will better prepare domestic students for meaningful work at home and abroad. And it will strengthen offerings to attract foreign students in a very competitive international education marketplace.

Or in the words of David Orr: “Educational institutions committed to the real work of building a sustainable and decent human future, and willing to learn what that requires of us, would be exciting and challenging places. More to the point, they would equip the rising generation to see that the world is rich with possibilities and prepare them to act competently in that light.”

“...less than 10 percent of courses in New Zealand universities would address sustainability in even the most modest of ways.”

Photo Good Free Photos Gord Stewart is a Waikato-based environmental sustainability consultant and a Waikato branch member

Reflections on my time in Parliament Mojo Mathers

Its now just over a year since the election where I missed

Mojo Mathers was a Green MP from November 2011 to September 2017

The other pivotal person was my right-hand man, Whetū, who for six years managed me and my diary, ran my office, co-ordinated my electronic notetakers and New Zealand Sign Language interpreters, made me cups of tea and kept me going through all the tough times. Having someone so committed to my wellbeing made my office a safe and productive place to work. Whetū is now a special friend who has recently visited our home at Peel Forest and met our goats, dog and chooks!

To all of you who have supported me over the years in my political journey, sent me encouragement and motivated me to give my best: thank you, thank you, thank you.

“I remain incredibly proud of the number of lasting gains I achieved during my time in Parliament despite the constraints of being an opposition MP during those years.”

Our People

being re-elected. I have been reflecting on the highs and lows of my six years in parliament - which were incredibly intense and, at times, challenging.

But now that I have adjusted to life post parliament and have been able to get some distance from the traumatic events of the last election campaign, I can look back and feel a deep sense of gratitude for having had the opportunity to serve the Green Party as an MP. I remain incredibly proud of the number of lasting gains I achieved during my time in Parliament despite the constraints of being an opposition MP during those years.

Some of my biggest wins included the introduction of live captioning of parliament TV on three different platforms (broadcast, online and via the ‘Virtual House’ app); getting the Ministry of Health to fund bilateral cochlear implants for deaf children; and a ban on testing cosmetics on animals. The ban was achieved after a long campaign alongside both local and international animal rights organisations. I was stunned to be awarded the prestigious international Lush award for my part in that campaign and to be flown to London for the awards event.

I was also able to work behind the scenes with McDonalds and other campanies to get them to commit to moving to free range eggs.

Another powerful highlight was the passing of the Marriage Equality Act. During the third and final reading, I spoke about the rainbow thread that has woven itself into my family through the generations. This was a speech that was deeply personal for me for many reasons, and I am grateful to my former colleague Jan Logie for giving me that space to speak to it.

As NZ’s first deaf MP I had many invitations to speak to a wide range of conferences and forums. I strived to use these occasions to raise the profile of deaf and disability rights and promote the importance of inclusion and accessibility across society.

There are huge barriers for disabled people who stand for election to parliament, and I am very conscious that my own election was due to an unusual combination of factors. When I realised that I was unlikely to be re-elected, I drafted a member’s bill in my last week as an MP. This bill establishes a fund to cover the disability-related costs of standing as a candidate.

I was of course delighted when Chlöe Swarbrick picked up this bill, and even more so when it went on to be drawn from the members’ ballot! It is now making its way through the select committee process, and at present it looks like it may pass. Chlöe has continued my mahi in this area with skill, passion and a commitment that makes me proud to be Green.

I feel truly fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with so many amazing people over the years: dedicated party members, awesome parliamentary staff, staunch disability champions, courageous animal rights activists and more.

There are two people in particular I want to acknowledge, without whom none of these achievements would have been possible. My dear partner, Don, who threw himself into the role of support person with vigour, taking on stuff like ensuring that my clothes were washed and ironed, my car roadworthy, my daughter cared for and my dog walked!

Photo Mojo Mathers gets to know a resident at the old Wellington SPCA premises

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One Year On What’s it like being in government?

Gareth Hughes One year ago, while doing the dishes, iPad perched

From the Benches

on the bench, I was watching a livestream of Winston Peter’s press conference. I was waiting and wondering. Our party was the world’s oldest national Green Party but it had never been in government before. Was this our chance? The outcome from that day saw our first ministers elected, 20-plus policy wins achieved in the confidence and supply agreement and a new Government replacing nine years of National.

Since then I’ve often been asked, “What’s it like to now be in government?” First up, it’s a fantastic opportunity to serve.

Our country and planet face many challenges and it’s a huge responsibility to try and fix them. I’m our longest-serving current MP, and for nearly nine years I’ve been banging my head against my parliamentary desk over all the terrible decisions made by National. It’s now invigorating to be able to deliver good green change. New Zealand is taking action on climate change, setting child poverty targets, building houses, reviewing welfare and stopping offshore oil and gas exploration.

While we are writing history in our first role as government partner, it’s also like building the airplane while it is flying. The whole caucus is made up of first-term government MPs and there’s no book or guide to refer to. We are having to navigate the public service, cabinet committees and a huge number of appointments, not to mention the politics of what is the most MMP government New Zealand has ever had. It’s exciting, stressful and a lot of work.

Always at the back of our minds is the 2020 Election. No small party in New Zealand has ever come out of government above 5%. We have to buck history. We have a strategy to not just survive, but thrive. A key lesson from history is staying united as a caucus and party. We are planning to be as effective as possible in government, delivering great wins for people and the planet, holding the Government to account on areas where we don’t have ministerial responsibility, and setting an inspiring positive vision for the future. We are gearing-up and getting ready for the next campaign.

We face a number of challenges from our small size, our massive workload and the pressures of modern politics.

Our confidence and supply role sees us in government with ministers outside Cabinet. We are able to change national wellbeing indicators or raise conservation funding, but we also have the ability and responsibility to hold the executive to account, like opposing the TPPA and questioning animal welfare or drug policy. This is always a tricky balance – to criticise and hold the Government to account, while maintaining relationships with the very people we rely on to deliver our policy wins. It’s also something complex to communicate to supporters and the public.

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“The progress we’ve made in a year is amazing, but we’ve also had to face some hard choices or make decisions in a system that’s flawed.”

Photo Garth Hughes at farrowing crates protest outside Parliament Photo by Damon Keen

Another big issue is simply the volume of official government information that flows through our small office. Cabinet papers, draft bills, reports, reviews and appointments all come through our office. They need to be analysed so we can develop a Green position on them, push for Green amendments, or identify risks to the Greens to mitigate. Ironically we now have fewer research staff available to the Green Party than before we gained ministerial roles, so a huge debt of gratitude goes to Holly Donald and her small team who manage this important but never-ending torrent of information.

Then there’s the personal side. Our MPs and staff all feel the pressure of responsibility to achieve as much as we can within the constraints of resources, time and politics. We have a smaller team of MPs than last term so we have all had to take on more portfolios, twice as many select committees, and more party roles, on top of the increased responsibilities from being a partner in the Government. Even getting leave from Parliament to attend events or party meetings is much harder than last term.

It’s a challenge to maintain a regular, normal life and get enough sleep. For example, I feel the tension of trying to be a good MP while also trying to be a good dad to my kids. Add in a sometimes toxic social media environment, long hours and a media hungry for scandal, and you can understand some of the stress. It sometimes feel like juggling an increasing number of balls, while being watched intensely and commented on online.

Why do we do it? Because we believe in our mission, values and want to achieve our policies. The progress we’ve made in a year is amazing, but we’ve also had to face some hard choices or make decisions in a system that’s flawed, like Cresswell or the Electoral Integrity Bill. We’ve had to respond to years of chronic underfunding

by National and weed out the political landmines they’ve littered throughout public policy.

We are a visionary, transformative party that’s trying to make change in a system with structural inertia and a public service used to National’s ways. It’s frustrating not being able to change everything overnight, and we battle mightily even for the change we achieve, but I am incredibly proud what we have achieved with only 6% of the vote.

Gareth Hughes is Musterer, and Greens’ spokesperson for Energy & Resources, ICT, Primary Industries, Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Bio-security, Food Safety, Tourism, Animal Welfare, Technology and R&D, and Wellington issues

Photo Green MPs with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at this year’s Caucus Planning Day L-R: Golriz Ghahraman, Gareth Hughes, Jan Logie, James Shaw, Jacinda Ardern, Marama Davidson, Chlöe Swarbrick and Eugenie Sage Photo by Damon Keen

Green wins •

Oil and gas – we’re protecting our oceans from offshore oil and gas exploration

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Climate change – we’re building political consensus to reach zero carbon by 2050

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Conservation – we’ve won the single largest increase in DOC funding for 16 years

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Domestic violence – we’ve established worldleading protections for survivors of domestic violence

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Transport – we’re driving a revolution in sustainable transport with a $1 billion fund for walking and cycling

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Waste management - we’re phasing out single use plastic bags to protect our streams, oceans, and wildlife from plastic pollution

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Green investment - we’re establishing the Green Investment Fund with an initial $100m secured in Budget 2018

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Education – we’ve secured funding for an additional 600 co-ordinators to assist teachers with students who have additional needs

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Measuring success – we’re developing a comprehensive set of environmental, social and economic sustainability indicators to determine wellbeing

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Fairness - our Election Access Fund Bill was supported across Parliament at first reading to remove barriers for people with disabilities running as candidates.

As at 11 November, 2018 - Editor

From the Benches

When people ask what it’s like to now be in Government, I always say, “It’s great”, but in this article I wanted to give members more of the background to understand some of the pressures, challenges and constraints we face. With a smaller team we are doing even more than ever but we know we need to do more. How can members support our mahi? Challenge us, keep us real, but be compassionate and remember we are humans trying our best in a flawed system.

We are committed to making our first time in government not our last time, and have a good strategy, united team, and most importantly the passion and vision to drive the change we need. Working with you, our members, together we can achieve change for good.

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Laying the groundwork for transformation James Shaw

Doing the mahi to make the changes Eugenie Sage

One year ago today (I’m writing this on 19 October),

My first year in government as a minister with

From the Benches

One Year On

I was sitting in the Greens’ parliamentary office, knocking back some delivered curry and rice with a glass of red wine, and exchanging text messages with Jacinda Ardern as we waited for New Zealand First to make its announcement as to whether it would form a coalition with Labour and the Greens, or with National.

“I think we might have it,” she said. And we did. The room erupted into hugging – Debs Martin, John Ranta, Roland Sapsford, Tory Whanau… and my wife, Annabel. The Greens were on the way to government, something we had been working towards for the better part of three decades.

There have been lots of incredible moments for our team of MPs and ministers, that I’m incredibly proud of. There have also been plenty of really difficult and challenging moments too, for me and for all of us.

But if I had to pick one personal highlight, it would be the moment I stood up at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn to say that Aotearoa New Zealand was committing to a net-zero emissions economy by the year 2050 and would join the vanguard of countries leading the global fight against climate change.

The recent IPCC report showed just how stark the situation now is, with only a decade remaining for the world to do what it takes to stay within 1.5 °C of global warming. The Greens in government can do – and are doing – so much, in so many domains.

And no, we aren’t winning every battle and we aren’t getting everything we want. Some things are really tough and they take their toll on our MPs, our ministers, our members and supporters. But we are, slowly but surely, laying the groundwork for the fundamental transformation of our economy and society, “beyond tomorrow”.

responsibilities for Conservation, Land Information and as Associate Minister for the Environment has gone by in a flash.

It’s hugely rewarding being part of the green heart of this Government and helping turn around nine years of neglect and exploitation under National.

A high point has been securing an extra $181.6 million over four years to enable the Department of Conservation to invest in nature, and better protect our native plants and wildlife and their habitats. It’s the biggest increase in DOC’s operational funding in 16 years.

With Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods, I protected conservation land from an open cast coal mine on Buller’s Te Kuha ridgeline. This precious and unique coal measure ecosystem is now safe for threatened plants and wildlife, including great spotted kiwi. We are working on how best to implement our policy of no new mines on conservation land.

Another highlight has been my work on waste, which ranges from getting rid of single-use plastic bags to dealing with tough issues like disposing of tyres. These are issues the Greens have always cared about but have been left to the market to address.

Now we’re actually doing the mahi to make the change.

The worst day in the job, and I can’t imagine a worse one, was when two DOC rangers, Paul Hondelink and Scott Theobald, and helicopter pilot Nick Wallis were killed in a helicopter crash at Wanaka in mid-October. We are all still reeling from this, and the DOC whanau and wider conservation community are just coming to grips with the loss of these men, personally and professionally.

These holidays are about reconnecting with family and friends and spending time outdoors and in nature. It’s my way of recharging and reminding myself why I am in the job.

I hope that you all have a safe and happy break and do whatever it is that reminds you of the value of life and how we can make Aotearoa a better place for everyone.

Photo James Shaw at the Rise for Climate Change march in Wellington Photo by Rick Zwaan

Photo Eugenie Sage at Lyall Bay, Wellington, for the announcement of the ban on plastic bags Photo by Rick Zwaan

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James Shaw is the Green Party co-leader

Eugenie Sage is Minister of Conservation and Land Information, and Associate Minister for the Environment

Seizing the chance to put the heart back into social support Marama Davidson Kia ora, e te whānau kākāriki.

Overhauling the welfare system

The work of the Government to deliver reform is being led by the Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni. I’ve met with her to discuss our plans and to ensure we are working in partnership to make the strongest and most effective change we can.

The Government’s public consultation on welfare reform has been run by an independent group of experts – the Welfare Expert Advisory Group – and we expect an interim report to be sent to the Minister in November. It is unlikely to be made public, but will guide further policy work to develop solutions in time for Budget 2019.

At the same time I have been on the road talking to communities about the need for change, and we’ve presented the Green Party vision for what welfare reform is required. This was the policy we campaigned on in the election that was met with universal and overwhelming support from the community advocates and academics who work most closely on poverty issues.

I am excited to see what reforms will be proposed and we stand ready to push for a complete overhaul that lifts children out of poverty and removes the terrible stigma attached to people receiving social support.

Our Green Party voice

We’re overhauling the welfare system to ensure that all our communities can thrive. And we are doing it as the Green Party. It is vital we make sure that the Government sticks to its commitment.

We know that our decision to join the Government gives us a new kind of influence on decision-making and access to information. But we also know that we run the risk of losing our independence and unique Green Party vision if we become invisible in Government, and are dominated by the Labour Party in particular.

That’s why it’s so important to be speaking out on welfare reform and the many other topics that require Green solutions (such as the need to properly put an end to oil exploration, to protect water from overseas investment, to better fund mental health services, to ban rodeos that cause pain and suffering to animals for human entertainment, and for meaningful drug law reform, to name a few).

As we head into the second year of this term we are mindful of the coming election and the very real risk we face of slipping under the radar, losing our unique voice, and suffering at the ballot box as a result.

I know you are with me and with the caucus as we work hard to ensure this doesn’t happen.

I look forward to victory on our welfare campaign and many others before this term is out.

Photo Ricardo Menendez-March of Auckland Action Against Poverty, Jackie Clark of ‘The Aunties’, Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson and MP Jan Logie at the launch of the welfare campaign in September Photo by Julie Zhu

From the Benches

We have an historic opportunity right now to overhaul the welfare system in this country. It is a once-in-a-generation chance to deliver on our charter vision of ensuring that everyone has a fair share of our country’s material wealth. It’s vital we do this so that communities can thrive and nobody gets left behind.

We’re building on the work of many Green Party members and supporters who have come before. Jan Logie is an integral part of this work and is taking a lead role in supporting the change from within the Government; and I cannot leave out the contribution of Metiria Turei who, over many years, built the political mandate for ending child poverty.

That’s why I’m proud to be leading our campaign to put the heart back into our social support system.

I don’t need to tell you the background to this campaign and how successive governments have entrenched poverty. They’ve done this through economic reforms that increased inequality, and through social policy that put low-income workers in competition with those who cannot work, and tried to make enemies of carers, people with disabilities, Māori, Pacifica people and the poor.

The Green Party wants to see an Aotearoa that embraces our connection with each other and with the natural world. We are leading the charge for a greener, fairer, more sustainable future.

We cannot tackle the big challenges of our time when some in our community are struggling to get by.

It’s not always popular to call for ‘the right thing’ and I want to thank all our members for supporting me and the party on this important kaupapa.

Marama Davidson is the Green Party co-leader

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Campaign to ban conversion therapy draws huge support Max Tweedie

Our Networks

In July it was revealed in a TVNZ Sunday Documentary

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that the practice of Gay Conversion Therapy was still occurring in Aotearoa. While this conversion therapy was ‘non-aversive’ (re-directing thoughts, psychotherapy, behavioural changes) and not the typical ‘aversive’ therapy (eg electric shock therapy), the Young Greens were still extremely concerned about its prevalence in our society and its effects on LGBTQIA+ youth, especially as our youth suicide rate in Aotearoa is so high.

After having informal discussions with members from Young Labour about a petition, the idea was taken to our respective executives. And so we all agreed that we would petition the Government to ban conversion therapy.

The President of Young Labour Matt van Wijk and I hatched a plan. Over the next few days, through extensive consultation with our executives, our respective rainbow members and groups, we had a petition, a social media plan, key messages, and had informed our parent parties and our parliamentary teams.

We were ready to go.

On Thursday 19 July, we launched our campaign with the lead story on RNZ’s Morning Report. We launched campaigns on all of our social media platforms, and both Matt and I spent the day doing media and live radio interviews.

Overall, we were met with an overwhelmingly positive response to our campaign. On day one we received more than 3,000 signatures, and after four days of mass sharing on Facebook and positive media, we’d reached 10,000.

The petition was live for three weeks, and over the course of those weeks we were able to connect with young people at O Weeks, get physical signatures, have great discussions on Facebook and Twitter, and the media remained interested in our progress and kept it at the forefront of kiwi’s minds.

During the three weeks we also began having conversations with our MPs, notably Jan, Golriz and Julie Anne. Jan worked on it from the rainbow perspective, Golriz from justice and Julie Anne from health. As it was consistent with our rainbow, justice and health policies, Jan announced that the Greens supported a ban on Conversion Therapy, a huge win for us.

At the same time, Young Labour was working with Marja Lubeck, a Labour List MP from Rodney. She was working with her local rainbow group, who had launched a petition just before ours. Young Labour and, by extension, Labour were great to work with throughout the campaign. Marja and her rainbow caucus colleagues were amazingly supportive and keen to progress this ban.

Together we organised a petition handover for 8 August, and we did this in conjunction with the Rodney LGBTQ group.

They had received 5,000 signatures on their petition, and by the time the 8th rolled around, we had reached 15,000. Together we had amassed a 20,000 signature petition in three weeks. A huge groundswell of support.

That morning, I was interviewed by our former Green candidate Hayley Holt on Breakfast, and then flew down to Wellington to present our petition in front of a crowd of around 50, a bunch of media, and to a group of Green and Labour MPs. The mood was one of incredible hope, the speeches looked back onto the gains our rainbow community has made, but also on the progress that we still need to make. The speeches from the

MPs demonstrated their commitment to the human rights of our rainbow communities. It was an exceptionally positive day and an absolute honour to be a part of.

While both petitions sit with the Justice Select Committee, Marja has put the Prohibition of Conversion Therapy bill into the members’ ballot. She announced this with us, and while we are waiting patiently for the bill to be drawn we are hopeful that Justice Minister Little will pick it up as a Government bill.

I would like to thank everyone who signed the petition, to the party for its support, both Green and Labour MPs for their time and energy for working with us, and our parliamentary staff for their hard work behind this too. My thanks especially go to our young people who made this happen, in both our Young Greens Exec and Young Labour’s.

“Together we had amassed a 20,000 signature petition in three weeks. A huge groundswell of support.”

Photo Young Greens, Young Labour, and InsideOUT representatives hand over the petition to Labour and Green MPs Photo by Rick Swan Max Tweedie is co-convenor of Young Greens

Making a difference Lisa Bridson

making some lasting changes.

The biggest win is that the Lower Hutt City Council will now be paying its entire staff the living wage. This has been a long time coming, and is the result of getting all of the stars aligned.

When I was first elected to council, I was a lone Green voice.

There were a couple of Labour-aligned councillors, but we were in the minority. There was a large far right contingent, so even discussing the living wage would have been a waste of breath and met with derision. While I was able to make some Green changes, when it could be shown to be economically prudent, the living wage was a step too far.

But last year things started to change. We had a large living wage advocacy group in Lower Hutt who came and talked to us at every opportunity. They made it an issue for voters before the last local election, and it worked. More socially-responsible councillors were elected, but things were still finely balanced.

Last year we looked into the issue, but on legal advice it was voted down 6-7. The argument was that the Local Government Act prohibited councils from paying more than necessary for services without any corresponding benefit. Instead we voted in a ‘Living Wage lite’. Basically, the CEO would look at each individual group and decide whether there would be a benefit for council and ratepayers to be paying them more.

The last star came into alignment with the election of the Coalition Government. The Local Government Act is now under review, and all indications are that the purpose will be changed. Councils will again be able to look at wellbeing, and not just whether things are financially prudent. That change, and

continued pressure from Living Wage Aotearoa, has led to those wavering councillors supporting a change to paying all staff the living wage.

I am thrilled. It is not the end, we still need to work on getting the same for our contractors, but it will make a huge difference to our staff and their families.

I would also like to quickly mention some other Green wins.

Our Long Term Plan has been signed off for the next 10 years.

In it, we have increased funding for public transport, walking, water fountains and Enviroschools. There will also be money to investigate sea level rise and improved recycling services.

Local government is connected to many of the decisions that affect our environment and our people on a daily basis. If people want to make a difference in their communities, I encourage them to consider standing at next year’s election.

“The last star came into alignment with the election of the Coalition Government.”

Photo Lisa clears cape pondweed from a stream

Our Networks

After seven years in local government, I am thrilled to be

Lisa Bridson is a member of Te Awakairangi branch

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Year in review - Rainbow Greens Caity Briggs and Kate Aschoff

Our Networks

Kia ora e te whānau.

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The party’s network for rainbow members is Rainbow Greens. For the last year most of our work has been behind the scenes, handling complaints and giving advice, but going forward we are incredibly excited for what 2019 has to offer.

Geraint Scott and Scout River Barbour have been coconvening Rainbow Greens together since 2016. They are now stepping down from the role but will be staying on in our newly formed executive team to offer assistance and guidance.

We’ve seen some exciting progress happening in Parliament this year. On 3 April, Parliament expunged historical criminal convictions for homosexual acts, providing some much-needed justice for those discriminated against by our former laws.

17 May was International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. And this year, New Zealand became the first nation to fly the rainbow, transgender, bisexual and intersex flags outside Parliament, a beautiful display of solidarity for our LGBTQIA+ whanau.

In July, we launched a petition alongside Young Greens, Young Labour and the Rodney Area LGBTQ+ group, calling on the government to put an end to conversion therapy in Aotearoa.

The campaign, headed by our very own Max Tweedie, gained more than 20,000 signatures in the space of a month, and was handed over on 8 August. Rainbow Greens are very proud of the work our young people are doing and are looking forward to more strong statements like this from them in the future.

In October, it was announced that funding for gender affirming surgeries will be increased.

These are all steps in the right direction, but there is still a lot to be done to ensure our rainbow community is supported, celebrated and given the rights it deserves.

Also in October, we had our Rainbow Greens AGM. It was unanimously decided at the AGM that we would create general executive positions, with the intent that this would allow members to support the executive in a less formal role.

Our new co-convenors are Matt Sharpe and Kate Aschoff.

Matt has been very active within the Green Party these past four years, and has an impressive history with the rainbow community. This is Kate’s first position within the Green Party, but they join us with two years of experience with InsideOUT, who work to make Aotearoa safer for young people of diverse sexes, genders and sexualities.

Max Tweedie was voted as our policy facilitator alongside Dr Elizabeth Kerekere, who has held the role the past year. They will be working closely with our rainbow policy sub-committee to ensure that the human rights of rainbow-identifying people in Aotearoa are protected.

Caity Briggs was voted as our social media assistant, and is excited to become more active within the Green Party.

Gordon McKewen has also stepped into a general exec role, and will be assisting Max with policy changes. Jan Logie will be staying on as our caucus representative.

We would like to thank Geraint and Scout for all they have done these past few years, and wish Scout all the best for parenthood.

The new exec is excited to advocate for, and support, our community. We’re looking forward to seeing results from the

Counting Ourselves survey run by academics at the University of Waikato, and how we can use that data to best support our community. We intend to give our input to what the next census should include in terms of being more inclusive of our community, especially our trans and gender-diverse whanau. The Births Deaths and Marriages Amendment Bill is on track to pass through Parliament without any major issues, which will be a great step for members of our community wanting to change their names.

As an executive, we plan to work together and use our voices to make changes happen for the members of our community, speak up when we see injustices, and continue to celebrate and uplift our rainbow whanau.

“These are all steps in the right direction, but there is still a lot to be done to ensure our rainbow community is supported, celebrated and given the rights it deserves.”

Photo Rainbow Greens at this year’s Wellington International Pride Parade Photo by Linda Ly Caity Briggs is the Rainbow Greens social media assistant and Kate Aschoff is the Rainbow Greens co-convenor

Green World Compiled by Lois Griffiths

USA

AUSTRALIA

Gunnai-Gunditjmara woman, Lidia Thorpe, became the first Aboriginal woman Victorian state parliamentarian, after winning the Northcote Melbourne by-election last November. One of her portfolios is Aboriginal Justice. “Australia always was and always will be Aboriginal land. Yet, we are the only Commonwealth nation in the world that does not have a treaty with its First Peoples … If we continue to pay only token recognition to the rich ancestry and cultural history of this land, and if we refuse to own up to the atrocities committed against its First Peoples, we cannot make any real progress towards an inclusive society for all Victorians … I found it really tough as an Aboriginal person to be in the chamber while MPs from both major parties voted against recognising Aboriginal sovereignty in the treaty legislation. But I am so grateful that I have been able to have Aboriginal voices amplified on crucial issues, including Treaty, where Elders are finally being heard; compensation to the Stolen Generation; and child removals.”

ENGLAND

For the first time, protesters against planned fracking in Lancashire have been sent to prison. Green MP Caroline Lucas has accused the police of pursuing “the most severe charge and sentencing possible.” The protesters have been sentenced under the complicated and archaic charge of public nuisance. She accuses government ministries of “overseeing a growing trend for draconian injunctions and disproportionate charges against people standing up for what they believe in.”

IRELAND

Ireland made history in July by becoming the first country to commit to divesting its national investment fund from fossil fuels “as soon as practicable.” Green Leader Eamon Ryan said, “It is an historic day for the environmental movement in Ireland.

The passage of this Bill sends a clear message: that the fossil fuel era is coming to an end. Investing in fossil fuels is unsustainable from an environmental point of view. It is becoming increasingly clear to people that it is unsustainable from a business point of view, an economic point of view and a social point of view.”

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The Aquarius, the last private ship operating in the Mediterranean rescuing migrants crossing from Africa to Europe, has had its registration revoked. European Green co-chairs Monica Frassoni and Reinhard Bütikofer said, “The current system to intercept and rescue migrant ships in distress is clearly inadequate, and until now NGO operations have helped fill this void. Every effort must be made to ensure that NGOs such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and SOS Mediterranée can continue.

Differences of opinion may remain on how to handle migration, but we must agree that we have a duty to do all we can to save innocent lives at sea.”

European MPs have strongly condemned the Israeli regime’s decision to demolish the Bedouin West Bank village of Khan al Ahmar and forcibly relocate the villagers next to either a large rubbish dump or a large sewage pond. British Green MEP Keith Taylor said, “Such reckless disregard for the human rights of a community, whose only crime is living peacefully in the path of an illegal occupying force’s expansion plans, will not be tolerated.

It is not controversial to call on the Israeli government to abide by international humanitarian law and protect the inalienable human rights of all people.”

Photo Gunnai-Gunditjmara woman, Lidia Thorpe, is the first Aboriginal woman in Victoria’s state Parliament

Green World

Laura Wells, a California Green Congressional candidate, pleads for “a real and in-depth conversation about how the country got into the mess we are in right now, and how we are going to end the corporate control of elections that played such a big role in this crisis of democracy. We need to get political parties … achieving real progress, like expanded and improved Medicare for all, rent control, and taking our country back from the Wall Street banks, to return it to the 99%.”

Medea Benjamin, former Green candidate for the Senate and co-founder of the women-led peace group CODEPINK, was hauled away while trying to speak at a meeting being held to condemn Iran. “The world community wants to keep the Iran nuclear deal. Our allies—the Germans, the French, the British— they want to keep this deal ... I want to ask: Do you think these sanctions are hurting the regime, or are they hurting the Iranian people? They’re hurting the Iranian people. You are making a case for war with Iran. How did the war with Iraq turn out?

How did Libya turn out? … So let’s get real. No more war! Peace with Iran!”

Lois Griffiths takes a keen interest in world affairs and has compiled Green World for Te Awa for many years

17

Flax Roots Action 18

Green growth in New Lynn James McGoram

Central Otago branches out Deb Rodd

Green things are afoot in New Lynn with the formation

After at least 20 years of being encouraged to form a

of a new branch of the Green Party. Capitalising on the energy and grassroots support generated by Leilani Tamu’s campaign in last year’s election, several New Lynn members put together a proposal to form a new branch earlier this year. The West Auckland branch (of which New Lynn was formerly a part), along with the Auckland province, supported the proposal and as of 1 November, it is official.

As a member of the steering committee behind the new branch, I am excited about the possibilities this change provides.

The West Auckland Branch as it is now covers a very broad geographic area with a large population, which makes coordination of local projects within each electorate challenging - so this move will help us to focus within our electorate. Our goal is to tap into the local community’s energy and foster community-led activism and tangible change. We live at a unique intersection of urban and natural environments - and there are great opportunities for us to roll up our sleeves and get involved.

Local member Megan Tait agrees. “This is my electorate and my community and I feel a very strong connection to it. I know there are many people in our electorate who have the energy to make a difference. This is reflected in plastic bag free Titirangi, EcoMatters Trust and the bike hub, the passionate people who volunteer their time to carry out stream clean-ups, rubbish removal, planting days and ambassadors for save kauri to name just a few.”

Following on from a successful movie night held at Lopdell House in Titirangi, the inaugural AGM took place on 23 October when officer elections were held, returning Berthine Bruinsma as convener, Isaiah Kainiu as treasurer and me as membership secretary.

The new branch is still small but it is full of energy - so if you’re a member in the New Lynn electorate we encourage you to head along and get involved, join the New Lynn Greens Facebook Group, or otherwise keep your eyes open for future events and social activities. We look forward to meeting you!

branch by the Green Party Head Office, always met with equal amounts of resistance and crafty obfuscation by debating what smaller, less onerous forms of branch we might become (a twig, a pod, a stem), we folks in Central Otago have finally capitulated and formed the Central Otago Branch of the Green Party.

Our boundaries are the intersection of the Central Otago District and the Waitaki Electorate, so very much heartland ‘Central’ where we all have common interests. Our inaugural coconvenors are Sampsa Kiuru, the relentlessly optimistic ‘Tigger’ of the group, balanced by the more ‘Eeyore-like’ Deb Robb, writer of this report and reluctant co-star.

Our core group has a breadth of experience, including sustainable building, medicine, education, counselling, climate science and diverse cultural viewpoints. Our main purpose is to provide a Green Party Welcome Mat in our area, to grow a positive Green presence and put forward good Green alternatives in our local conversations. Plus we value the social interaction between like-minded souls, and the Branch allows long-standing and newer members to get to know each other. In time we hope to boost the membership here and, critically, our vote at the next election.

The main issues here in our rapidly developing economy are climate change, tourism, affordable housing, appropriate landuse and the allocation and protection of water – our most critical resource in what is effectively a desert environment.

This is a rural part of the country, represented in parliament

by National MP Jacqui Dean. Not so long ago, a former mayor wrote an opinion piece in our local paper headlined, “Global Warming Will Enhance Our Lifestyle.” We have work to do!

Photo James McGoram, Megan Tait, Berthine Bruinsma and Isaiah Kainiu outside EcoMatters in New Lynn after a ‘plogging’ clean-up around Olympic Park.

James McGoram is the membership secretary of the New Lynn branch

Photo Members concentrating at the Strategic Planning Workshop, once the new branch was formed. Note the celebratory wine and nibbles.

Photo by Suzanne Menzies-Culling

Deb Rodd is a co-convenor of the new Central Otago branch

Beyond Manapouri: 50 years of environmental politics in New Zealand

By Catherine Knight Canterbury University Press, 2018

When The Rivers Run Dry: Water – The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century Fully revised and Updated Edition

By Fred Pearce Beacon Press, Boston, 2018 Fred Pearce combines his journalistic skills, scientific knowledge and love of travel to warn about the need to understand how human use is impacting on rivers and thus on supplies of fresh water. Pearce tells stories from every continent.

He discusses the world trade in ‘virtual’ water; how much water is consumed in producing crops, especially cotton, and how much is consumed in producing food for meat animals.

Every river he covers has a story, often an unfortunate story, from not understanding the need to allow aquifers to refill or the importance of allowing some rivers to flow onto their natural flood plains; stories about massive dam projects, about ‘think big’ projects gone wrong, about the impacts on drinking water of industrial pollution.

Every chapter begins with, ‘When the rivers run dry...’ One of the chapter headings continues, ‘we go to war over water’.

Pearce tells of Palestinian villagers being forcefully denied access to their ancestral wells. The author calls the Six-Day War, when Israel captured the Golan Heights and the West Bank, the first modern water war. Israel has also built a dam to divert much water into Israel itself, effectively stealing water from Syria and Jordan.

There will be more water wars in the future. Water warfare may be taking place now. Rivers don’t respect international borders. A country with a river source could dam the river and deny a needed flow from reaching countries further downstream.

Pearce warns of the dangers of climate change, and pleads for a world of ‘water ethics’ and ‘water justice’.

When the Rivers Run Dry is well written. It’s a reminder too that fresh water is the world’s most precious resource. With wisdom and a belief in humanity, it can be shared.

Reviewed by Mike Joy

Reviewed by Lois Griffiths

Reviews

Beyond Manapouri is the New Zealand environmental science and management textbook I wished I’d had when I was teaching at Massey University. However it doesn’t read like a text book, rather it is very readable and absorbing. It is never dry, and yet contains all the facts, the relevant interconnections, the history and excellent references.

Beyond Manapouri includes many engaging and informative stories, each detailing the processes and people involved in different projects, campaigns and reports that form the background to the whole, mostly sad, story of the abject failure to protect New Zealand’s environment.

I was personally involved in several of the stories Catherine tells, and reading her analysis makes them so much more understandable, despite having been a participant. Even though I’m very much engaged in this field of study I still found much to learn.

It is a comprehensive look at the issues, but the key to the success of this book is that it’s written by an insider. Catherine knows her subject intimately and has special institutional insight from having worked in the Ministry for the Environment.

The book traverses the time since Manapouri and sheds light on the reality of the path New Zealand has taken. It’s a path of successive failures; and the chapter titled, “Death by a thousand cuts?” needs no question mark. Death by a thousand cuts is the simplest and most accurate way to envisage the changes that have happened to the environment over this time.

The simple but hard-to-swallow home truths of lost opportunities for reducing pollution to waterways and the atmosphere are revealed in a logical way. Befitting an historian, Catherine does that simply by showing how we have failed to learn from the past.

I can only urge everyone to read this book. We are all better armed to face the future and make the necessary changes when we are aware of how we got here.

19

Creating the preamble to the party’s charter in 2002 Debs Martin Our summer gathering on the Coromandel in February

2002 was - I think, anyway - one of the best. Not only did we have the most amazing swimming river nearby in the Kauaeranga Valley (used plenty of times) but, crucially, we had very important discussions about the preamble to the Green Party Charter, around the Declaration of Independence and why it was important that we used Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and not the English version.

Metiria led the conversation in an outdoor marquee, and Rod Donald was heavily engaged with the korero - as always.

That conversation prepared us for the overwhelming support received at the following AGM when the preamble was enshrined in our charter.

The photo, taken after that session, was outside the hall as we continued the conversation.

Thanks to the Coromandel Greens for hosting a great weekend.

Photo Rod Donald, Debs Martin, Metiria Turei and Jill Whitmore Debs Martin is the Green Women’s network co-convenor

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