Dear Metiria,

No doubt you would have my congratulatory message on your Facebook wall this past weekend. Again, well done and you are the first person from my own generation (the 70's generation) to lead a parliamentary political party in this country.

I am also very sorry that Sue Bradford didn't make it. I deeply admire Sue as being one of the few genuine left-wing MPs in the House. I have always regarded her as perhaps the best Alliance and NewLabour MP we never had. She is feeling no doubt very despondent today but I hope that you will continue to give Sue some key responsibilities within the party as she is certainly New Zealand's most hardest working and successful backbench MP.

You now lead a party that, unfortunately, could be tipping to the right. I do worry about the recent memorandum of understanding that was concluded between the Greens and the National Party recently. You may have gotten the very good home insulation policy as a result but, on the other hand, how hard are you going to protest about the $55 million cut in funding to the Department of Conservation administered in the recent budget?

Is the Green Party, under your leadership, also going to vigorously oppose cuts to public service jobs, tertiary funding and other social programmes? It really has to in my opinion as Labour isn't offering a great deal of opposition at the moment on anything much.

If the Green Party isn't going to vigorously oppose these things and if it becomes further captured into the National Party's orbit, then this could have dire consequences as I have posted in a previous blog. One is that it could splinter between left and right-wing Green factions and two it could disappear altogether if that scenario came to pass. Ditto if it even entered into a support arrangement as the Maori Party, United and Act have done with this government.

Really, it would be better if the Greens continued to act as an independent, centre-left aligned political party as the one thing that most Alliance Party members and activists like me are concerned about is that being green doesn't necessarily mean an adherence to social justice as this can be a loaded term at times. Besides, I personally don't want to feel guilty either about enjoying the occassional bit of chocolate, junk food or farm produced meat. I really don't have much time for Sue Kedgley at all in other words! Therefore, while I have seriously thought of joining the Greens in the past, I must admit (especially when things were tough in the Alliance Party) that an absence of any class-based analysis and a slightly different political culture held me back from taking that step.

I wish you well in your co-leadership role though as the Greens prepare for the 2011 election and beyond. Clearly, you have many challenges ahead as you orient the party for that year. The one thing I still have to warn you on is don't dance with the devil, i.e. National or otherwise your party will get stung. I as a member of the web-based political commentariat will be watching the Green Party's every move as I do those of the National, Labour and other parties.

On that friendly note of caution, again, all the best.

Chris

Chris