My picks and my votes

If you want to know my picks for the Maori electorates you can take a look at my latest post over at Pundit. My calls are largely consistent with what I’ve been saying for the past year.

On a slightly related note I’m going to tell you how I plan to vote. Deciding to whom I’m going to give my electorate vote isn’t hard. Readers will know I’m openly supportive of Annette Sykes so I guess it’s no secret that’s where my electorate vote will fall. Yes, I live in Wellington, but I’m still enrolled in Waiariki (I’ll get round to changing this soon). If I was enrolled in Te Tai Tonga I’d be casting a vote for Rino Tirikatene. Rahui Katene hasn’t impressed me over the past three years.

Readers may, however, be a little surprised when it comes to my party vote. I thought about this pretty hard and I’ve decided to cast my party vote for the Greens – not Mana. Although I support Mana and almost everything the party stands for, I don’t agree with all of their policies. On the other hand, scrolling through the Greens catalogue of policies I found myself agreeing with almost everything. My vote will not be informed on Maori issues alone, if it was I’d vote Mana, but across the board the Greens have the most comprehensive set of policies and, in my opinion, the best plan for moving New Zealand forward. This doesn’t mean I’m all of a sudden an enthusiastic Green Party supporter. I really, really, really dislike Russell Norman.

I should add I’m not voting strategically. I’m voting on principle. Annette Sykes is the best candidate in Waiariki and the Greens offer the best plan for New Zealand. That’s it.

Come on, Russell

I like Russell Norman, but I have to say he made an awful call re the Mana Party:

"I just don't think a lot of people are really hanging out for a Hone Harawira, Sue Bradford, John Minto, Annette Sykes kind of party ... They're looking for something progressive and forward-looking that actually is oriented to the current century rather than the last one."

This is impotent at best. The blogs have, quite rightfully, ripped Russell a new one. The above quote is, at best, superficial. It misreads the mood among the marginalised and it disregards the past. To quote Irishbill:

“We are refighting the 1980’s and the 1990’s. We’ve got a government comprised of a lot of the same people, with the same backers, running the same agendas and seeking the same outcomes”.

Russell is merely trying to secure his base. He does not want to bleed support, and fair enough, but attacking an ally is unjustified.

Russell Norman in Kawerau

For anyone in Kawerau who is interested Green Party co-leader Russell Norman, accompanied by fellow Green MP Catherine Delahunty, will be rafting down the Tarawera River from 1pm tomorrow. Norman and supporters, including members of Ngati Rangitihi who recently appealed against the mill’s resource consent, will begin the raft at the Waterhouse St Bridge in Kawerau and finish at Matata. Norman is touring some of the country’s most polluted rivers to raise awareness.

If you’re in Kawerau (or the Eastern Bay) go down and have a chat with Russell, Catherine and co. The Tarawera is one of NZ’s most polluted rivers and I’m sure if you go down tomorrow you will find out what you can do to help.