Green Party adopts fake “left” posture in New Zealand elections
By
John Braddock and Tom Peters
26 July 2017
New Zealand’s establishment political parties have recently begun releasing their policy statements ahead of the September 23 election.
The campaign already features the same appeals to nationalism, economic protectionism and right-wing populism that animated the US presidential campaign of Donald Trump and “Brexit” campaign in the UK. The New Zealand ruling elite is moving rapidly to the right, preparing to unleash fresh attacks on living standards and democratic rights.
The working class is increasingly alienated from the entire political establishment. The last election saw about a million people refuse to vote, in a county of just 4.5 million. A survey by polling company Ipsos, published on July 3, found 56 percent of respondents believed “traditional parties and politicians don’t care about people like them” and 64 percent agreed “the economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful.”
The opposition Labour Party is in terminal crisis. It has been polling around 26 percent for years and has had four different leaders since 2008. The latest preferred prime minister poll has Labour leader Andrew Little in fourth place, behind current Prime Minister Bill English, NZ First’s Winston Peters and Labour’s deputy leader Jacinda Ardern. Labour appears to be heading for a fourth landslide loss but it might still be able to form a government in a three-way coalition with NZ First and the Greens.
Labour has no significant differences with the National Party government. It has accepted austerity measures imposed following the 2008 crash, including cuts to public services, an increase in the Goods and Services Tax and the partial privatisation of…