Green ambitions

John Hartevelt reports at the SST:

A bigger, stronger Green Party says it will not be “tuakana teina” to anyone.

Green co-leader Metiria Turei is today set to stake out what the party plans to make of its increased caucus and party membership.

In Maoridom, “tuakana teina” describes a relationship between an older and younger sibling. In a keynote speech to the Green Party policy conference in Palmerston North today, Turei will assert that the party should expect to be in government in 2014, but not in a “tuakana teina” relationship with either of the major parties.

“What we have seen when Labour and National have negotiated deals, the small parties have been the receivers of whatever the bigger parties want to dole out but not necessarily decision making,” Turei said.

“We will be the ones who decide how we engage with government. From the outset, we need to make it really explicit that we are the ones that make the decisions.”

Very ballsy talk. It does pose the question though about what the Greens will do if Labour doesn’t agree to their “decisions”. Would they refuse supply and confidence?