How unexpected was the vote against James Shaw’s re-election?
Marama Davidson said she was shocked and saddened by the decision but signals had been sent earlier by members of the party’s youth wing
Mōrena and welcome to The Bulletin for Monday, July 25, by Anna Rawhiti-Connell. Presented in partnership with Z Energy.
In today’s edition: school goes back amid concern about staffing levels; housing minister not ruling out intervening in Auckland; compromise on Three Waters proposed; but first, James Shaw not re-elected as co-leader of Greens.
Green Party co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson. Photo: RNZ / Craig McCulloch
James Shaw not re-elected as co-leader
“Shocked” seemed to be the word of the day after news broke on Saturday that James Shaw had not been re-elected as co-leader of the Green Party at the party’s annual conference. Thirty-two out of 107 delegates voted to vacate Shaw's position, more than the 25% threshold necessary under the Greens' rules. Nominations for the co-leader role are open this week and another vote will be held in a month. Shaw is said to be taking soundings about his support in the party and leaning towards running again. Writing on The Spinoff, Toby Manhire has suggested that perhaps it should not have been such a shock. “That Shaw and Davidson were so blindsided suggests they need to do better at keeping their ears to the ground.”
Members of youth wing said no-confidence vote was coming in mid July
Manhire references a story from Salient, Victoria University’s student magazine, which The Spinoff reported on July 11, that revealed members of the Green Party’s youth wing were set to hold a vote of no-confidence in Shaw. One member suggested current Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono would make a good replacement. The general sense of unhappiness about Shaw’s leadership comes from party members who feel Shaw has not pushed hard enough for more significant climate change policy. This sentiment has been echoed by former Green Party MPs Sue Bradford and Catherine Delahunty this weekend.
Speculation about whether Chlöe Swarbrick will make a run
Green Party MPs aren’t currently talking to the media but speculation has started about whether MP for Auckland Central, Chlöe Swarbrick, will consider running. In May this year, the Green Party changed its constitution to no longer require a male co-leader. In April, Matthew Hooton wrote (paywalled) that it set the stage for Swarbrick to join Davidson as a co-leader. The Herald’s Claire Trevett outlines (paywalled) Swarbrick’s likely courses of action, while pointing out that instability within the Green Party presents problems for Labour, who on current polling will need the Greens to govern.
Activist, outsider movement versus conventional electoral strategy
Division within green parties isn’t limited to New Zealand. This backgrounder from the Council on Foreign Relations on green politics across the globe outlines the philosophical rift between those who see green politics as an activist, outsider movement and those who prefer a more conventional electoral strategy. Andrea Vance’s piece on the changing nature of political campaigning references the rise of a new class of voters who are well-educated and affluent but care about the environment. As yet, we don’t have a Teal movement in New Zealand. Stuff’s Luke Malpass highlight’s Shaw’s credentials as a “middle class, unthreatening and eminently credible leader” as the reason he is the party’s prime political asset.
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School's back as concern about disruption and staff continues
School goes back today for term 3 and principals are worried about more disruption, staffing levels and the lack of a mask mandate in schools. As RNZ’s John Gerritsen reports, top of the South Secondary Principals Association chair Richard Dykes said in term 2, schools had been averaging about 20% of staff absent on any given day and teachers had been having to give up free periods to cover classes. Secondary Principals Association president and Papatoetoe High School principal Vaughan Couillault said staffing would continue to be a big problem this term and that the government needed to make it a lot easier to hire teachers from overseas.
Government may intervene on Auckland Council's protection of 16,000 homes
Auckland Council is in the final stages of making changes to the unitary plan to allow for more intensification in the city but as it stands, 16,000 homes would still be protected by special character zoning. This includes suburbs like Ponsonby, Parnell, Mt Eden, Devonport and parts of Grey Lynn. Housing minister Megan Woods isn’t ruling out intervening, saying that she continues to be disappointed “that the council is planning on restricting development in areas that are so well suited to more people being able to live in as part of a modern, vibrant urban environment, where people don’t have to travel so far to get to work, schools and recreation opportunities”.
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Compromise proposed on Three Waters
Under an arrangement proposed by Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), Three Waters could become Two Waters with councils taking responsibility for stormwater. If you need a refresher on what three waters we’re talking about, it's drinking water, stormwater and wastewater. I consistently return to 1News’ Katie Bradford’s very good explainer on it. LGNZ president Stuart Crosby says “Stormwater is one of those issues that's really integrated into all things councils do”. Submissions on the Water Services Entities Bill, which would enable the government's proposed reform, closed on Friday and the bill is before select committee.
Click and collect
Social media companies sign up to voluntary code of conduct in New Zealand.
World Health Organisation declares Monkeybox outbreak an international public health emergency.
Research finds Wellington is the global capital of baby talk.
Another great explainer from Keith Lynch on the current trajectory of the pandemic.
Filipe Manu wins Lexus Song Quest, which was back after a four-year hiatus.
Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news? Get in touch with me at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz
Stewart Sowman-Lund reports from Act’s “Real Change” rally yesterday in Auckland; Laurie Duncan explains what the NZ First Foundation’s “not guilty” verdict means for electoral finance; Niki Bezzant sends a dispatch from the twilight world of perimenopause; Charlotte Muru-Lanning explores best practice for dining out without a side of Covid; and Stewart Sowman-Lund (him again) finds out what’s behind the skyrocketing prices for Crown Lynn ceramics.
New Zealand athlete tests positive for Covid in Birmingham
The opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham is on Friday. Most of the athletes from the New Zealand team are settled into the village while one has tested positive for Covid and is isolating. There aren't many Covid protocols at the Games and a positive test won't necessarily rule an athlete out of competing. Teams are managing their own approaches. New Zealand Olympic Committee chef de mission Nigel Avery says the athlete is asymptomatic and has “run through the whole catalogue of Netflix” in isolation.
The audacious PR plot that seeded doubt about climate change
Today’s long read is from Jane McMullen at the BBC and looks at the origins of the PR efforts in the 1990s by the Global Climate Coalition, which represented the oil, coal, auto, utilities, steel, and rail industries, to seed doubt about climate change.
"Journalists were actually actively looking for the contrarians. It was really feeding an appetite that was already there."
