Politicians of the Year
There is an interesting theme coming through in many of the newspapers and magazines’ annual Politician of the Year awards.
North and South’s Guyon Espiner gives Sue Bradford, ‘who achieved more from the backbenches than most ministers do from the front’, Backbencher of the Year. He then gave Russel Norman, ‘who couples and easy and engaging manner with a strong command of difficult issues’, Party Leader of the Year. (Bradford also gets an honourable mention on N&S’s community section for New Zealander of the year.)
Bradford is also John Armstrong’s ‘obvious’ choice in the Weekend Herald for Backbencher of the Year;
‘Bradford has shown how someone from the political fringes can come into Parliament under MMP and work the system to make a meaningful difference to people’s lives.’
And the Dominion Post, in an opinion piece carried in several other Fairfax newspapers, votes Bradford joint winner of its Politician of the Year award (tied with Bill English) because:
‘her monumental achievement in getting nearly every MP in parliament to support [her repeal of section 59] bill cannot be denied. And she did it without raising her voice or losing her rag even during some of the most heated exchanges of the year.’
Colin James, in the weekday Herald gives Politician of the Year to Jeanette Fitzsimons, the Green Party’s ‘Steel Magnolia’:
‘But best have been the Greens: almost always positive and principled, patiently scoring points and this year getting some significant bills passed (Sue Bradford, Sue Kedgley) and getting (at long last) action on energy efficiency.
I single out their very long-serving co-leader, gracious, generous, fair-minded and, under all that, toughly persistent.’
Meanwhile luckily, at Kiwiblog, the Greens manage to hide their growing reputation for credibility and effectiveness from Kiwiblog readers - Bradford polled behind Heather Roy and Pita Sharples in the ‘Minor’ Party MP of the Year category.
(FYI - the ‘minor’ in ‘minor party’ is short for ‘minor amount of time spent squabbling rather than dealing with issues’)
December 18th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Heather Who?
December 18th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Dear oh dear, the MSM really is trying to make up amends with the far laft over its campagn against the gagging bill.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
Interestingly Sue Bradford can’t please all the media though – The Central District Times in Taihape reported last week on a near riot of primary school age children attacking and ripping the clothes off Santa at the annual carols in the park event. In the aftermath the Times went on to ask ‘Has Sue Bradford’s bill gone too far?’
Indeed. What was needed in that situation was some parent to wade into that mass of rioting of children spanking and smacking a safety route for Santa to make his escape.
December 18th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Toad
Heather Roy, she is somebody who does not pretend to be something she is not, perhaps Sue B should try it one day.
December 18th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
I’n not disputing Heather Roy’s honesty, BB. I’m sure she is completely honest to her principles, as is Sue Bradford. Actually, I think the Greens and ACT are the only parties that are, although I obviously prefer Green principles to ACT ones, although, occasionally, like with the Terrorism Suppression Bill, we will agree.
Greens are social libertarians, ACT are market libertarians, but occasionally the libertarian tendencies of both parties coincide.
The point I was making is: what has Heather Roy achieved? Well, she’s covered for Rodney during his numerous absences from Parliament (which I suppose is some achievement). But no Members’ Bills passed, no speeches that have made a significant impact, actually nothing that would distingush her for the average Labour or National backbencher. So why do Kiwiblog readers vote her the “minor party” politician of the year?
You might not agree with Sue Bradford BB, but how can you claim she pretends to be something she has not.
She has stuck up for the underdog, be they people being napalmed in Vietnam, “non-whites” with no civil rights in South Africa, children in New Zealand who are being abused, people who have no job, mental health patients who are provided with inadequate health services etc.
She started doing this when she was 15 years old and still at school. You might not agree with her principles, but at least admit she acts consistent with them. I’m prepared to accept that ACT MPs (now they have got rid of Prebble) at least do that.
December 18th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Toad
Its simple, Sue B is a communist and will not admit it, she is also not somebody who is interested in public opinion, in true communist fashion she will see her will imposed on the rest of us and she will use any means possible, she will even the police force, the same police force she hates with a passion.
If you think I have taken this a little personally then you would be right, any person who accuses me (and every other father who has smacked a child) of being a pedophile is somebody who I would only wish the very worst of luck and ill health upon.
December 18th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
BB said: Can you post my comment please Toad
BB, I’m just an active Green Party member. I don’t have any greater permissions on this blog that you do.
So I can’t publish anything held for moderation, which occasionally annoys me too - like the one about Facebook’s information privacy policy (or lack thereof) I posted a few days ago that still hasn’t appeared and probably because I used a “naughty” word in it.
Now, which other part of the anatomy? “A***book” presumably got it dumped forever. Unlike Phil, and some others, I don’t get too upset.
December 18th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Toad
My apologies, here I was thinking that you were important…lol
December 18th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
You won’t be able to afford your social libertarian principles when the present administration have finished with this country. Well, not quite. Like all third world countries the wealthy and their masters, the political elite, will be free behind the bars of their perimeter fences - free from the rest of us that is.
December 18th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Toad
Do the comments go through the green washing machine before they are hung out to dry on a green clothesline ?
Social justice in the unnatural world ? Just a thought . At least you allow comments here , not like the Standard and other left blogs .
December 18th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
BB said: My apologies, here I was thinking that you were important…lol
Apols accepted BB. But I am important, although only to those close to me and, I hope, to our descendants in 100 or 200 years time. Still doesn’t give me the ability to moderate frogblog though.
D4J: See above - I’ve got no idea how the frogblog moderation system works, and occasionally my posts get caught by it too.
December 19th, 2007 at 8:38 am
Mmmm is it worth sticking to your principles if 70-80% of the country disagrees with them like with Section 59?
December 19th, 2007 at 8:39 am
And ‘pedophile’? You’ve gotta be joking
December 19th, 2007 at 9:48 am
StephenR asked: Mmmm is it worth sticking to your principles if 70-80% of the country disagrees with them like with Section 59?
Yes, that is what political integrity is about. I make my decisions on the basis of the evidence, rather than public opinion, and I expect the Green Party to do so too.
That is what distinguishes the Greens from other political parties. Sometimes, as with the Electoral Finance Bill and section 59, the position may be unpopular. If that has electoral consequences, then so be it. At least the Greens have acted with integrity in standing up for their principles, rather than doing something that is contrary to their policies to curry favour in the opinion polls.
Pulling the plug on the Electoral Finance might have even seen us win plaudits from the NZ Herald editorial writers and gain a few points in opinion polls. But it would have been contrary to what Green Party members have democratically decided we should support, and would have been wrong.
December 19th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Aaaaarrrrrrgh I know what you mean and I suppose strictly a party is accountable to two groups: those who voted for it and its party members (with Green party members having a more democratic say than most other party members by the sounds).
December 19th, 2007 at 10:10 am
Does come across as a bit ‘we know best, now run along” though.
December 19th, 2007 at 10:16 am
“..Russel Norman, ‘who couples (in) an easy and engaging manner’..
(who knew..?..)
you go guyon..!..eh..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
December 19th, 2007 at 11:48 am
“Does come across as a bit ‘we know best, now run alongâ€? though.”
But isn’t that the same with every political party?
December 19th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Yes. I think the perception is accentuated when you’re in such a minority though.
December 19th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
“Does come across as a bit ‘we know best, now run alongâ€? though.”
nonsense, it wouldn’t be much point having elections to determine who & which views get represented in parliament & in what proportion if every party was simply to represent the same views all the time. where would be the debating?
December 20th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
My point was really that it doesn’t look good when you don’t have a large mandate from the public. Is more of a perception thing than reality probably.