Bruce Bisset: The real challenge lies ahead

Bruce Bisset says to have a viable future we need to embrace a far greener vision than even the Greens currently profess. Photo / File

This election is drawing the lines between those who know or think perhaps the world we're used to is in danger of collapse, and those who steadfastly either ignore the evidence or are in outright denial of it.

And the result shows in New Zealand, at least, the balance has finally shifted to recognition of crisis – from which there is no going back.

Yes, I'm willing to bet not only that sometime late tomorrow we'll have another Labour government-elect, but that this election marks the death-knell for the "business-as-usual" parties who refuse to acknowledge the need for change.

That may or may not include Labour, too, in the long-term, but it certainly includes National now and, despite a rising vote, Act. NZ First is dead already.

Bruce Bisset

Sure, the old divisions of wealth and privilege, class and race, still exist and still play significant parts both in how we relate to the world and interact with each other, and in our Parliament's electoral make-up.

But the tsunami that is climate and ecological crisis is taking over as the driver for politics – and this is, I suggest, the first election where that change is being made manifest.

Three years ago it was a throw-away aspiration, a hopeful appeal more than a line in the sand. This time, it's barely raised above superficiality as far as the politicking itself goes; but the underlying mood and mindset of voters has firmed - even if the major parties have yet to properly recognise that.

So we have a solid if unspectacular "hold" for the Greens – everyone who not only sees the danger but wants a party that does, too; and a majority swing for Labour – everybody who is worried about the danger, and prefers a party they think capable of handling that jandal as needed, even if lacking vision as things stand.

On the other side, National's support has dwindled to those who largely see the danger but continue to think they can trade or buy or bluff and bluster their way out of it, in line with that party's ethos; and the flock to Act reflects the reactionary die-hards who can't see what the fuss is about and aren't willing to change even if they could.

To that part of the ledger add the nutters (Advance/Public) and the fundamentalists (New Conservatives); people so terrorised by what's happening as to believe it's all conspiracy, and people so ignorant of what's happening as to believe it's in accord with some cosmic plan.

Certainly the right should have a good long think about the death of NZ First, because it demonstrates there is still such a thing as being too toxic to be supportable.

Equally, Labour cannot presume their reign in a crisis-led world is pre-ordained. They are still fundamentally engaged in the economics of neoliberalism and the oppressive notion of "free trade", whereby the poor of other nations are exploited for our uncaring gain.

Having been gifted this round, they must include the Greens in government and take heed of the lessons the pandemic can teach them of the direction they need to pursue, else as the Earth convulses their power too will shrink.

Ultimately, to have a viable future we need to embrace a far greener vision than even the Greens profess.

Whether Labour can begin to reset itself for such a challenge is the test for this coming term.

• Bruce Bisset is a freelance writer and poet. Views expressed are the writer's opinion and not the newspaper's.