Green co-leader Marama Davidson is urging members to 'stay loud' ahead of the annual conference

Co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on Green Party's members to keep its MPs, and ministers, accountable. Photo / Dean Purcell

Some supporters are expressing frustration with their party’s direction — and playing second fiddle to NZ First.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson has a simple message for her party's supporters ahead of its annual conference in Dunedin this weekend – "stay green; stay loud".

It's a message many of the party's faithful won't have a problem adopting – after all, Green supporters tend to be some of the most active and vocal in New Zealand politics.

But the party's base is getting restless and the Herald understands members are becoming increasingly frustrated with the party's direction.

They are upset with the Greens consistently having to play second fiddle to New Zealand First – Labour's coalition partner.

In fact, long-time Green member and three-time candidate Jack McDonald said the party's direction is part of the reason he won't be putting his name forward as a candidate in next year's election.

"It is hard to motivate yourself full time to a party when you're concerned about the direction that it's heading."

The restlessness of the members is something Davidson is well aware of.

Speaking to the Herald in her office, she said many members want the party to be moving "faster and stronger".

This is a view she is not only sympathetic to, but agrees with.

"We all agree – especially us in here on the Parliamentary side, we want to go stronger and faster."

And when it comes to Green MPs, Davidson is often pushing that message publicly.
The way she sees it, that's her job within the party.

Unlike her co-leader James Shaw, Davidson is not a minister, meaning she is most at liberty to push against the Government.

"I was elected as a non-executive member to be able to uphold our independence and Green political voice."

She has only been in the role of co-leader for just over a year.

Davidson took over from Metiria Turei, who resigned as co-leader of the Greens just before the 2017 election after she admitted to benefit fraud when she was a young mother.

Turei was seen as the leader of the social justice arm of the party. That mantel has been passed to Davidson and it didn't take her long to start making waves.

She made international headlines in August last year, where she called on Kiwi women to reclaim the c-word from people who use it to degrade women.

She says her using of the word in a rally in Auckland was about highlighting the harassment and abuse that women in public positions receive.

It is not uncommon to see Davidson speaking to rallies outside Parliament and across the country.

Just this week, she received a petition from Hands off our Tamariki – a group demanding an end to the uplift of Māori babies.

"I have heard every single one of your words; I will keep hearing every single one of your words. I am clear, that the trauma and abuse by the state on our tamariki must stop," she told those gathered.

Dame Tariana Turia leads the Hands off Our Tamariki Network as they arrive at Parliament to hand to Green Party Co-Leader Marama Davidson the Open Letter to Government. Photo / Mark Mitchell

She also made headlines when she, and Green MPs Chloe Swarbrick, Jan Logie and Golriz Ghahraman joined the protests at Ihumātao in Auckland last weekend.

Davidson had told Parliament that what was happening at Ihumātao was a "continuation of colonisation" and said she would continue to pressure ministers on the issue.

She said going to Ihumātao was about making sure she and other MPs were informed when they were speaking up about the issue and calling for a peaceful resolution.

What comes next, however, is much more complicated.

The Ihumātao land is legally owned by Fletcher Building but the protesters say it was taken by proclamation during the Waikato invasion in 1863.

Not long after Greens arrived at the protest, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that Fletcher had agreed not to build on the site until the issue had been resolved.

Asked what could be done to find a solution, Davidson said the Government buying the land was "one solution".

But she said no options should be taken off the table at this stage.

Another option, she said, could be assembling a coalition of parties, such as businesses, iwi, Government and everyday Kiwis, to buy the land.

For many, Davidson's approach to politics could be considered radical.

But, according to former senior Green MP Sue Bradford, that's just what the Greens need at this point in time.

The most recent 1News/ Colmar Brunton poll put the party's support at 6 per cent – just above the 5 per cent threshold.

Given the party has no electorate seats, dipping below that level in next year's election would mean the Greens would not return to Parliament.

And unfortunately for the party, history is not on their side.

Smaller parties under MMP don't tend to fare well in elections after being in government.

Bradford said the Greens need to show its members why the party deserves to return to Parliament after the next election.

That starts by emphasising the wins that have been achieved so far.

New Green Party co-leader, MP Marama Davidson, is congratulated by co-leader James Shaw MP after being elected to the position. Photot / Michael Craig.

According to Davidson, both her and her co-leader, James Shaw, will be making that clear in their respective speeches this weekend.

In her speech, Davidson plans to trumpet the Greens' legislation which grants victims of domestic violence 10 days' paid leave from work.

Shaw will speak about the Zero Carbon Bill and the party's moves to get agriculture into the emissions trading scheme.

No doubt there will be references to the Greens' role in ending most new offshore oil exploration and the plastic bag ban in both the leaders' speeches too.

But Bradford said the Greens need to push harder for more wins as it has become apparent to many members that the party appears to be determined to be a good partner to Labour and NZ First and not "rock the boat".

But she wants the boat to be rocked and so do many members.

Jack McDonald, who is also the Greens' policy co-convener, agreed.

He said the party needed to be doing much more as, at the moment, many members are feeling sidelined.

"I know that I, in particular, but also many people in the party are concerned with its continued drift towards the centrist politics and away from the party's roots, particularly under James Shaw's leadership."

He is critical of the Budget Responsibility Rules (BBRs), which limit the Government's ability to borrow and spend money.

Shaw helped write these rules and signed up for them with Finance Minister Grant Robertson.

"[The rules are] something that, to this day, have been deeply unpopular in the party," McDonald said.

The Greens are in the process of reviewing the rules at the moment.

"Hopefully we will be going into the next election with a much more radical and stronger fiscal position," McDonald said.

Greens co-leader Marama Davidson in her Bowen House office before the party's annual conference this weekend. Photo / Mark Mitchell

In the meantime, Davidson is calling on the party's members to keep its MPs, and ministers, accountable.

"It's important the Greens keep celebrating what we have achieved under a strong Green influence and the track record of achieving those things."

But in the lead up to next year's crucial election, she says it is important members do two things.

"Stay green; stay loud."