Rather jaundiced
Your correspondent "Smiley" (letters September 18) expresses a rather jaundiced and not very well informed view of the Greens, suggesting we are anti-progress and encourage welfare dependency rather than "honest work".
We are of course a party with a strong environmental focus, not only because we love this country and want to protect it, but also because we know that our economic well-being depends on the quality of our natural resources.
"No environment, no economy" is a message that is well understood by primary producers and the tourism industry, our two largest export earners. Polluted rivers, degraded soils, loss of species and habitat do no good to anyone.
Unemployment, and particularly youth unemployment, is a major problem for today, and is storing up more trouble for our future.
