James Shaw speaks to the media following his and Marama Davidson's reaffirmation as Green party co-leaders. Video / Sylvie Whinray
Green Party co-leader James Shaw says a National-led Government would be “beholden to the Act Party” and put climate change progress back 30 years.
Shaw made the comments during a rousing speech at the party AGM in Auckland, where he was also reaffirmed as co-leader alongside Marama Davidson.
It came after a shock result last year when Shaw failed to get the 75 per cent support of members needed to be re-elected. The campaign was instigated by members of the Young Greens and Green Left Network who wanted to challenge his leadership on certain policy areas given it was a non-election year.
Shaw was ultimately reinstated after a somewhat messy and public process.
Green Party co-leader James Shaw. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
If there was any lingering dissent with Shaw none of it was on display during his speech, in which members intermittently burst into loud cheers and applause in what could be seen as a display of unity for the media pack present.
Members spoken to said they were focused on the election campaign ahead and were happy with the work Shaw had put in around the country speaking to various delegations about their concerns.
Shaw’s speech focused on the work the Greens had done in their governing arrangement with Labour, largely in the climate and environmental space, such as the Zero Carbon Act, Emissions Reduction Plan and biodiversity credits.
Shaw also made what could be seen as a pitch for the farming vote - revealing that Cabinet this week had signed off on work to better recognise sequestration efforts in emissions accounting, such as native restoration from wetlands, peatlands and native forests.
The issue had been a stumbling block in negotiations with farmers to introduce pricing for agricultural emissions.
It was a sombre speech at times, with Shaw highlighting the scale of the climate crisis, referencing how Tuesday was the hottest day on record for the planet. The second hottest was Monday.
“The climate crisis is no longer something that’s happening to someone else, somewhere else, at some point in the future,” Shaw said.
“It’s happening to us. It’s happening here. It’s happening now.”
Green co-leader Marama Davidson, and MPs Chloe Swarbrick and Teanau Tuiono listen to co-leader James Shaw speak at the party AGM in Auckland. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Shaw said the Green Party was the only party to “treat climate change as the crisis it truly is”.
He said he had made “no secret” of wanting to have done more, but blamed Labour, a “majority government”, for having “other priorities”.
It was a critical time in the climate space, he said, with the next government needing to update the climate plan next year.
“Just like Labour will need our support, the only way that Christopher Luxon can become prime minister is with the support of David Seymour and the Act Party.”
On current polls, Act is on track to substantially increase its 10 seats, which would give it a large amount of sway in any coalition with National.
Shaw said Act had pledged to restart oil drilling and ditch climate targets.
“The decisions the next government makes will determine emissions reductions for the rest of this decade.
“Everything we have achieved, from putting climate targets into law, to ending the use of coal to heat our schools and hospitals, to finally putting nature at the heart of our climate response will be dismantled.
“And we’ll be back where we were, 30 years ago.”
Speaking to media afterwards, Shaw was asked about a recent Ipsos poll, reported by Newsroom, that found despite the weather events of this year the proportion of New Zealanders who recognised not acting now on climate change was failing future generations had decreased by 6 per cent from last year to about two-thirds.
The poll also found 31 per cent did not think now was the right time to be taking action on climate change due to the economic situation.
Shaw said climate solutions needed to also be solutions for people’s living costs and having a better quality of life.
Shaw was also asked about the recent situation with former Green MP Elizabeth Kerekere, who ultimately resigned after appearing to call fellow MP Chloe Swarbrick a “crybaby” in a group chat, and other allegations about her behaviour (all of which Kerekere herself has denied).
“It hasn’t come up,” Shaw said.
“If you look at the mood in there, it’s pretty buoyant. People are very focused on the election campaign.”
Sunday will see co-leader Marama Davidson unveil the party’s manifesto.
