WHILE GREEN MP's might have been wiser not to attend the protest against Posie Parker that was still their democratic right. But they went way too far, and continue to go too far, trying to defend the indefensible. There can be no justification for supporting a protest that deliberately set out to shut down a lawful and peaceful meeting and which resulted in Parker and a number of women being verbally and physically abused.
The immediate truimphalism on display from the Green MPs after the meeting was abandoned was ugly. But the Green Party's defence of the madness that descended on Albert Park on Saturday has been just as ugly. It's unlikely to have attracted new Green Party supporters and probably lost the Green's quite a few old ones. Given that the party is polling in the low single digits, it can ill-afford to shed support.
Green MP's have also done little to enhance their own reputations. Many people, for example, will now have a more jaundiced view of Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick after she claimed the protest was all about 'love and affection' despite the numerous videos freely available on social media telling an entirely different story. Little wonder that some folk have accused Swarbrick of trying to gaslight them.
I imagine too that the elderly woman who was repeatedly punched in the head by a protester might also dispute Swarbrick's claim that love was in the air on Saturday.
Today FM's Rachel Smalley has been perhaps the only mainstream journalist to reject the media's attempt to vilify Posie Parker and whitewash the actions of the protesters.
But it has come at a cost. In a new column she writes:
'None of us are allowed to speak. Women, if they raise their hands to speak, they are silenced and abused. Since I wrote my editorial on Thursday, I have been called many things. A Nazi. A Terf. A supporter of hate. Anti-trans. A bigot. A bitch. And far worse.'
She will probably be the target for more abuse after unloading on the Green Party. Her comments are scathing:
'The Greens are the party that Chris Hipkins has no option but to go into coalition with. And if this is the devastation the Greens can inflict on our freedom of speech and on social cohesion when they are in essence outside of Government, imagine what they can do from within it? Labour’s tripping over itself at the moment trying to find its official position on what’s just happened to our society this weekend… but they are largely mumbling something about supporting trans rights and opposing hate.
'And don’t we all? Don’t we all support trans and oppose hate? But how can politicians justify the hate that has been unleashed on women? I feel like I am living in some sort of parallel universe. How can it be that it's okay to silence women about issues that affect them, and physically intimidate them into silence?'
'For the first time in my life, I am fearful of a political party. I really am. I am fearful of how the Greens mobilised their MPs and their followers to shut down women. Marama Davidson is something of a lost cause now. How do we believe or trust in her as a politician? And James Shaw? As co-leader, you’ve lost control of your party. And your political credibility has taken a major hit.'
The icing on the turd cake that the Green Party has baked for itself is Marama Davidson's claim that it is white straight men that are responsible for most of the violence directed at women. As the Minister for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, it was a staggeringly false and stupid thing for her to say.
But, given her extreme ethno-nationalist views, we know she meant what she said. She has only tried to walk back her comments after a directive from the Prime Minister's office. Davidson might claim she was 'in shock' after an incident with a motorcyclist but it's unlikely that many people will believe her. The damage has been done. If there's any justice, these outrageous and divisive remarks will remain a monkey on her back right up the general election. Karma sucks don't it, Marama?
great article again.
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