Pleased to see that in tonight's One News poll ("National's popularity slides in latest poll"), the combined Labour-Green vote is +6 to 46%, while the National vote is -4 to 47%.
As I said back in April, the polls move slowly. It's the trend that counts. On that One News trend, things are starting to look up for the left. But there's a long way to go til 2014.
As an aside, on that road to 2014, there'll inevitably be tensions between Labour and the Greens. That is because the principles of the two parties have a lot of crossover. That leads to similar policies and aiming for votes from the same people at times.
My take on that is simple. I want to see a Labour / Green government, and I won't be attacking the Greens. That doesn't mean I won't criticise them when I think they're wrong. It also doesn't mean I think they are the party to lead the country: if I thought that, I'd be in the Green Party.
It does mean, though, that I deplore the notion that some in Labour seem to hold that the Greens are somehow "stealing" our votes. Memo to selves: we don't own anyone's votes, and nobody owes us anything. The Greens are doing their job to try and improve their support. Labour's task is to do the same and fight for every vote, not complain about someone else doing that.
Thanks Jordan.
As a long time Green supporter I really welcome this kind of thinking from Labour.
Labour and the Greens need to work together or else we'll get another rotten National government. That would suck.
Posted by: nommopilot | Monday, 04 June 2012 at 08:45 PM