Former Greens co-leader James Shaw says he would’ve been “very comfortable” bringing a governing deal with National to his party members for deliberation — had Christopher Luxon picked up the phone to negotiate after last year’s election.
Additionally, he told Q+A that he felt the Greens were in a “good place” as a party despite separate scandals involving former MP Golriz Ghahraman and current MP Darleen Tana.
Shaw will give his valedictory speech in Parliament on Wednesday after announcing his resignation earlier this year. He was co-leader of the party for nine years between 2015 and the beginning of this year, briefly serving as its sole leader in 2017.
Speaking to Q+A, the outgoing MP said he had considered reaching out to National first, but that, “ultimately, it was up to Christopher Luxon to decide whether or not to call us”.
Shaw said he would’ve been “very comfortable” bringing a deal to Green Party members, had one been able to be negotiated in the first place.
He said: “Because of the way the Greens operate, it would be up to our members.
“I would be very comfortable going to them and saying: ‘Here is something, you’re not gonna like it, but these are the things we can stop, and we might even be able to advance a few things, and here’s the alternative. There are massive risks and consequences either way — it’s your say.’
The parties are expected to agree to the deals tonight, with the official signing ceremony to take place tomorrow.
“I would have been very comfortable taking that to the members.”
Upon further questioning, Shaw added that he believed the prospect of a deal with National hadn’t been “tested” with the party’s membership.
He recalled an anecdote with a group of party members from the Greens’ Dunedin branch, where he was “surprised” by the party faithful’s willingness to compromise.
“It’s all a hypothetical discussion,” he suggested. “I remember a meeting during the campaign in Dunedin. We’d gone out door knocking and phone calling during the day.
“We kind of went to the pub afterwards — had a few beers and so on — and somebody said: ‘Would we work with National to block ACT and New Zealand First?’.
“And I said, ‘Well, what do you think? What do you think we should do?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely, I do.’
“I tested the group. There were about 16 of us, I think, from memory. Only one person said, ‘No, we shouldn’t.’
“I have to say, Dunedin is one of our more radical branches in the country … so it really surprised me, right.”
Shaw added: “These are the members, these are the activists going out every day working really hard to get a Labour-Green government.
“But when I put the question to them, they were open to the idea that we might do it, to block ACT and New Zealand First. I think you’d be surprised at Green Party members — you know, the lengths to which they will go to stop bad things from happening.”
Shaw claims Greens in a ‘good place’ despite MP scandals
The Greens have faced a tricky start to the year, with former MP Golriz Ghahraman charged with shoplifting and current MP Darleen Tana continuing to remain under investigation over a migrant exploitation allegation relating to a business in her family.
However, Shaw claimed he wasn’t worried that the party was in a vulnerable state. The party’s leadership faced criticism over its handling of the initial Ghahraman allegations.
“It actually feels like it’s in a really good place right now,” he said of his party.
“I say that with the basis of comparison over a dozen years. I think that’s pretty good. And our polling is really high.
“I sense that the public is also kind of going that it’s a kind of a rough patch, that doesn’t seem to be changing the kind of, perception of the party as a whole and what it is that we stand for.”
Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand on Air.
