And as for the coming general election I want to give my party vote to a party whose underlying values I can say yes to with integrity. Election hype makes it hard to know what are the baseline motivators for the "promises" and "policies" that all sound so good on the surface. For several years now I have been impressed by the Green Party charter - and just as importantly - how it is actually lived out by Green Party MPs. So this election my Party Vote will once again go to the Green Party. In case you haven't made up your mind yet here's their charter:
The
charter is the founding document of
The
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand accepts Te
Tiriti o Waitangi as the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand; recognises
Maori as Tangata Whenua in Aotearoa New Zealand; and commits to the following
four Principles:
Ecological Wisdom:
The basis of ecological wisdom is that human beings are part of
the natural world. This world is finite, therefore unlimited material growth is
impossible. Ecological sustainability is paramount.
Social Responsibility:
Unlimited material growth is impossible. Therefore the key to
social responsibility is the just distribution of social and natural resources,
both locally and globally.
Appropriate Decision-making:
For the implementation of ecological wisdom and social
responsibility, decisions will be made directly at the appropriate level by
those affected.
Non-Violence:
Non-violent conflict resolution is the process by which
ecological wisdom, social responsibility and appropriate decision making will
be implemented. This principle applies at all levels.
