Pundit has a major scoop this morning: the Greens' dalliance with National seems to be in trouble. After months of being given the run-around over the development of a new Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy - something agreed in the National - Green support agreement [PDF] - only to find out from the media that their key ideas had been rejected and that National was planning to gut or repeal the Act, they have had enough. As a result,
Green Party co-leaders Metiria Turei and Russel Norman have now written formally to Key, withdrawing from that part of the MOU.Fitzsimons points out that other areas of cooperation, such as the cycleway and home insulation, have worked well, so its not entirely over. But the slice of common ground has got narrower, and the Greens are certainly going to be much more cautious about cooperation in future. In this deal, they were treated as doormats rather than partners, a PR prop to greenwash whatever policy National came up with on its own. And they are right to walk away from that.
Update: And Jeanette gives her own thoughts here.
