Opinion: Colin Craig & greedy Greens go crazy

  • Breaking
  • 27/11/2013

It was "crazy Wednesday" in New Zealand politics yesterday with Colin Craig talking about the existence of the "chemtrails" conspiracy theory.

The Conservatives leader actually entertains the idea that jet vapour trails from behind aircraft contain a chemical agent that Governments drop onto the population below.

Now that is crazy talk from Colin Craig.

In the "Ask Colin" section of the Conservatives' website Colin Craig says: "Our Party has no formal position on chemtrails. I am aware of the theory that chemicals are being released at high altitude for some nefarious purpose but don't know whether there is any truth in this or not."

And last night Craig told Brook Sabin: "I take an undecided stand on anything where I don't have evidence for or against."

Oh dear.

Chemtrails are a joke – full stop.

What next - do the Conservatives have no formal position on whether the moon landings were faked?

John Key might think Winston Peters a conspiracy theorist but you would never catch the NZ First leader banging on about chemtrails.

Key has cuddled up to Craig in recent weeks because the 2.8 percent the Conservatives are polling at could get him another term in power.

But when Craig started talking chemtrails last night a big alarm bell would have rung on the ninth floor of the Beehive as National's strategists said: "Houston - we have a problem."

You can just imagine Key saying to Steven Joyce - "Steven, I think we put away that 10-foot bargepole a little too soon. I don't think we want to touch Colin Craig anymore."

The problem for Key is that 10-foot bargepole will probably need to be put to better use against John Banks and Act.

That's because Banks looks set to face trial next year in the lead-up to the election with Key's favourite German Kim Dotcom giving evidence.

Key really will need a barge-pole for that one.

Banks did his own "crazy walk" for Crazy Wednesday, bizarrely trying to avoid media after his court case by sneaking out of the High Court's law library and scuttling down Anzac Ave.

But surely nothing was as crazy as the Greens' leadership challenge.

The Greens' 16th ranked candidate David Hay decided he would take on Russel Norman, triggering a leadership "contest" at next year's conference.

This is a pathetic joke of a challenge - but the joke is on the Green Party given its constitution allows such a futile challenge.

Now I am all for grassroots democracy and party membership having power, etcetera.

But this is a joke. Hay has no chance. The Greens look like a party of navel-gazing, Morris-dancing time-wasters - the very image they have been trying to escape.

The Greens are supposed to be getting ready for power. But it looks like their constitution and grassroots are not ready for the responsibility and would prefer instead to play silly games.

Imagine if Aaron Gilmore could challenge John Key's leadership like this. Or Rajen Prasad challenge David Cunliffe. Or Richard Prosser challenge Winston Peters.

Grownup, functioning political movements do not do this sort of silliness.

Russel Norman is meant to be positioning himself as the next deputy Prime Minister or even Finance Minister. Instead he will be seeing off a ridiculous leadership challenge.

And why is David Hay doing this? Because he wants to raise his profile and boost his list spot - at 16th on the list, he is just out of Parliament on current polling and wants to jack-boot his way in.

This is the saddest part of all - the Greens are getting greedy.

MPs are climbing over one another to increase their list rankings so they can be in line for Cabinet spots. Green candidates are climbing over one another to try and get in.

The Greens are close to power for the first time and are already losing the plot, unable to bridle both their personal ambition and their antiquated party machinery.

The Greens are getting greedy - and acting crazier than Colin Craig.

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