Hey Natalia, I've been thinking about this a lot over the last few weeks in particular. Like you, I like Tamatha and I want to give her the benefit of the doubt. I hear your points 1-4, but I don't buy them. Her electorate is getting a hammering in the national media and as a result there are plenty of opportunities to both "advocate" and "govern" during this crisis.
My take - I would not be surprised if the Greens, have asked her to stay on the down low, to allow the Mayor to hold the mic, and potentially a) allow the Mayor the chance to shine and own it or b) ensure the Mayor doesn't take Tamatha down with her! The situation reinforces my strong view that local politicians should not be affiliated to any national parties. Our politics is already overly tribal, and the media feed of this negative energy like starved wolves. We need to take every opportunity to create space for people to make decisions based on objective evidence, not political bias.
In the meantime, would the real MP for Welly Central step up please.......?
Hey Peter! Thanks for your comment. I totally get where you’re coming from, and I’ve had similar thoughts about the Greens potentially playing a strategic long game with Tamatha. But I think it’s politically irresponsible to prioritize political capital or strategy over the immediate needs of Wellingtonians. That said, I don’t believe these things have to be mutually exclusive. There are ways for her to be both politically strategic and responsible, especially given the many pressing needs in Wellington right now.
It wouldn’t surprise me if they’re trying to keep her insulated, as you mentioned, especially with the media frenzy. But again, I don’t see that as responsible politics. It’s a tricky balance, though—because the longer she stays silent, the more it looks like a missed opportunity to do her job as an elected MP.
I completely agree with you about tribal politics—it’s like we’ve boxed ourselves into these narrow spaces where every move is over-analyzed through a party filter, and the media only adds fuel to that fire. We really do need more room for objective decision-making, not less.
As for Welly Central, I would have loved to be in a position to run and win the seat, but I also know enough about how MMP works to realize that might not be in my stars.
Hey Herrman! Good point, Labour has definitely been quiet as well. It almost seems like they’re waiting to see if the Right stumbles before stepping in. I can’t help but wonder if this is part of a broader strategy to regroup and avoid being too reactive post-election, but it does feel like there’s a lot of silence on all sides right now. It’ll be interesting to see if this approach pays off or if the moment for action might pass them by. What do you think—is it a smart move, or are they risking being too passive?
Hey Stuart, thanks for your comment. I get the skepticism, and it's easy to see how this could play out with Labour making a strong push next time around. But I wouldn’t count her out just yet. Politics can shift quickly, and hopefully she manages to step up and deliver for us, which I hope she does. It’ll be interesting to see how things unfold over the next few months and whether she can show up before the next election. What’s your take—do you think Labour has a clear path, or could things shift?
Hey Natalia, I've been thinking about this a lot over the last few weeks in particular. Like you, I like Tamatha and I want to give her the benefit of the doubt. I hear your points 1-4, but I don't buy them. Her electorate is getting a hammering in the national media and as a result there are plenty of opportunities to both "advocate" and "govern" during this crisis.
My take - I would not be surprised if the Greens, have asked her to stay on the down low, to allow the Mayor to hold the mic, and potentially a) allow the Mayor the chance to shine and own it or b) ensure the Mayor doesn't take Tamatha down with her! The situation reinforces my strong view that local politicians should not be affiliated to any national parties. Our politics is already overly tribal, and the media feed of this negative energy like starved wolves. We need to take every opportunity to create space for people to make decisions based on objective evidence, not political bias.
In the meantime, would the real MP for Welly Central step up please.......?
Hey Peter! Thanks for your comment. I totally get where you’re coming from, and I’ve had similar thoughts about the Greens potentially playing a strategic long game with Tamatha. But I think it’s politically irresponsible to prioritize political capital or strategy over the immediate needs of Wellingtonians. That said, I don’t believe these things have to be mutually exclusive. There are ways for her to be both politically strategic and responsible, especially given the many pressing needs in Wellington right now.
It wouldn’t surprise me if they’re trying to keep her insulated, as you mentioned, especially with the media frenzy. But again, I don’t see that as responsible politics. It’s a tricky balance, though—because the longer she stays silent, the more it looks like a missed opportunity to do her job as an elected MP.
I completely agree with you about tribal politics—it’s like we’ve boxed ourselves into these narrow spaces where every move is over-analyzed through a party filter, and the media only adds fuel to that fire. We really do need more room for objective decision-making, not less.
As for Welly Central, I would have loved to be in a position to run and win the seat, but I also know enough about how MMP works to realize that might not be in my stars.
The Labour party has been quiet too? Is their mantra to sit back and watch the Right maybe implode?
Hey Herrman! Good point, Labour has definitely been quiet as well. It almost seems like they’re waiting to see if the Right stumbles before stepping in. I can’t help but wonder if this is part of a broader strategy to regroup and avoid being too reactive post-election, but it does feel like there’s a lot of silence on all sides right now. It’ll be interesting to see if this approach pays off or if the moment for action might pass them by. What do you think—is it a smart move, or are they risking being too passive?
Their silence makes them irrelevant IMO. The Ferries, Dunedin Hospital and rising unemployment needs to be loud and clear from the left. Not a wimper.
I wouldn't expect anything from her other than Labour taking her seat at the next election.
Hey Stuart, thanks for your comment. I get the skepticism, and it's easy to see how this could play out with Labour making a strong push next time around. But I wouldn’t count her out just yet. Politics can shift quickly, and hopefully she manages to step up and deliver for us, which I hope she does. It’ll be interesting to see how things unfold over the next few months and whether she can show up before the next election. What’s your take—do you think Labour has a clear path, or could things shift?