As exercised as some have been this week about social media, the Greens and their behaviour, the bigger issue is not the Greens, but Labour and all who might support them into Government. 

As much as we may froth and hyperventilate about any given issue of the day or small firestorm, who runs the country and how is what we all ultimately should be focused on. 

We will not be going back to a single large party ever again, for two reasons. 

One is because Covid is not repeating and, even if it did, I doubt we would panic again electorally the way we did. 

Two is given when Labour was left to their own devices, they literally destroyed the place, most of us, for good or bad, have come to the conclusion that a mix of parties under this MMP system we seem to have voted for an accepted is here to stay. 

So National need at least one player, probably two, and the same applies to Labour. 

For now, National seem to have got lucky and/or well organised. Whether you support it or not, broadly speaking National, Act, and NZ First get along fine. 

The media try to stir bits of trouble around minor matters periodically and we are yet to see a full-blown campaign post a first term, where the gloves are off a bit and a few punches might get thrown. But overall, things are cordial and well managed. 

Labour on the other hand need certainly the Greens and possibly the Māori Party. Both are increasingly ropey. 

Both are increasingly belligerent, both are increasingly fringe and both are an electoral nightmare for a so-called mainstream, left-wing party. 

The Greens of James Shaw, Rod Donald, and Jeanette Fitzsimons are long gone. 

The Māori Party of Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia are long gone 

Both the current Greens and the Māori Party are anti-establishment disruptors who revel in a type of anarchy, almost as though they are outside the system. All of that is fine if you like that and want to vote for it. 

But it is completely incompatible to running a country, even for a Labour Party that has become increasingly left-leaning and socialist. 

If you don’t need, or want, to be in power, and I don’t think half the Greens or the Māori Party actually do, you can say what you want. 

But Labour do want power, and their problem is they are going to end up having to answer for an increasingly unhinged rabble or at least try to dress it up as something they can handle. 

That’s their problem. I don’t think they have the wherewithal to even come close to pulling that trick off. 

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