NEW ZEALAND NATIONALISTS FORM COALITION WITH THE LEFT

Winston Peters - between the races, between the parties.

We've said it again and again: the Alt-Right is beyond the conventional left and right division. What we believe in are healthy organic entities -- families, communities, and countries. Modern "business friendly" conservatism, with its globalist neoliberal tendencies, can be just as toxic as extreme Leftism and Cultural Marxism.

So, we are not surprised to see the populist and nationalist New Zealand First Party decide to enter a coalition government with the Centre-Left Labour Party and the Green Party, although purely tactical and party reasons no doubt also played their part.

Following the general election, which was held on the 23rd of September, the New Zealand First Party got 7.2% of the vote and won 9 seats. Along with other results, this meant that it held the balance of power in the 120-seat parliament, with the Centre-Right National Party getting 56 seats and the Labour and Green parties getting 46 and 8 respectively. 

Following the full count, New Zealand First, which strongly opposes mass immigration, entered into negotiations with both the National Party and the Labour-Green grouping, before deciding to go with the Leftists. 

Party Leader Winston Peters, who is part Maori, explained his party's decision in somewhat garbled terms as follows:

"The agreement we have reached is a summation of the policies that survived the negotiations.  As the song says, 'You can’t always get what you want.' Our negotiations have taken place against a backdrop of changing international and internal economic circumstances which we cannot ignore. We in New Zealand First believe that an economic correction, or a slowdown, is looming, and that the first signs are already here. [snip] Our choice today relates to how best we mitigate, not worsen, their  impact on as many New Zealanders as possible. [snip] Far too many New Zealanders have come to view today’s capitalism, not as their friend, but as their foe. And they are not all wrong. That is why we believe that capitalism must regain its responsible - its human face. That perception has influenced our negotiations."

A major reason that New Zealand First went with Labour and the Greens, however, was also tactical and aimed at preserving the strength of the party. 

If New Zealand First remain to the right of the National Party on a political spectrum that favours centrist parties, there is a tendency for its supporters to see elections in terms of a bi-partisan Centre-Left vs. Centre-Right split, and so vote for the main party on the "right," namely the National Party. At this election New Zealand First actually lost a few seats. 

Moving to the Left, however, allows the party to disrupt the "polarity," and get voters to express their preferences more directly, which benefits its stronger policy positions.

Another problem New Zealand First faced in the past when it was in coalition with the Centre-Right National Party was defections by its own MPs to the larger party. Allying with the Left may make this less of a problem.


Addendum

After further negotiations, Labour and the NZ First agreed to cut immigration from 70,000 a year to 40,000. NZ First want to cap it at under 10,000.