“I am the violence prevention minister – and I know who causes violence in the world – it is white cis men. That it is white cis men who cause violence in the world.”
Marama Davidson
Green party deputy leader Marama Davidson felt emboldened and enabled to proclaim such a divisive statement because that is the tenor and character of today’s culture wars. Her statement invited a “pile on”, outrage and contempt from many quarters including, of course, white straight politicians.
Why did she do it? Davidson gives strong indicators that she actually believes that white males are the foremost perpetrators of violence and she now perceives greater political mileage is to be gained by advocating social/racial issues as opposed to the conservation issues that you would expect from a member of a “Green” political party.
Davidson surely is a true watermelon green!
Davidson’s father is Peter Broughton CNZM, better known as Rawiri Paratene, an actor who in the 1970s was president of the Wellington chapter of Nga Tamatoa, the Maori activist organisation that fought for Maori rights, land, language and culture. Paratene also stood for the Green Party in the 2008 election.
Prior to becoming an MP Davidson worked for the Human Rights Commission for ten years, and was a member of the Glenn Inquiry into Domestic Violence and Child Abuse. She has also worked part-time for Breastfeeding New Zealand and is a founding member of Te Wharepora Hou Maori Women’s Collective.
Given Davidson’s upbringing on a diet of social injustice and her early employment roles, it was foreseeable that she would carry that focus with her to Parliament as a Green Party MP in 2015.
The genesis of Green political parties was the wave of radical social activism, particularly the European student protests of the 1960s and then the anti-nuclear movement of the 1970s and 80s.
The European Green political parties’ emergence into mainstream politics saw them being able to exert significant influence as anti-war, socio-economics and social justice issues began to hold greater importance in voter beliefs.
Now, as climate change becomes an uppermost issue among voters, Green political parties are seeing their support bases grow rapidly and they have realised they must now also reflect a broader and more social focused lobby that seeks to encompass ethnic, social and economic issues such as racial and economic equality and gender equity.
In New Zealand the Green Party traces its origins back to the Values Party. The Values Party originated in 1972 at Victoria University and was the world’s first true, nationwide environmentalist party. The Greens, once seen as bizarre, radical outriders, increasingly claimed a place in our mainstream politics.
Greens around the world have evolved from single-issue environmentalists into broad-based political parties capable of winning elections and serving at the highest levels of government.
A wonderful example of the evolution of a Green political party is in Germany where the Green party has been at the forefront of pressing for stronger Western support for Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion!
But back to Davidson’s clearly totally inappropriate statement linking white men to violence; She now claims she was in shock from being hit by a motorcycle when she made the comments about white men and violence and should have been clearer.
But hold on! It transpires that Davidson was struck by a motorcycle handle bar 3 hours earlier! And what was she doing when struck – apparently posing for selfies, on a pedestrian crossing, holding a sign supporting trans solidarity, as Brian Tamaki’s convoy of leather clad motorcyclists sped past!
Apparently, Davidson had stepped out onto the pedestrian crossing, holding her sign in one hand and motioning with her other hand for the bikers to stop. Trying to stop a convoy of motor bikes? Come on Marama, no wonder you were hit!
To add further doubt to the veracity of her “in shock” excuse, she had also been preaching on stage, in the wake of Women’s rights activist Posie Parker being forced from the stage, addressing the trans supporters about the “…harmful and false narrative that trans people are one of the biggest risks to women.”
Strangely though, there was not one mention of the motorcycle incident.
That would explain why, to me, her face was clearly exhibiting a knowing smirk as she spoke to the Counterspin media. She was hyped by the success of the pro LGBTQ+ crowd being able to close down Parker. She was hyped by being able to pontificate to a new bloc of potential voters and she clearly understood and believed what she was saying.
ACT and NZ First called for her to resign as Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence over the comments, with ACT MP Karen Chhour (herself the recipient of race-based invective) being more direct in stating, “That’s not the kind of behaviour New Zealanders expect from Ministers who earn $250,000 a year.”
“If Marama Davidson can apologise to the Prime Minister, she can also apologise to the victims of family and sexual violence for politicising this issue. If she can’t do that, she should resign and let someone who doesn’t use the trauma of victims of family and sexual violence for political gain take over as Minister.”
Chris Luxon “has encouraged Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson to apologise to the people she offended with her comments – white cisgender men.”
Not surprisingly, fellow Green co-leader James Shaw supported Davidson by saying, “I think if I had just been hit by a motorcycle as well, it’s not likely I would be completely clear in what I was saying too.”
But that is to be expected from politicians these days. Exhibiting solidarity, even in the face of blatant inventiveness and creativity around facts!
Shaw similarly, “absolutely”, supported Davidson’s comments about the British monarchy’s colonialist legacy during tributes in Parliament to Queen Elizabeth following the Queen’s passing.
Davidson had said “…cannot ignore the oppression of Maori as very real and continuing”, pointing to “the impacts of a colonial and imperial agenda on their lives”.
I believe Davidson has very candidly and proudly thrown off the cloak of integrity and trustworthiness, and we can now view her for what she has proven herself to be. How can the public now not perceive her as racist and sexist?
Anyone who was truly sorry for making such reprehensible and shameful comments would have admitted it was a very poor lapse of judgement and immediately apologised. But not Marama!
Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald must be turning in their graves!
The likes of Davidson and her ilk often make the comment that “white-man’s violence often goes unreported.”
So Marama, how does that work? If it is unreported, how do you know that it happened?
I do not condemn Davidson for her outrageous statement, in fact, I thank her. I think we can all now see exactly where the heart and direction of the New Zealand Green Party truly lies.
The New Zealand Greens, once, probably happy to be identified as eco-socialists, are moving further to the left by linking their socialism with Marxism and conveniently blaming the capitalist system for all the ills of the world.
Using Marxist methodology the Greens seem more intent on accentuating ethnic, economic and socio-political issues while at the same time dancing the Climate Change/World-in-Death-Throes dance, only to access the abundance of funding the government throws at that cause.
Case in point – Efeso Collins didn’t join the Greens because he is an ardent environmentalist.
When announcing the Green Party’s new list, James Shaw declared “…that with such a diverse group, Aotearoa will elect the most progressive and climate focussed government we have ever had.” Note progressive before climate and does he mean progressive in the sense of, economic justice, social justice, opposition to militarism and strong corporate regulation?
In my view, a vote for the Greens in this year’s election carries a significantly high-risk.
In closing, I must say I can only presume that every day in parliament Marama must be sitting next to James Shaw absolutely terrified about whether he is going to physically lash out at her. He is after all a white cis man!
How bloody ironic!
