Discussion

@isaacfreeman@cloudisland.nz · 3 weeks ago

@AngelaAntunovic @bananabob Yeah, I agree there. A few elections ago I think it was worth focusing on how the Greens are a serious party that can work with Labour and be trusted in government. But by now I think we’ve established that to everyone who'd consider voting for us. At this point the focus needs to be on why you'd vote Green over Labour.

However, I don't think we can assume that NZ progressive voters are as thoroughly disgusted right now with our Labour Party as UK voters are with theirs. So it wouldn't be as much “here's hope where you thought none was possible" but "you can hope for more than Labour would ever dare”.

Strypey

@strypey@mastodon.nzoss.nz · last month

@AngelaAntunovic
> Please please please can the NZ Greens copy this messaging

Not copy, but get inspiration from for sure. I'm not ashamed to say every part of that video put tears in my eyes, especially the way Zack landed the ending; make hope normal again.

Hope for a better future too. Not hope for a return to a romanticised past that wasn't so great for most people, as promoted by Winston First et al.

@chopsstephens

Angela Antunovic

@AngelaAntunovic@mastodon.nz · last month

@strypey @chopsstephens Inspiring is the right word. The NZ Greens always have sensible well-costed policies and the bulk of voters don't even consider voting for them. They need to inspire people. That video makes you feel a better future is possible.

#nzpol (forgot to hashtag the first post, sorry)

Strypey

@strypey@mastodon.nzoss.nz · last month

@AngelaAntunovic
> The NZ Greens always have sensible well-costed policies and the bulk of voters don't even consider voting for them. They need to inspire people

Couldn't agree more, they used to be much better at that in the 90s/ early 2000s. But they were routinely pigeonholed as hippy radicals, so I think they worked on seeming more cozy and sensible, and they overcorrected. Time to change messaging strategy I think.

@chopsstephens

Jeremy Buffer Jones :tinoflag:

@jeremy_pm@mastodon.nz · last month

@strypey @AngelaAntunovic @chopsstephens

Both Zack Polanski and Zohran Mamdani have created and provided blueprints on how to reach the greater populace with meaningful messages of hope in a time of hopelessness.

I agree that this has to be the most effective way for NZ Greens to maximise their chances in the #NZPol 2026 election.

Strypey

@strypey@mastodon.nzoss.nz · last month

@AngelaAntunovic
> forgot to hashtag the first post

You could always edit the post to add the hashtag, so people's filters can sort the post appropriately if they come to it from now on.

bananabob :tinoflag:

@bananabob@mastodon.nz · last month

@AngelaAntunovic This is powerful stuff.

Perhaps we should ask them. Are the Greens represented here?

Angela Antunovic

@AngelaAntunovic@mastodon.nz · last month

@bananabob There are several NZ Green party members on Mastodon, but I don't remember who they are.

Isaac Freeman

@isaacfreeman@cloudisland.nz · 3 weeks ago

@AngelaAntunovic @bananabob

Kia ora! I'm an #NZGreens member, and one of the co-convenors of the Green Geeks network for techie people.

As far as I know there are no Green MPs currently using Mastodon, but there are plenty of members. I’m currently working on a position paper on social media which will advocate for a presence here. It's a classic challenge for any progressive organisation though: do you spend your time on building the world you want to see or on engaging with people in the world as it is? The answer always needs to be a balance of both, but at the moment we need to reckon with the fact that the raw numbers of users are stacked against spending time on Mastodon. Especially during an election year, it's a hard case to make for a very busy media team.

I’ll be emphasising that Mastodon users are disproportionately going to be people who’d consider voting Green, and look for ways to get started. In the meantime, we can make sure members have a visible presence.

Isaac Freeman

@isaacfreeman@cloudisland.nz · 3 weeks ago

@AngelaAntunovic @bananabob On the ad… my impression is that everybody within the NZ Green Party is very aware of what Zach Polanski and the England/Wales Green Party are doing. Likewise with Zohran Mamadani in NYC. I think there's general enthusiasm for an economic populist campaign.

There's a challenge though: conditions in the UK are different. They're at a historic point where both of the traditional large parties have been thoroughly discredited with the general public, and most people feel exactly the way that ad describes.

While I personally feel that way about New Zealand, I don't know that the exact same message would resonate here with people who aren't already Green voters. I think many are more likely to think "this government sucks, let's go back to Labour” than “Labour and National both suck, how do we get out of this mess?” So I think the general spirit of the ad would work here, but the specific message needs to be different.

Isaac Freeman

@isaacfreeman@cloudisland.nz · 3 weeks ago

@AngelaAntunovic @bananabob I personally think the right angle is something like “Yeah, Labour is OK. But if you're serious about getting us properly out of this mess and staying out, you want to vote Green”.

Angela Antunovic

@AngelaAntunovic@mastodon.nz · 3 weeks ago

@isaacfreeman @bananabob I think the Greens need to be selling hope and transformation - that's what Polanski is doing so beautifully. It is not enough to be selling yourself as a sensible coalition partner. #nzpol

2 more replies (not shown)

Angela Antunovic

@AngelaAntunovic@mastodon.nz · 3 weeks ago

@isaacfreeman @bananabob Thank you Isaac. Are the #NZGreens on Bluesky? I've never seen anything bridged.

leighelse{}

@leighelse@mastodon.nz · last month

@AngelaAntunovic Very good!

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