Media statement

For immediate release

Monday, 4 July 2005

Greens demonstrate (again) their utter irrelevance

United Future leader Peter Dunne says today's childish temper tantrum by Green's co-leader Rod Donald over Zimbabwe demonstrates yet again why he and his party are utterly irrelevant to serious policy-making.

"The Greens might be taken more seriously if it weren't so obvious that the only reason they are making a big noise over Zimbabwe and the Black Caps tour is because they want to make a splash in the media, rather than come up with a serious and mutually-agreed solution to the problem," he said.

"What we are seeing here is a re-run of the Corngate row in 2002. Just before an election, the Greens jump up and down in the media, then try to blackmail Labour into following their lead, and then have a fit when they're turned down. It's easy to see why Labour is so reluctant to deal with the Greens after the next election.

"Mr Donald is accusing me of misrepresenting his Bill to ban the cricket tour.

"On the contrary, I'm well aware of what his Bill seeks to do and it's wrong. Trying to defeat Robert Mugabe by using Mugabe's methods is stupid and immoral and that is why I don't support the Greens' badly-flawed Bill," said Mr Dunne.

Ends

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