Remember the Alliance Party?
It was an ill-assorted bunch, philosophically, once led by Jim Anderton and with a few MPs in Parliament until it came spectacularly unglued. Among the consequences, Anderton formed the Progressive Party (by which time he had been a member of the Labour Party, the New Labour Party, the Alliance Party, and maybe some parties Alf has forgotten).
But Anderton has made as much progress as he intends making with the Progressives. Come to think of it, it was bugger all progress – mostly, he and it have gone backwards.
Hence his track record is one of leading the Alliance into a break-up and the Progressives into retreat, making a glorious mockery of the party names in each case.
But Alliance Party co leader Kay Murray sees an opportunity to pick up new members, now that that the Progressive Party will no longer be contesting elections.
She says the Alliance Party would welcome any Progressives and others who do not wish to take Jim Anderton’s advice and join the Labour Party.
“To all accounts the Progressive Party is winding up. Progressive members who do not feel at home with the Rogernomics style, right wing economic policies of Phil Goff’s Labour Party will find themselves more at home in the Alliance.”
Two observations:
First, if every member of the Progressives but Anderton accepts the invitation and joins the Alliance, it will probably double the Alliance’s membership, lifting it to – ooh, about six people at a guess.
Second, if Phil Goff is promoting Rogernomics-style right wing economic policies, then Genghis Khan was a Vienna Choir boy.