Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesman Garth McVicar said dozens of the trust's supporters had called in support of Mr Garrett, and they had expressed interest in a Garrett-led independent party with a law and order focus.
He said he had discussed this with Mr Garrett before last week's events.
"He was happy where he was at with the Act Party, but obviously things have [now] changed significantly."A Garrett-led party would probably be doomed, because the man's reputation is permanently tarnished. But I have always thought someone like Garth McVicar would be a potentially potent politician. He talks in soundbites, knows all the journalists, and seems unflappable in the face of clear evidence that "get tough" law and order policies don't reduce crime. How do you fight such a man?
If the SST set up its own party it would probably leach some support away from ACT initially. But, conversely, ridding itself of "tough on crime" policies might allow ACT to return to its roots, and may be the only viable future for the party.
I'm not convinced we'll see a Sensible Sentencing Party at the next election. It probably wouldn't get 5% on its own. But McVicar stands for more than just tougher sentences. If you read the press statements and listen to the speeches you realise at heart he's a moral conservative. The situation in the US tells us that the disaffected on the right can be dangerous and powerful when they get organised. Just as there's a "market" for economic liberalism, there's probably also one for hardcore moral conservatives. Our own Tea Party?
Time to emigrate !
ReplyDeleteNew Zealanders are not social conservatives in the same way Americans are, and every attempt to launch such parties fails dismally. McVicar knows this, and he knows that if he were run on such a platform he would be exposed as a paper tiger.
ReplyDeleteThat is why he doesn't seek office, and instead seeks to bully mainstream parties into adopting policies that no would vote for if he ran as a party platform.
McVicar's job is to run an "Astroturf" organisation to lobby for longer sentences. This supports the private prision lobby. Similar organisations exist in the USA and they are all funded by the big private prison companies.
ReplyDeleteThe SS Trust is very secretive about where its $$$ comes from.
Anon, I agree with you to a point. A Tea Party movement could never be a dominant force in NZ politics.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, the Christian Coalition polled 4.33% of the party vote in 1996, so there's a base of social conservatives out there. They just need 5% to get a group of MPs into Parliament and possibly hold the balance of power.
Thankfully the moral conservative vote is split at present between ACT, Destiny, NZ First and other parties. But they may get organised one of these days. McVicar might be the sort of guy to pull them all together.
According to the Herald today, one of the Tea Party candidates admitted to Satanic rites.. !!
ReplyDeleteWTF is wrong with these people ??