Green Politics and the Reformation of Liberal Democratic Institutions. A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology in the University of Canterbury by R.M.Farquhar University of Canterbury 2006 I Contents. Abstract...........................................................................................................VI Introduction....................................................................................................VII Methodology....................................................................................................XIX Part 1. Chapter 1 Critical Theory: Conflict and change, marxism, Horkheimer, Adorno, critique of positivism, instrumental reason, technocracy and the Enlightenment...................................1 1.1 Mannheim’s rehabilitation of ideology and politics. Gramsci and social and political change, hegemony and counter-hegemony. Laclau and Mouffe and radical plural democracy. Talshir and modular ideology............................................................................11 Part 2. Chapter 2 Liberal Democracy: Dryzek’s tripartite conditions for democracy. The struggle for franchise in Britain and New Zealand. Extra-Parliamentary and Parliamentary dynamics. .....................29 2.1 Technocracy, New Zealand and technocracy, globalisation, legitimation crisis. .............................................................................................................................46 Chapter 3 Liberal Democracy-historical origins. Liberalism.........................................61 3.1 Liberal democracy/ representation ...............................................................73 3.2 Liberal hegemony in New Zealand...............................................................76 Chapter 4 End of ideology, anti-politics...........................................................................84 Part 3. Chapter 5 Revival: Localisation, revival of politics........................................................95 5.1 Participation................................................................................................101 Chapter 6 The emergence of green ideology...................................................................114 6.1 Green ideology............................................................................................121 IV Part 4. Chapter 7 The New Zealand Values Party.....................................................149 7.1 Ideological debates. 1979. New political culture. Ideological challenge. Crisis in New Zealand. Sustainability, consultation...............................................................152 7.2 Decentralisation, participation, Parliamentary reform................................185 7.3 Electoral umbrella.......................................................................................195 Chapter 8 Green Party Aotearoa/New Zealand............................................207 8.1 Values to Green, ideological challenge. Sustainability, regional development. .........................................................................................................................211 8.2 Displacement of political decentralisation. Appropriate decision-making versus grassroots. Representation and consultation gain ascendency. Study circles. The Wild Greens, coalition and the end of the new political culture. Green politics in action, GE and GATS. .........................................................................................................................233 8.3 Modular ideology: potential and limitations.............................................289 Conclusion......................................................................................................296 References: The New Zealand Values Party.......................................................................305 Green Party Aotearoa/New Zealand................................................................307 Bibliography..................................................................................................311 V Abstract. Various writers, for example Rudolf Bahro and Arne Naess, have for a long time associated Green politics with an impulse toward deepening democracy. Robert Goodin has further suggested that decentralisation of political authority is an inherent characteristic of Green politics. More recently in New Zealand, speculation has been raised by Stephen Rainbow as to the consequences of the direct democratic impulse for existing representative institutions. This research addresses that question. Examination of the early phase of Green political parties in New Zealand has found that the Values Party advocated institutional restructuring oriented toward decentralisation of political authority in order to enable a degree of local autonomy, and particpatory democracy. As time has gone on the Values Party disappeared and with it went the decentralist impulse, this aspect of Green politics being conspicuously absent in the policy of Green Party Aotearoa/New Zealand, the successor to the Values Party. Since this feature was regarded as synonymous with Green politics, a certain re-definition of Green politics as practised by Green political parties is evident. This point does not exhaust the contribution Green politics makes to democracy however, and the methodology used in this research, critical discourse analysis (CDA), allows an insight into what Douglas Torgerson regards as the benefits in resisting the anti- political tendency of modernity, of politics for its own sake. This focusses attention on stimulating public debate on fundamental issues, in terms of an ideology sufficiently at variance with that prevalent such that it threatens to disrupt the hegemonic dominance of the latter, thereby contributing to what Ralf Dahrendorf describes as a robust democracy. In this regard Green ideology has much to contribute, but this aspect is threatened by the ambition within the Green Party in New Zealand toward involvement in coalition government. The final conclusion is that the Green Party in New Zealand has followed the trend of those overseas and since 1990 has moved ever closer to a commitment to the institutions of centralised, representative, liberal democracy and this, if taken too far, threatens their ideological integrity. VI Dedication. Dedicated to the memory of my father: Murray Henry Farquhar 1931-1985. II Acknowledgements. I would like to acknowledge my supervisors Alison Loveridge and Arnold Parr as well as the Head of Department Terry Austrin without the valuable input and support of whom this research could not have been completed. Also the former Values Party members and Green Party MPs who kindly consented to interviews which provided much valuable insight. In particular Rod Donald (who unfortunately passed away shortly after the general election of 2005), Jeanette Fitzsimons, Mike Ward, Keith Locke, Materia Turei and Sue Bradford. Also all the Green Party members I met and chattered with at the conferences I thank for making the research an enjoyable experience. Finally, thanks to Stephanie Brown and T. Bean for support and encouragement throughout. III Contents. Abstract...........................................................................................................VI Introduction....................................................................................................VII Methodology....................................................................................................XIX Part 1. Chapter 1 Critical Theory: Conflict and change, marxism, Horkheimer, Adorno, critique of positivism, instrumental reason, technocracy and the Enlightenment...................................1 1.1 Mannheim’s rehabilitation of ideology and politics. Gramsci and social and political change, hegemony and counter-hegemony. Laclau and Mouffe and radical plural democracy. Talshir and modular ideology............................................................................11 Part 2. Chapter 2 Liberal Democracy: Dryzek’s tripartite conditions for democracy. The struggle for franchise in Britain and New Zealand. Extra-Parliamentary and Parliamentary dynamics. .....................29 2.1 Technocracy, New Zealand and technocracy, globalisation, legitimation crisis. .............................................................................................................................46 Chapter 3 Liberal Democracy-historical origins. Liberalism.........................................61 3.1 Liberal democracy/ representation ...............................................................73 3.2 Liberal hegemony in New Zealand...............................................................76 Chapter 4 End of ideology, anti-politics...........................................................................84 Part 3. Chapter 5 Revival: Localisation, revival of politics........................................................95 5.1 Participation................................................................................................101 Chapter 6 The emergence of green ideology...................................................................114 6.1 Green ideology............................................................................................121 IV Part 4. Chapter 7 The New Zealand Values Party.....................................................149 7.1 Ideological debates. 1979. New political culture. Ideological challenge.