The lucky new Green MP
Mike Davidson will be the new Green MP replacing Benjamin Doyle. Looking at his electoral record, you might conclude he is exceptionally lucky.
- In 2022 he lost his seat on Christchurch City Council, getting walloped by a 30% margin
- In 2023 he failed to even get elected to a community board, losing to Ali Jones by a massive 34%
- Later in 2023 he stood for Ilam where he got 6% of the vote, coming 4th
He was effectively No 20 on the Greens List, which was an unwinnable place. But somehow the Greens have managed to lose a third of their caucus in 18 months, so he is now going to get to be a Member of Parliament, after failing to even win a community board seat.
Chris Lynch sets out why he thinks Davidson has been rejected locally:
Davidson has struggled to build broad support. On council he was defined less by collaboration than by confrontation, clashing with colleagues and pursuing narrow agendas. …
He became known for his fixation on cycleways and for the anger he carried into online forums.
Anyone who disagreed with his opinion was labelled as spreading “misinformation.” …
Christchurch once had a Green MP who commanded respect across the political spectrum. Eugenie Sage was measured, informed, and grounded in policy detail.
Davidson represents the opposite trajectory, a continuation of performative politics where gestures replace substance.
His arrival in Parliament will not give Christchurch a stronger voice.
He is more likely to show up at whatever protest is fashionable than deliver anything resembling real change.
The comparison to Sage is an apt one. She was widely respected across parties.