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It’s a very different picture in 2020. NZ First is eliminated and Labor doesn’t need the Greens to form a government. Ardern has acknowledged that New Zealanders gave his party “a strong mandate” to rule alone without the need for promises from smaller parties.
Some pre-election polls showed Labor without a majority, meaning they would have needed the Greens, and some in the farming community have heard that their peers strategically voted for Labor in an attempt to block the Green rule.
The clear majority of the workers meant that Temuka dairy farmer Andy Palmer could breathe a sigh of relief.
“The outcome of the Labor government alone is much more preferable than ruling with the Greens,” he told RNZ. “I think farmers can probably feel reasonably positive about the result.”
Why is the Labor Party meeting with the Greens?
Labor runs the risk of having the Greens as part of the Opposition in Parliament, where they could criticize Labor policies without the restriction of being together in government, which could put their close relationship at risk.
Ardern described his latest meeting with Shaw and Davidson as “very constructive”, but while the Greens have been calling it a “negotiation”, Ardern has called it a “conversation”. That hasn’t bothered Shaw, who says it’s simply a “semantic distinction.”
Ardern described his latest meeting with Shaw and Davidson as “very constructive”, but while the Greens have been calling it a “negotiation”, Ardern has called it a “conversation”. That hasn’t bothered Shaw, who says it’s simply a “semantic distinction.”
“We have a really constructive working relationship there,” Shaw said. “Labor and the Green Party share a vision for the future of the country and the question is: how can we help achieve that vision?”
What would the Greens want?
Ardern has scrapped the Greens’ wealth tax, but there are several other Green Party priorities that Labor could help them progress, from action on climate change to transforming the agriculture and transport sectors to be more sustainable. .
The Greens scored some victories thanks to their trust and supply deal in 2017, from holding a recreational cannabis referendum to handing over a progressive homeownership scheme and passing the Zero Carbon Act.
But some promises in the Labor deal with the Greens did not progress because NZ First opposed it, such as light rail. Labor plans to go ahead with light rail now that NZ First is out of the picture, because it is also Labor policy.
