Election Results: Key Green Party Membership Overwhelmingly Supports Ardern’s New Green Deal

The Greens have voted to accept a deal with the Labor Party that will see the party’s two highest-ranking MPs become ministers outside the cabinet.

After nearly four hours of negotiations between key Green Party delegates, 84 percent of voters backed the deal offered by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

“The Green Party is delighted to enter into this governing agreement with Labor,” said co-leader Marama Davidson.

The agreement, which is officially called the “Cooperation Agreement,” reflects the mandate the Labor Party received when it won its 64-seat majority in the elections, Ardern said.

But after the Greens announced they would back the deal, Ardern said it was the Labor Party that got a “clear mandate” to form a majority government.

“I will use the mandate that we have been given.”

Ardern released the proposed deal in its entirety half an hour after the delegates’ call began; He told the media that it was important that the agreement be made public for “transparency” reasons.

The Prime Minister also indicated that she will seek to work with the opposition in a number of areas of cross-party cooperation, such as the extension of the legislature and the abolition of the “fractionation” rules.

The highlight of the deal are the portfolios that co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson would keep out of Cabinet.

Davidson will become Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence and Associate Minister for Housing (Homeless).

Shaw will serve as the Minister of Climate Change and Associate Minister for the Environment (Biodiversity).

Climate change is a portfolio he had in the previous administration and it is an area he knows “inside out,” Ardern said.

The Greens will also hold the chairmanship of a Select Committee, which will be decided at a later date.

Ardern said it did not consider offering the Greens a coalition deal, similar to the one Labor offered to NZ First after the 2017 election.

“Ultimately, the proposed Cooperative Agreement reflects yet another evolution in our MMP system,” he said.

In all, 136 Green Party delegates voted on the deal.

Some 114 voted in favor, 17 against, and five did not vote, meaning the majority was 84 percent.

In essence, the agreement means that the Greens are committed to supporting Labor to provide stable government during this term of Parliament.

The agreement read: “The Green Party agrees to support the Labor Government by not opposing votes on matters of trust and supply throughout the term of this Parliament.”

That means they are not allowed to vote against the government when approving the budget.

However, they are allowed to abstain from a vote like that.

“This has the effect of strengthening the stability of the government and will ensure that there is always a strong majority in Parliament for the most important votes,” Ardern said.

In addition to ministerial posts, the Labor Party has promised to work with the Greens in a number of “areas of cooperation.”

This includes achieving the purpose and objectives of the Zero Carbon Law, protecting our environment and biodiversity, and enhancing the well-being of children.

“Is [deal] it will provide New Zealanders with the assurance of a strong and stable Labor government with the support of the Green Party for the next three years, “Ardern said.

Ardern said Shaw and Davidson have “very clearly defined” areas that they will work on if the deal is approved.

“We have had three years working together,” he said of the Greens for the past three years.

“We both have a mutual benefit from this arrangement.”

The official agreement will be signed in the Ardern’s Beehive office on Sunday.

Going forward, Ardern will appoint his new cabinet on Monday and the ministers will take office on Friday afternoon.