Green Party leader James Shaw shares party's vision

Green Party leader James Shaw hosted a public meeting at Matua Hall tonight. Photo/Sandra Conchie

Green Party leader James Shaw shared his party's vision for a "greener" brighter New Zealand future at a public meeting in Tauranga tonight. Mr Shaw hosted the meeting at Matua Hall, which was attended by about 50-60 people, including some party faithful.

Mr Shaw was joined by some of his Green Party colleagues, which included Green MPs Barry Coates, Marama Davidson and Tauranga Greens candidate Emma-Leigh Hodge.

Earlier in the day, the group spent time in Rotorua.

Mr Shaw told the crowd the Green Party had three non-negotiable priorities this election which the party was committed to implementing.

"We need to clean up our rivers, take some real action on climate change instead of just talking about it and we want to take a fair crack at ending child poverty in this country once and for all," he said

"These are not just nice to have things, but they are right there at the top of our priorities as part of a Labour-led Government coalition partner, he said

"We are the only other political party which is committed to actually changing the Government, as everyone else is sitting on the fence," he said.

"For Labour to form a Government they need a strong coalition partner. A partner who shares their values and goals and the things they say they would do. We are it," Mr Shaw said.

If you don't want Winston (NZ First leader) calling the shots, and you do want Jacinda Ardern as the next Prime Minister you need to give your party vote to the Greens, he said.

Questions from the floor included how the Greens' tax policy differed to that of The Opportunities Party, the Greens' policy on the use of 1080 and had the party analysed why some Green supporters had switched their support to Labour.