KEY POINTS:
The Green Party turned on its Labour ally yesterday, describing the Government's softening on emissions trading as "disgusting" and indicating it was ready to deal with either of the major parties after the election.
The Greens' attack came as two more opinion polls last night confirmed Labour gained
no support from the Budget.
Greens co-leader Russel Norman said his party was keen to be in the next government but would not pull its punches against either of the major parties to get there.
At the party's conference in Auckland yesterday, he said the Greens would reveal their choice for post-election negotiations in the month before the election so voters would know how their vote would be used.
He described National and Labour as "Father Coke and Mother Pepsi" and criticised them for pulling back on the emissions trading scheme "to save their own skin come election time".
"It is bottom feeding - a self-interested, vote-catching race, and it's simply disgusting - a disgusting retreat from principle by Labour and a disgusting return to simpering denial by National."
Dr Norman singled out Labour for particular criticism, accusing it of betraying the principled stance it had taken over issues such as the Springbok tour and the nuclear-free policy.
"Keeping nuclear ships and Springbok rugby teams out were brave moves, and split the country. Labour showed leadership and in both cases it did the right thing. Principle triumphed through politics.
"Now, with the biggest moral issue of our time, Labour has lost its guts. Principle has surrendered to politics."
Dr Norman also accused the Government of giving dairy and other farming groups too much say over policies to clean polluted waterways and of failing to make progress.
The Green Party aligned itself closely with Labour before the 2005 election in a bid to plant the seeds for a post-election deal, but was rebuffed in favour of NZ First and United Future.
Dr Norman said his criticisms of Labour were not an attempt to punish it for 2005.
"We have to be realistic about how politics works, and it is a tough game. We have to be tough. We have to stand up for ourselves and say we are not going to be anyone's lackey.
"We will judge them on their policies. If they make progress on sustainability and fairness we will work with them. If they don't, we won't."
Dr Norman also indicated the party was considering talking to the Maori Party about working together.
That combination - likely to win more than 10 seats between them - could be a potent force after the election.
Two television polls last night showed the Greens remain the only small party above the 5 per cent threshold. Both polls showed Labour's support had slumped immediately after the Budget, which gave tax cuts of about $16 a week for the average wage earner.
TVNZ's Colmar Brunton poll had Labour at 29 per cent - 26 points behind National on 55 per cent.
TV3's poll showed Labour down again, at 35 per cent, and National on 50 per cent.