Editorial: Greens may be the most coherent force in this Government

Green Party leader James Shaw and colleagues Eugenie Sage and Julie Anne Genter have had to be content with ministerial positions outside the Cabinet. Photo / File

Opinion

The Green Party's role in the new Government has been almost overlooked in the drama of N Z First's decision, the enthusiasm that has greeted Jacinda Ardern's rise to the position of Prime Minister, and the interest in appointments to the Cabinet. It's a Cabinet that, most unfairly, does not include the Greens.

Despite their leader, James Shaw, frequently declaring their preference was to be in a formal coalition inside a Labour-led Cabinet, Winston Peters has obviously vetoed that. So Shaw and colleagues Eugenie Sage and Julie Anne Genter have had to be content with ministerial positions outside the Cabinet but able to attend cabinet committees where much of the detailed work of government is done.

They seem more than happy, understandably for a party that has waited 21 years in Parliament for a slice of some power. It has quietly secured some modest policy by agreement with governments of Labour and National during that time, but now it is in a position to make some much more far-reaching change to New Zealand's environment, economy and lifestyle.

Indeed, when Labour's agreements with both its partners were published this week, it was the Greens' deal that offered a more coherent, focused, forward-looking prospectus. Its guiding target is a "net zero emissions economy by 2050". Labour has agreed to legislate a Zero Carbon Act and establish a standing Climate Commission to monitor progress on reducing all greenhouse emissions from New Zealand, including from agriculture.

The commission's influence could soon be noticed in our power bills, transport choices, farming and urban planning. By 2035, all our electricity may be generated by hydro, geothermal heat and other renewable sources. Immediately, solar panels for schools are to be investigated. More money from the national land transport fund, raised from road taxes, is to be diverted to railways for cities and regions, and for cycling and walking tracks.

Already a scheduled Auckland east-west motorway link has been put on hold and work is to proceed on light rail from the city centre to the airport down Dominion Rd. This seems most impractical when existing railway could more easily have a short connection to the airport and trains seem more suitable for travellers with baggage.

The Greens will need to defend their programme in keen debates over the next three years, not least in farming communities that will not just see livestock emissions tackled but government support for irrigation will be wound down in the drive to clean up rivers. Labour will probably be happy to let the Greens take the lead in these debates, and the blame if public opinion is not persuaded. The Greens can also expect the credit if they prove popular.

Smaller parties in government have found it difficult to get credit so far, that may be the reason so few have survived. A striking feature of the latest agreements is Labour's undertaking to help its partners receive recognition for their policies. The new Prime Minister already impresses as an inclusive personality who may not fail to acknowledge contributions of her political partners at every opportunity.

In a sense she owes her position to the Greens as much as to NZ First. Were it not for Metiria Turei's admissions taking votes from Labour initially, Labour would not have changed its leader and the election result could have been quite different. But here they are, and the Greens look set to make their mark at last.