KEY POINTS:
The future of the Government's flagship emissions trading scheme is finely balanced after the Greens sparked fresh confusion with a plea to the public to effectively tell the party which way to vote.
For months Labour has negotiated with New Zealand First and the Greens to try to
secure enough support to get its biggest climate change policy passed into law before the election.
After a meeting yesterday between Labour and Greens staff, Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons called a press conference where she outlined that her party had made some gains in talks so far but remained concerned about major aspects of the legislation.
The six-strong Greens caucus will decide whether to back the scheme at its next meeting on Tuesday.
"It is a dilemma, it is a hard decision and certainly the outcome is not decided," Ms Fitzsimons said.
"I think it is the decision with the biggest economic implications for the nation that we've ever had to make."
In an unusual move, the Greens have asked the public to send in views to an email address so they can be considered before Tuesday's internal vote.
Labour is desperate to get the emissions legislation passed before Parliament breaks up for the election because it has pushed climate change to the front of its political agenda over the past couple of years.
Anything less than getting an emissions trading scheme into law would be seen as something of a failure for Prime Minister Helen Clark and her party.
National's withdrawal of support left Labour with the difficult task of cobbling together the unlikely combination of the Greens and New Zealand First to pass the scheme.
Until yesterday it appeared talks were making progress and a deal could be announced within days. But now the Greens have left other political parties scratching their heads about which way they are likely to go.
Theories around Parliament about why the Greens held the press conference ranged from it being a publicity stunt through to a belief the party was trying to strengthen its hand at the negotiating table by threatening to bring down the legislation. It is possible, however, that the Greens are genuinely conflicted about which way to vote.
Ms Fitzsimons said she couldn't say if the caucus was split until she talked to them at Tuesday's meeting.
The Greens have been unable to get Labour to compromise on the timing of the introduction of the transport sector into the emissions trading scheme. The party is also disappointed it has made very little progress on getting the agriculture sector to pay its own way before 2013.
In addition, the Greens are unhappy with issues relating to the planting of pine trees that could destroy biodiversity - a topic close to the hearts of some within the party.
Ms Fitzsimons revealed there would be "substantial" assistance in the legislation for householders to make their homes warm and dry.
* Comments can be sent to: ets@greens.org.nz
