KEY POINTS:
The Greens are set to exercise more power over the Government after moves by Labour to expel Phillip Field put the Greens in a relatively stronger position, Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons indicated last night.
"I think we can perhaps insist a little more firmly on full delivery of
everything that they have agreed to," she told the Herald last night.
"Obviously it strengthens us a bit when we are negotiating as to how that will be delivered."
She cited an agreement for significant expenditure on public transport "which hasn't really happened yet".
She also cited the $13 million over four years for environmental education in the last Budget, "but we're not really being consulted on the policy side of things and the agreement makes it clear we should be".
The Greens have a co-operation agreement with the Government in exchange for their abstention on confidence votes, which is crucial to Labour having the numbers to govern.
Labour's move against Mr Field does not alter that but it means that it has to seek wider support - from the Greens or the Maori Party - for legislation rather than relying only on its confidence and supply partners, New Zealand First and United Future.
Jeanette Fitzsimons said that situation might give the Greens a greater say in the shape of legislation in order to earn the party's support.
But she said the Greens were already having more influence.
"I think when you combine it with the fact that we are polling pretty well at the moment and you start looking at what the composition of Parliament is likely to be after the next election, and when the Prime Minister is setting sustainability and carbon neutrality as her agenda for this year - then all of that combines to put us in position of somewhat more influence."
She did not believe United future or New Zealand First would object to the Greens being "a little more in the loop".
"They'd look really stupid if they did."
Jeanette Fitzsimons dismissed a suggestion that the Greens could now negotiate a confidence and supply agreement with the Labour-led Government.
"When you've only got half of the term to go, it is not a good time to be making the sort of long-term policies that we would want and to see delivered on."
Much of the Government legislation was already supported by the Greens, she said, but she said there would be some cases where the changed position might have an effect.
She used as an example climate change policy where Labour might have hoped to have passed some conservative legislation later in the year just with New Zealand First and United Future.
Previously, the Government has been able to pass legislation with just the Greens and the Maori Party, though it hasn't. With one less vote, it would need another party as well.
It could pass legislation with just New Zealand First and the Greens, but such a combination is unlikely.
