Green MP Nandor Tanczos says his party could not have traded its key support for the Government's new Supreme Court for concessions on its bottom-line policies opposing genetic modification.
Mr Tanczos also rejected Opposition party claims that the Greens backed abolishing appeals to the Privy Council onlyin exchange for Government backing for legislation that would wipe minor criminal convictions, including for cannabis use, after a specified number of years.
He said the Green Party did not indulge in horse-trading on legislation. "We just don't even go there. Some people criticise us and say it weakens your hand.
"We don't think so. We think it means we act with integrity.
"We support legislation we think is good. We don't support legislation we think is bad."
He said it was hard to know if the Green Party might have gained any movement from Labour on GM. The Greens are fighting for the extension of the moratorium on the release of GM organisms, due to be lifted at the end of the month.
Labour managed to abolish appeals to the Privy Council yesterday with 63 votes out of 120 in Parliament. It needed the support of its coalition ally, the Progressives, and the Green Party, which has no formal alliance with Labour.
A Government support partner on confidence motions, United Future, did not vote with Labour.
Mr Tanczos told Parliament it was "bizarre and just not credible" for New Zealand's final court of appeal to be in London.
He said there had been accusations that the Greens had done some kind of deal.
"A deal on what? A deal on GE perhaps? We have yet to see the Government budge one millimetre on the GE issue."
He said there had also been no deal on his private member's bill, the Clean Slate Bill to wipe criminal convictions, which may be debated in Parliament today.
"We believe this bill [scrapping links to the Privy Council in London] is a step towards decolonisation of this country."
