4 Mar 2014

Greens aim for Cabinet seats

8:55 pm on 4 March 2014

The Green Party is confident it won't get cut out of any coalition deal if Labour was to form a Government after this year's general election.

In the past under the MMP electoral system, Labour has chosen New Zealand First and United Future ahead of the Greens.

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Photo: RNZ

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said the party was the third largest, and in the strongest position it has ever been.

He told Radio New Zealand's Nine to Noon programme on Tuesday the ability of a smaller party blocking the Greens from forming a Government with Labour would be marginal.

Dr Norman said if the Greens were part of the next government he would like ministerial positions for its MPs in the economic, social and environmental fields.

"We're not in this business just to get a few rats and mice. The Green Party with support of 11 percent of the population at the last election - hopefully more at the next one - will be pushing hard on key issues."

Dr Norman says one of those issues would be to change the Reserve Bank Act so it considers external imbalances and the issue of inflation in setting currency and interest rates.