29 Oct 2020

Green Party continues talks with Labour Party on possible deal

1:55 pm on 29 October 2020

Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and James Shaw say they expect to have an announcement about how they would work with Labour on Sunday.

Look at what they had to say:

Having won an outright majority on election night, Labour does not need a helping hand to form a government, but the Green Party co-leaders have formally met with Labour leader Jacinda Ardern several times to discuss potential areas of co-operation.

Davidson told media today an agreement would have to go to Green Party members first. Yesterday, the Greens said they expected to take a deal to their membership by Friday.

A final deal has not been reached, but RNZ understands Shaw has been offered the climate change portfolio, as a minister outside of Cabinet.

RNZ also understands Davidson will likely be offered a ministerial portfolio, but which one was yet to be decided.

Davidson says the party has about 150 delegates representing party members.

Shaw says there are a "lot of moving parts" and if the deal is leaked before Sunday, the party will "cross that bridge" when they come to it. He says the negotiations are ongoing.

"We have a sort of a sounding board so when our negotiation group which is the two of us and kind of four other support poeple, once we come back ... we have a sounding board who we say 'this is where we're getting to, is there anything that we've missed, what else do we need ot explore and how do you think it'll go down with members'."

He says their feedback so far has been "constructive".

"We've really only had about five days of negotiations," Shaw says.

"We have put every effort into getting a deal we think is worth putting to members," Davidson says.

"We've had really careful considerations of all the things our party needs to weigh up."

Neither would give away any details about what was being discussed in the talks.

Shaw says talks are in the final "rats and mice" details. He says the talks have been shorter than after the last election.

"The talks are going very well, it is very constructive, and we are just getting into final details."

Today's meeting was about an hour and a half long, Davidson says.

"An indication that we are making really good progress towards concluding talks between Labour and the Greens tomorrow."

Read more about the election results:

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