Fitzsimons flips back on threat to Government

By VERNON SMALL

Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons threatened yesterday to block Labour from forming a government after the election, but back-pedalled within hours after co-leader Rod Donald and her advisers intervened.

The threat would have overturned the Greens' promise to allow Labour to form a government but vote it out after October next year if the moratorium on the commercial release of genetically modified organisms was lifted.

It could also have meant a fresh election this year if the Greens held the balance of power.

Ms Fitzsimons said she was annoyed that Labour was portraying the existing Greens' stance - support for a Labour-led government as long as the moratorium stayed in place - as a threat to bring down the government.

"I actually wonder whether it would be much more sensible not to let it form in the first place, rather than be accused of bringing it down."

She said her comment was not a change of position by the Greens.

"It is me wondering. But if Labour goes on talking about bringing governments down maybe it would be more sensible for us to review that and see whether we should let such a government form in the first place."

Her threat came after a debate on GM with Science and Technology Minister Pete Hodgson in Wellington.

But less than four hours later Ms Fitzsimons contacted the media present to say Green policy was unchanged.

"I had a chat with others and looked at whether it would be clearer to go along the lines I was considering. But we have decided not to do that. It would confuse people."

She still wanted to establish the fate of the moratorium in the weeks after the election.

"But if Labour won't sort it out, then we will give them another year because we think they will still change their mind."

Prime Minister Helen Clark said the Greens were "back-pedalling like crazy", either because Ms Fitzsimons had spoken out of line or the party had decided that refusing to allow a government to form would be a big vote loser.

Most New Zealanders were looking forward to getting the election over and done with, she said.

"An outfit that is going to say, 'Well, excuse me. If we have the balance of power we are not even going to let it form' is making a laughing stock of the whole process the country is going through."

The spat overshadowed the launch of a new pro-moratorium lobby group and hints from Mr Hodgson that the moratorium could be extended if preparatory research was incomplete or not reliable enough.

Ms Fitzsimons said the research would probably give good grounds for a longer moratorium.

"If Labour is prepared to be open-minded and take that opportunity then we can all work together very sweetly in the future."

Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson, who chaired the debate, said he did not see any signs of compromise between Labour and the Greens, although they agreed on a cautious approach.

He was concerned at the possible damage to New Zealand's image.

"If there was a competitive advantage in a green economy, a GE-free economy, then we don't want to give that away lightly even if it's just a perception."

National leader Bill English said he was pleased to see the GM issue discussed rationally and "not remain captured by the lunatic fringe".

But he had not seen any evidence to change National's stance on lifting the moratorium.

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