Labour and Greens leaders to smile together for cameras

Prime Minister Helen Clark and Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons will spend time together on the campaign trail tomorrow, at Helen Clark's invitation, in a move seen as a signal the 2002 election rift is behind them.

Within the Green Party the two photo opportunities the pair will attend at Auckland schools are being given as much significance as the 2002 election stoush over Corngate, which saw a spectacular falling out between the parties.

The Greens have signalled for many months they would be willing to enter into a formal coalition partnership with Labour, assuming a policy deal can be reached.

Tomorrow's two events are the launches of Birkenhead Primary School's "Travel Plan" and the "Tracks for Trains" programme at Mt Eden's Kowhai Intermediate School.

Neither programme is new so the real point is to show the pair can - and have - worked together.

Ms Fitzsimons said the last time she was involved in such occasions with Helen Clark was probably when they signed the co-operation agreement shortly after the 2002 election. They have met in private regularly since then.

She said it symbolised a willingness for the two parties to work together after the election if the voters gave them the numbers.

A spokesman for Helen Clark said it was her initiative for Ms Fitzsimons to join her.

"Labour and Greens have worked closely on transport issues throughout this term. It's been one of the category A issues for consultation between the two and that's all gone very well."

Asked if she saw it as finally mending wounds that arose from the Corngate row before the 2002 election, Ms Fitzsimons said she thought they had been mended some time ago.

Meanwhile, she said she was not too concerned about the Greens' latest polling. Last weekend's One News-Colmar Brunton poll put it at 3 per cent and the last Herald-DigiPoll had it on 3.2 per cent.

She pointed out that two other polls - TV3-TNS and NBR-Phillips Fox - usually have the Greens above the all-important 5 per cent threshold to get back into Parliament.

"One reason polling is less reflective of Green support than it might be of other parties is that a disproportionate number of our supporters have cellphones rather than landlines."