KEY POINTS:
The Green Party has questioned the Government's commitment to environmentally sustainable policies and says it will support proposals from either Labour or National.
The party's co-leader, Jeanette Fitzsimons, said New Zealand had a long way to go before it was "truly sustainable" - the goal set out by Prime Minister Helen Clark in a speech late last year.
"There remains a big question mark over whether this Government has the courage to make the tough decisions," she said at her party's policy conference in Rotorua.
"They are starting to talk the talk, but will they walk the walk? And has [National Party leader] John Key even got the route map?"
Ms Fitzsimons said Helen Clark's aims, which the Prime Minister has described as "aspirational", outstripped anything the Greens had dared propose.
"Our role must be to further develop policies that would take us towards those goals, position ourselves as the best people to deliver them after the next election, offer them to anyone who will adopt them before that, and support the Government or the Opposition when they propose actions consistent with those goals," she said.
The Greens are doing well in the opinion polls, with ratings well above the 2005 election result, and Ms Fitzsimons said she expected the party would play a strong role in the next Parliament.
"The whole political canvas has changed, with most political parties falling over themselves to call for action on climate change, and the Greens are recognised as the leaders on that issue," she said.
"Surf's up on climate change, and sustainability generally, and we must not waste that opportunity sitting on the back after 30 years of raising the issues in politics."
Ms Fitzsimons said the Government had missed opportunities to develop public transport when petrol prices were so high that people were turning to trains and buses.
Instead, the Government had poured more money into roading.
"It is well recognised overseas that building new roads encourages people to drive further.
"This extra traffic soon fills up the road so it doesn't even reduce congestion for very long. Then you have to build more."
- NZPA
