'Serious and stable' Greens chase post-election deal with Labour

The Greens are branding themselves the "serious and stable" party as they chase a coalition deal or close relationship with Labour after this year's election.

Co-leader Rod Donald said that in the 1999 campaign they were the "sexy" party and in 2002 the "scary" party.

But this campaign the serious and stable message would be promoted so voters knew the party was ready for the responsibility of government.

Speaking at the party's campaign conference in Otara yesterday, Mr Donald said the Greens wanted to show they would work constructively with Labour while maintaining their integrity and independence.

The Greens still had a lot they wanted to achieve and the political reality was they were more likely to succeed if they joined the Government or worked more closely with it.

Mr Donald said the Greens were committed to negotiating either a coalition or confidence and supply agreement with Labour after the election.

"I believe we have a responsibility, even an obligation, to reach an agreement with Labour," he said.

But while Mr Donald trod diplomatically in his references to Labour, co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons criticised the party for drifting too far from its core values and for not paying enough attention to environmental issues.

"Labour came into government with a heart, soul and a social conscience," she said.

"Five years of politics have drained it of all three."

Ms Fitzsimons said the fifth Labour Government was supposed to be the dawn of a more compassionate, more egalitarian, more inclusive age.

"And for a time, it was. But now when [National leader] Don Brash attacks Maori or beneficiaries, Labour doesn't stand up to them.

"Labour acquiesces in Brash's mean- spirited vision for New Zealand and rushes to amend its own policies accordingly."

It was clear that if Labour wanted to continue to govern with purpose "it needs a renewal".

Ms Fitzsimons said the Greens would reinvigorate the Labour Government, which had become tired and rudderless.

In her speech she branched out from traditional environmental matters and concentrated on social issues such as housing, child poverty and education.

The Greens are working on the premise that Labour has lost ground on these issues and it is an area where they can gain some traction with voters.

Mr Donald said that at the last election voters admired the party's stand on genetic engineering, but the clash with Labour over Corngate cost them votes because supporters were worried the parties would not be able to work together.

Relations between the parties soured before the 2002 election over Labour's plan to lift the moratorium on commercial release of GM organisms.

Mr Donald said GM was still an important subject, but it was no longer a crucial or bottom-line issue for post-election negotiations with Labour.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said yesterday that Labour had a good working relationship with the Greens on many issues. "We'll see where we are after the election," she said.

The Greens say they are well-prepared for the upcoming election and have over 50 candidates approved to stand. The party's list will finalised by June.

Mr Donald said the Greens would not support a Don Brash-led government under any circumstances.

In yesterday's One News/Colmar Brunton poll, the Greens were down 1 per cent to 4 per cent.