The Greens say they'll still push for a wealth tax to resolve inequality issues because the new Government deal signed with Labour lets the parties agree to disagree.
Labour leader Jacinda Ardern, deputy Labour leader Kelvin Davis and Green co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson signed the Labour-Greens cooperation agreement in the Beehive this morning.
Ardern said it was "fantastic" to have the agreement formalised. Shaw called it a "win-win".
Shaw will be the Minister of Climate Change and Associate Minister for the Environment (Biodiversity).
Davidson will become the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence and Associate Minister of Housing (Homelessness).
The Green co-leaders will have the ability to note where Government policy within their portfolios differs from party policy. There is also the standard agree-to-disagree provision available.
They may staunchly oppose the Government on other matters.
"We're both agreeing that we don't actually need to agree," Ardern said this morning.
"The Green Party can make it clear where they don't agree while we get on with things - but it doesn't stop our ability to work together.
"We have the numbers that we need, but equally that isn't a reason not to work [together] in areas where we agree. That is what makes this a unique agreement."
Davidson added: "We agree to agree to disagree."
She said she could still stand strong - even against the Government - on the Ihumatao issue because that was an issue outside of the Greens' ministerial portfolios.
And the party's proposed wealth tax was not part of the ministerial portfolios given to the Greens, so the party could continue to be a loud voice on that as well as other ways to address inequality.
Ardern has ruled out the Greens' wealth tax.
"It's obviously not part of this agreement, but we have found areas where we can agree," Ardern said.
The signing took place in the Prime Minister's boardroom on the ninth floor of the Beehive this morning.
Ardern said the agreement represented the continuation of the Labour-Greens relationship and provided stability; the Greens cannot oppose the Government on confidence and supply.
Tomorrow she will announcement Cabinet positions, and she said it was about balancing existing experience with new talent.
There wouldn't be "large-scale deviation" from existing portfolios or the size of the executive.
She has been "mindful" of acute issues such as Covid-19 in deciding the make-up of Cabinet, noting the strict lockdowns announced in the UK, France and Belgium.
Shaw said it was a privilege and an honour to be returned to Parliament with an expanded caucus and with ministerial portfolios. "We are delighted to have a win-win agreement here."
He said he didn't feel gagged by the agreement - "not in the slightest".
Asked about the loss of Green MPs Julie Anne Genter and Eugenie Sage as ministers, Shaw said: "We could spend much of the next three years dealing with 'what ifs'. We're really dealing with what's next."
Davidson said she was proud that the Greens' membership supported the agreement; 85 per cent of members supported the agreement, above the needed 75 per cent.
The delegates who didn't support the agreement had compared the arrangement to 2017, but Shaw said it was more reasonable to compare it with 2005 and the 2020 agreement was stronger than that one.
Davidson said the party understood that Labour had offered wins to the Greens despite Labour holding a parliamentary majority.
Davidson said the Greens campaigned on climate change, biodiversity and inequality spaces, and the agreement allowed the Greens to "keep pushing" on those issues while also protecting the Greens' independent voice.
The Greens could note in Cabinet papers where they would want to go "further and faster" than the Government.
Ardern said Labour would not put the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill into the ballot where it could be drawn as a member's bill.
Davidson said putting the bill forward as a Green MP member's bill had not been discussed with caucus.
Ardern said a cross-parliamentary discussion would be needed about having a four-year term, including whether it should be put to a referendum.
Ardern said "good progress" was being made on a quarantine-free travel bubble with Niue and she expected a deal to be made "soon", though she didn't specify a timeline.
Ardern said she was hopeful to have a legally clear regime for drug-testing at festivals in time for the summer festival season.
Drug testing operates now but in a legally grey area, and NZ First blocked the work last parliamentary term to provide legal clarity.
Ardern said it wasn't about changing the legal status of any of those substances, but about saving lives.
The testing means that festival-goers can check that the substances they have are what they were told they are, and are not laced with anything else.
EARLIER
The leaders of Labour and the Greens are meeting this morning to sign their parties' co-operation agreement.
Ardern, Davis, Shaw and Davidson will do the signing on level 9 of the Beehive in the PM's boardroom.
Last night the Green Party members voted to accept a deal with the Labour Party which will see Shaw and Davidson become ministers outside of Cabinet.
After close to four hours of negotiations between key Green Party delegates, 85 per cent of voters backed the deal offered by Ardern.
Yesterday Ardern unveiled the proposed deal in its entirety half an hour after the delegate call began – she told media it was important that the deal was made public for "transparency" reasons.
The Prime Minister also signalled that she will be looking to work with Opposition parties on a number of areas of cross-party co-operation, such as extending the parliamentary term and the abolishing of the "coat-tailing" rules.
The Greens will also have the chairmanship and deputy chairmanship of two select committee – expected to the transport and environment, with former ministers Eugenie Sage and Julie Anne Genter tipped for the roles.
Ardern said that she didn't consider offering the Greens a coalition agreement – similar to the one Labour offered NZ First after the 2017 election.
Nor have the Greens agreed to support Labour on confidence and supply.
"The Green Party agrees to support the Labour Government by not opposing votes on matters of confidence and supply for the full term of this Parliament," the agreement says.
That means they are not allowed to vote against the Government when passing the Budget.
They are, however, allowed to abstain from a vote such as that.
In total, 136 Green Party delegates voted on the deal.
Some 114 voted for, 17 voted against and five did not vote – that means the majority was 85 per cent.
As well as the ministerial posts, Labour has promised to work with the Greens in a number of "areas of co-operation".
This includes achieving the purpose and goals of the Zero Carbon Act, protecting our environment and biodiversity and improving child wellbeing.
Ardern will name her new Cabinet on Monday and ministers will be sworn in on Friday afternoon.
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