Right, I have so many questions for them and our political commentators are standing by
to pull apart every single answer they give us. Joining me now is the leader of the Labour
Party Andrew Little and co-leader of the Greens Metiria Turei. Good morning to you both.
Kia ora. Good morning Paul.
Kia ora, alright, okay, I'm going to come to you first of all Metiria. What does it even mean
your announcement yesterday, what is the point of it, what does it mean for a voter?
We- Labour and the Greens have told the country that we are committed to changing the Government
at 2017 and that we will work together to that aim. And that's really important for
us to send that very clear message to all our voters and supporters that changing the
Government is a collective priority for both our parties and we will do everything we can
to make that happen and we are building support for that.
Alright, so Andrew up until now everyone has known it has been an individual priority for
all of your parties, now it is a collective priority which actually doesn't add anyone
else to the group does it? I mean this only works for you if you can increase the sum
total of your parts and I don't see how that will happen.
Well I think what a lot of people have been looking for is the confidence that they see
opposition parties able to work together, give them the confidence to get in behind
it. This is an agreement between us and the Greens. It's not exclusive. As I said yesterday
it's not a monogamous relationship. We welcome any other political party that shares the
objective of changing the Government in 2017. So basically what you're telling me is nothing
has actually changed at all. This was a Clayton's announcement. Nothing you've told me actually
changes anything. No- actually what the agreement does is confirm-
what has been happening the last few months which is a greater degree of cooperation and
coordination between Labour and the Greens around Parliament and on issues to do with
that, but also now starting to get together, not to kind of share policies, we will each
have our own policies but to campaign together in a way that we're not tripping over each
other, we're not sort of sending mixed signals, that we're sending a very clear signal to
New Zealand that we are two parties who are determined to change the Government in 2017
and we'll work together to achieve that end. Metiria, are you prepared to stand candidates
aside in some electorates to help Labour get in?
No we are- the MOU allows us to have a very open conversation about that. We haven't gone
there yet. This is the first step. I mean what we want to do here is tell New Zealanders
really transparently that we want to present and will present a credible and progressive
alternative government for 2017. But that's a yes isn't it? Didn't you just
say yes to me basically? So- yep so we will have conversations about
the election campaign in time but that is yet to happen.
So what you're telling me is… The first step is telling people that we're
going to be working together. But you must have had- before you made this
announcement you must have had some of these conversations already or it wouldn't be an
announcement's bottom would it? So… No we've actually been [laughs]. No what we've
been doing actually for the last 18 months is working very closely with Andrew and his
leadership team to get to know each other better. Of course we have a new co-leader
with James Shaw in the Greens and the new leader of Labour with Andrew, so our time
has been spent working together building a better relationship and working relationship
between our parties. And we want the public to know that really openly which is why we've
presented this MOU. Okay, but the public want to know what difference
this makes. That's what I'm trying to ascertain. Are you then prepared to stand candidates
aside to help Labour in electorates? We will have those conversations in time…
But that's a yes isn't it? This is the first step. Well I mean that's
what I'm saying, we will have those conversations. I don't know whether we will agree to that
yet or not but we will have those conversations… Okay, you're nodding like they will Andrew…
…and that's good and we want the public to know that.
You're nodding like they will. [Laughs]
No, I'm agreeing with Metiria that we are yet to have those conversations so part of
it- the overall objective here is change the Government in 2017. We'll work together to
do that. We will talk about… Okay.
…perspective campaign strategies, tactics, all that sort of stuff so we're yet to have
that conversation. Okay. You know Andrew as well as everybody
else in this country that Winston hates the Greens. Are you sending the message to Winston…
That's not true Paul! No, no Metiria I'm sorry and I hate to say
it in front of you but it is actually true. It's not true.
Okay… It's not true.
…are you sending a message to Winston… Winston denied that in Parliament actually
a couple of months ago Paul I have to say. Yes he did [laughs]
Yeah but I believe when he said it the first time…
[Indistinct]… Not when he denied it the second. Aren't you
sending a message to New Zealand First voters to say that's it, you know, you're not going
to form a government with us? No, not at all. [Indistinct] been very clear,
we've been very clear and when I told Winston about the agreement on Monday night I said
this is not an exclusive agreement and we will work with any other political party that
shares our objective of changing the Government in 2017.
Andrew if you become prime minister… Well let me just say Paul the Greens…
I won't be a second Metiria. I'm going to ask a question about you now. Andrew if you
become prime minister will Metiria be deputy? We haven't had that discussion…
No. There's one thing we've agreed on is that
Grant Robertson will be finance minister. Everything else is, you know, basically depends
on what the voters decide at the general election. We're not going to get ahead of ourselves…
Well you have because you've said… This is about working together…
You've said Grant Robertson will be- why has he taken precedence over [indistinct] with
the Greens? So that was the exception. That wasn't saying
one thing and then denying it a minute later. That was the exception [indistinct].
No I know but why was that the exception? Is Grant Robertson more important than you
are? I want it to be very clear that we are fine
with Grant Robertson being the finance minister under a Labour-led government and we will
talk with Labour about the post-election arrangements once we've seen how the votes turn out. And
that's the point, we want to make sure New Zealanders know when they're voting at the
election in 2017 they have two very clear choices. One is a stale National Government
that has injured families and done terrible things to our environment - it is no longer
fit to be in this position, or a credible progressive alternative that is Labour, Greens
and possibly others who will provide the real solutions for the things that New Zealanders
face. That is what we're providing for 2017. Your supporters- and you have die-hard supporters
Metiria, your supporters want to know… I do.
…why have you done this to them? Why have you sold them out to them? So they need to
know there's an up side in this. So does this mean that if a government is formed with Andrew
Little as the prime minister then you are guaranteed a number of seats around the cabinet
table? Your supporters want to know what's in it for them.
No, that's- actually our supporters want to know that when they vote at the 2017 election
they are voting for a credible and progressive alternative government. Now what that looks
like is still yet to be decided and we will make those decisions after the election. But
what our voters are telling us, telling me, is they want to know that they have a genuine
choice and what we're saying now is there will be one, absolutely, because this is what-
from this point on we are clear that we will present a credible and progressive alternative
for 2017 and it may include other parties. I mean actually the Greens and New Zealand
First have been getting on very well over the last few years…
Oh good. We worked together on the manufacturing inquiry.
We support each other in the House. So I really think this is about a new way, a new MMP potential
for New Zealand that will address the issues that New Zealanders are facing right now.
Okay Andrew if the numbers have it in favour of New Zealand First, if you don't need the
Greens, if it becomes awkward will you shaft the Greens to form a government with New Zealand
First? Well this agreement is about- it's a demonstration
of our working together… Yeah but would you shaft the Greens? I mean…
…building our trust and confidence and… To your supporters, to Labour supporters will
you if you get the numbers and you can do it with New Zealand First without the Greens,
will you shaft them? The nature of MMP is in every government since
1996 it's shown you need as broad a possible arrangement in government as you possibly
can and that's the same principle [indistinct]. Yeah but was that a yes or a no? It's a bit
hard to work out. Well, no you have as broad a government as
possible. This is about trust and confidence between Labour and the Greens…
Yes. …actually trust and confidence between voters
and Labour and the Greens as well. And so we're working on that. If I am privileged
to have the opportunity to form a government after the next election I will want as broad
a government as possible. Okay if- same question to you Metiria, if
National come to you after the election and they actually have a better deal for the environment
than Labour, will you shaft Labour? We are committed to changing the Government.
National has left New Zealanders living in their cars rather than dealing with the housing
crisis, allowed the pollution of our waterways, allow the climate pollution. We will not tolerate
a government that does so much harm to our country any more and so we are committed to
changing the Government in 2017. So that is definitive? That is definitive?
That is absolutely definitive. You have completely ruled out shafting Labour?
Look our party makes the final decision later next year, but I am telling you now our 100
per cent commitment is to changing this government because they are so terrible for this country.
Andrew Little, Metiria Turei, thank you both very much for joining us. Pleasure to have
you on the program this morning - particularly together.
Thank you Paul. Thank you Paul.