CONFIDENCE & SUPPLY

AGREEMENT

New Zealand
Labour Party &
Green Party of
Aotearoa New
Zealand
52nd Parliament
Confidence and Supply Agreement
between the New Zealand Labour
Party and the Green Party of
Aotearoa New Zealand.

Preamble
The Labour and Green Parties have a range of shared values, and policy objectives. This agreement
builds on the working relationship established by the Memorandum of Understanding, signed while
both parties were in Opposition.

The commitment of Labour and the Green Party is to provide stable government. Labour wishes to
progress action in accordance with the Labour Partys Policy Platform. The Green Party wishes to
progress action in accordance with the Green Charter.

Together, we will work to provide Aotearoa New Zealand with a transformational Government,
committed to resolving the greatest long-term challenges for the country: sustainable economic
development including increased exports and decent jobs paying higher wages, a healthy
environment, a fair society and good government. We will reduce inequality and poverty and
improve the well-being of all New Zealanders and the environment we live in.

The Labour and Green Parties are committed to building public confidence in and engagement
with Parliament and Government and the electoral system as a whole. We are committed to an
independent and robust public service.

We will do this while maintaining our independent political identities and working in the best
interests of New Zealand and New Zealanders.

Nature of Agreement
The Green Party agrees to provide confidence and supply support to a Labour-led Government
for the term of this Parliament. The Green Party will oppose any no confidence motions and will
support Budgets developed in accordance with this agreement. The Green Party will determine its
own position in relation to any policy or legislative matter not covered by collective responsibility
as set out below. Labour in turn supports the areas of priority set out in this document, alongside
its policy programme.

Confidence and Supply Agreement between the New Zealand Labour Party and the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 1
The Labour and Green Parties agree to identify policies and roles in a way that maintains and
promotes the distinct identity of each party.

The relationship between the Green Party and Labour will be based on good faith and no surprises.

Consultation arrangements
The Labour and Green Parties are committed to consensus decision-making where possible.

The Labour-led Government will consult with the Green Party on issues including:

The broad outline of the legislative programme

Significant legislative, regulatory and policy changes

Broad Budget parameters and process

Consultation will occur in a timely fashion to ensure the Green Partys views can be incorporated.

Formal consultation will be managed between the Prime Ministers Office and the Office of the Co-
Leaders of the Green Party.

Other cooperation will include:

Access to relevant Ministers (including Associate Ministers)

Regular meetings between the Prime Minister and the Green Party Co-Leaders

Briefings by Ministers and officials on significant issues that are likely to be politically
sensitive before any public announcement

Advance notification of significant announcements by either the Government, or the

Green Party

Joint announcements on areas of shared policy

Consultation
The Labour and Green Parties will work together in good faith and with no surprises, reflecting
appropriate notice and consultation in important matters, including the ongoing development of
policy. The parties will cooperate with each other in respect of executive and parliamentary activities,
consult closely, and operate with mutual respect to achieve agreed outcomes.

Confidence and Supply Agreement between the New Zealand Labour Party and the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 2
Policy Programme
The Green Party supports a transformative Government which implements the United Nations
17 Sustainable Development Goals. In this parliamentary term, the Green Party has a number of
priorities to progress the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Labour-led
Government shares and will support these priorities. They include the following goals:

Sustainable Economy

1. Adopt and make progress towards the goal of a Net Zero Emissions Economy by 2050,
with a particular focus on policy development and initiatives in transport and urban form,
energy and primary industries in accordance with milestones to be set by an independent
Climate Commission and with a focus on establishing Just Transitions for exposed regions
and industries.

a. Introduce a Zero Carbon Act and establish an independent Climate Commission

b. All new legislation will have a climate impact assessment analysis.

c. A comprehensive set of environmental, social and economic sustainability

indicators will be developed.

d. A new cross-agency climate change board of public sector CEOs will be

established.

2. Reduce congestion and carbon emissions by substantially increasing investment in safe

walking and cycling, frequent and affordable passenger transport, rail, and sea freight.

a. Investigate a Green Transport Card as part of work to reduce the cost of public
transport, prioritising people in low income households and people on a benefit.

b. National Land Transport Fund spending will be reprioritised to increase the

investment in rail infrastructure in cities and regions, and cycling and walking.

c. Aucklands East-West motorway link will not proceed as currently proposed.

d. Work will begin on light rail from the city to the airport in Auckland.

e. Safe cycling and walking, especially around schools, will be a transport priority.

3. Request the Climate Commission to plan the transition to 100% renewable electricity by
2035 (which includes geothermal) in a normal hydrological year.

a. Solar panels on schools will be investigated as part of this goal.

4. Stimulate up to $1 billion of new investment in low carbon industries by 2020, kick-started

by a Government-backed Green Investment Fund of $100 million.

Confidence and Supply Agreement between the New Zealand Labour Party and the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 3
 5. Provide assistance to the agricultural sector to reduce biological emissions, improve water
quality, and shift to more diverse and sustainable land use including more forestry.

Healthy Environment

6. Safeguard our indigenous biodiversity by reducing the extinction risk for 3,000 threatened
plant and wildlife species, significantly increasing conservation funding, increasing predator
control and protecting their habitats.

a. Budget provision will be made for significantly increasing the Department of

Conservations funding.

7. Improve water quality and prioritise achieving healthy rivers, lakes and aquifers with
stronger regulatory instruments, funding for freshwater enhancement and winding down
Government support for irrigation.

a. The Resource Management Act will be better enforced.

8. Safeguard the healthy functioning of marine ecosystems and promote abundant fisheries.
Use best endeavours and work alongside Mori to establish the Kermadec/ Rangithua
Ocean Sanctuary and look to establish a Taranaki blue whale sanctuary.

9. Commit to minimising waste to landfill with significant reductions in all waste classes by
2020.

Fair Society

10. Overhaul the welfare system, ensure access to entitlements, remove excessive sanctions and
review Working For Families so that everyone has a standard of living and income that
enables them to live in dignity and participate in their communities, and lifts children and
their families out of poverty.

a. Safe sleeping environment devices will be made available for vulnerable families.

11. Ensure that every child with special needs and learning difficulties can participate fully in
school life.

12. Eliminate the gender pay gap within the core public sector with substantial progress within
this Parliamentary term, and work to ensure the wider public sector and private sector is on
a similar pathway.

13. Aim to end energy poverty in New Zealand and ensure that every New Zealander has a
warm, dry, secure home, whether they rent or own.

a. Budget provision will be made to substantially increase the number of homes

insulated.

Confidence and Supply Agreement between the New Zealand Labour Party and the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 4
 14. Deliver innovative home ownership models within the State and broader community
housing programme.

a. A Rent to Own scheme or similar progressive ownership models will be developed

as part of Labours Kiwibuild programme.

15. Make tertiary education more affordable for students and reduce the number of students
living in financial hardship.

16. Ensure everyone has access to timely and high quality mental health services, including free
counselling for those under 25 years.

17. Honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the countrys founding document.

18. Review, and adequately fund and support, the family re-unification scheme for refugees.

19. Increase funding for alcohol and drug addiction services and ensure drug use is treated as a
health issue, and have a referendum on legalising the personal use of cannabis at, or by, the
2020 general election.

20. Strengthen New Zealands democracy by increasing public participation, openness, and
transparency around official information.

Labour agrees to work with the Green Party on these and other policy areas as may be identified
from time to time, and in good faith.

Ministerial Positions
Green Party Members of Parliament will hold the following Ministerial positions: Climate Change,
Associate Finance, Conservation, Women, Land Information New Zealand, Associate Environment,
Statistics, Associate Transport, Associate Health and an Undersecretary to the Minister of Justice
(Domestic and Sexual Violence).

A Minister from the Green Party will be represented on the Cabinet Appointments and Honours
Committee (APH) and the Cabinet Legislation Committee. Ministers from the Green Party will also be
represented on other Cabinet Committees as agreed between the Party Leaders.

Collective Responsibility
The Green Party agrees that any Green Party Minister or Associate Minister is bound by collective
responsibility in relation to their respective portfolios. When Ministers speak about issues within their
portfolio responsibilities, they will speak for the Government, representing the Governments position
in relation to those responsibilities. When Green Party Ministers speak about matters outside their

Confidence and Supply Agreement between the New Zealand Labour Party and the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 5
portfolio responsibilities, however, they may speak as Co-Leader and/or members of the Green Party.

Where there has been full participation in the development of a policy initiative outside of any portfolio
responsibility held by Green Party Ministers, and that participation has led to an agreed position, it is
expected that all parties to this agreement will publicly support the process and outcome.

In other areas agree to disagree provisions will be applied as necessary.

Cabinet Manual
Green Party Ministers agree to be bound by the Cabinet Manual in the exercise of Ministerial
Responsibilities, and in particular, agree to be bound by the provisions in the Cabinet Manual on
conduct, public duty, and personal interests of Ministers.

Relationship management process

The Labour and Green Parties commit to consensus decision-making. Protocols will be established
for relationship management, policy consultation, select committee management and non-routine
procedural motions.

The Green Party also undertakes to keep full voting numbers present whenever the House is sitting
and in Select Committee on matters where the Green Party has committed to support the Labour-led
Government.

Confidentiality
It is agreed that where briefings are provided to the Green Party, or where they are involved in a
consultative arrangement with regard to legislation or policy, all such discussions shall be confidential
unless otherwise agreed.

In the event that Government papers are provided to the Green Party in the course of consultation or
briefings, they shall be treated as confidential and shall not be released or the information used for any
public purpose without the express agreement of the relevant Minister.

In the event that Cabinet or Cabinet Committee papers are provided to the Green Party for the purposes
of consultation, they shall be provided to a designated person within the office of the Green Party, who
will take responsibility for ensuring that they are accorded the appropriate degree of confidentiality.

Confidence and Supply Agreement between the New Zealand Labour Party and the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 6

Authorised by Jacinda Ardern MP & James Shaw MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.
Relationship to other agreements
Both parties to this agreement recognise that Labour will be working with other parties both in terms of
coalitions and confidence and supply arrangements.

Labour agrees that it will not enter into any other relationship agreement which is inconsistent with this
agreement and the Green Party and Labour agree that they will each act in good faith to allow all such
agreements to be complied with.

Dated: 24 October 2017

Jacinda Ardern James Shaw

Labour Leader Green Party Co-Leader

Confidence and Supply Agreement between the New Zealand Labour Party and the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 7