Green
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
Opposition Founded 1990
Co-leaders
Chlöe Swarbrick & Marama Davidson
Green and progressive party focused on climate, environment, and social justice
15
Seats
12.2% of 123
Overview
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is a progressive party advocating for bold climate action, environmental protection, and social and economic justice. With roots in the Values Party — one of the world's first green parties, founded in 1972 — the Greens are currently the third-largest party in opposition with 15 seats.
History
The Green Party traces its origins to the Values Party of 1972 — a world first in green politics. The modern Green Party was formally established in 1990. The Greens supported the Labour-led government from 2017–2023 in a confidence and supply arrangement, and remain a significant force in opposition politics.
Founded in 1990, with roots in the Values Party (1972) — one of the world's first green parties
Core values
Urgent, science-based climate action and net-zero emissions
Protection of New Zealand's natural environment and biodiversity
Social equity — ending poverty and reducing inequality
Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership and Māori rights
Affordable housing and a fair rental market
A wellbeing economy — measuring success beyond GDP
Where they stand
Tap an issue to read Green’s position on it, in our words with their source. 11 of 11 topics have a recorded position.
Green on Economy
Fairer taxes, more public investment, economy within ecological limits
The Green Party wants to change how the economy works. They would raise taxes on wealth, capital gains, land, and inheritances to pay for better public services like health, education, and transport. They want the government to borrow more to build infrastructure, and they want businesses to pay the true cost of environmental damage. Their goal is an economy that works for everyone while staying within the limits of the natural world.
What they say they'll do
- Expand the progressive tax system to include capital gains, land, wealth and inheritance taxes
- Substantially increase government revenue and expenditure as a proportion of GDP to fund universal public services
- Enable greater government borrowing for investing in infrastructure
- Create KiwiMart, a publicly owned supermarket chain, by requiring Woolworths and Foodstuffs to divest at least 120 stores
- Immediately ban excessive supermarket prices and extend price-gouging rules to energy and fuel
- Broaden the Reserve Bank's focus to support the economy and full employment while controlling inflation
Who this affects
Households and shoppers
The party says it will cap excessive supermarket prices and create a publicly owned competitor, which it says would give shoppers lower prices and more choice.
People on lower incomes
The party says it will increase funding for food banks, establish a $150m Fair Food Fund, and expand a school lunch programme to reach 150,000 more children.
Wealthy individuals and property owners
The party says it will introduce new taxes on capital gains, land, wealth and inheritance, which would apply to people with those assets.
Small businesses and workers
The party says it will broaden the Reserve Bank's mandate to support full employment alongside controlling inflation, which relates to job levels across the economy.
In their own words
“We want to transform our economy, replacing consumerism, consumption and growth with a non-polluting, regenerative economy that enables all people to thrive within nature's bounty.”
“Expanding the progressive tax system to equitably tax wealth and all forms of income, such as through capital gains, land, land value, wealth, and inheritance taxes.”
“Create KiwiMart, a publicly owned supermarket chain with a single mandate - keep prices down.”
Summarised neutrally from Green’s own official policy (as at 2026-09-07) and checked by an editor. Nothing is paraphrased without the source linked. Read the original ↗ Arapono is non-partisan. Compare all parties on Economy →
Legislative record this term
54th Parliament · as at 16 September 2026
As an opposition party, Green doesn’t lead government bills (only ministers can). Its MPs advance policy through members’ bills: each MP may lodge one in a ballot, and a few are drawn at random each fortnight to be introduced. Most never are, so the ballot figure below is what’s waiting rather than what’s before Parliament.
0
Members’ bills passed into law
13
Lodged in the ballot, not yet introduced
4
Before the House now
At a glance
1 electorate 14 list
Total seats15
Electorate seats1
List seats14
Share of House12.2%
Founded1990
Latest coverage
News and video mentioning Green, from the sources on our coverage page.
In the news
Greens pitch $50m annual te reo Māori injection paid for by wealth taxStuff · 14 SepGreens promise $200m into te reo Māori initiativesRNZ · 13 SepACT and NZ First pitch tighter immigration controls, others warn against anti-immigration policiesRNZ · 11 SepElection 2026: Major parties speak about issues affecting seniors at Grey Power election meetingNZ Herald · 11 SepPeters wants the state to buy a bank. So why is buying supermarkets ‘communism’?Stuff · 9 Sep
All news On video
#BHNqanda How do you feel about AI tools being used in education? Al…Big Hairy Network · 12 Sep#BHNqanda What is our status in the 'world class education system' s…Big Hairy Network · 12 Sep#BHNqanda In 2026 our education system now has the right focus, thou…Big Hairy Network · 12 SepBig Hairy Education Debate - Dunedin, 12th AugustBig Hairy Network · 10 Sep
Sources
Seat counts from the 2023 General Election (Electoral Commission). Party background from parliament.nz and official party records. Leadership verified against the parliament.nz member roster.