James Shaw: Being a Minister outside Cabinet is less difficult than you'd think

The Greens have signed on the dotted line to accept a post-election deal with the Labour Government - but that doesn't mean they will 'green-wash' the Labour Government. 
Green Party members agreed last night to what's being labelled the "cooperation agreement".
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says it represents the continuation of the Labour-Greens relationship and provides stability.
She says she wants to bring as much consensus as possible, although this agreement didn't require consensus to be formed.
Greens co-leader James Shaw told Francesca Rudkin that it is a very different deal from the 2017 confidence and supply deal.
"I think people who look at the 2017 agreement will see that there were a great long list of priorities that we set out," which Shaw puts down to the NZ First agreement. 
He says that this deal is about Ministers being able to influence the Government program, allowing the two parties to build on their relationship. 
Shaw says that their negotiations were very conversational and constructive. 
He says a key part of the deal for party members was allowing the Greens to differentiate from Labour on areas they disagreed on, while implementing policies the party has long stood for. 
"I think that the reason why 85 per cent of the delegates backed the deal in the end is because they could see that we were actually able to achieve both outcomes."
He denied that the deal means the Greens will 'green-wash' the Labour Government. 
"We are here to constructively work with them to push them further and faster than they might otherwise be comfortable in going," and says they have particular expertise in these areas. 
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