Greens will go against Labour in TPP vote

The Green Party still opposes the TPP and will vote against the rebranded version when it comes before Parliament.

It's the first issue to arise in which the Greens will vote against the Government. 

Green Party trade spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman says the trade deal will be opposed by the Greens as long as foreign investors have the ability to sue our Government - either now or in the future.

Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms have been suspended in the current agreement but could be reintroduced if the USA was to rejoin the trade deal.

"We'd like to move forward to a more modern type of trade agreement. We see this much more as an investor type of agreement," Ms Ghahraman told Newshub.

"We'd like to put things like environmental protection and protection of human rights and our democracy at the centre of trade deals, so we won't be supporting this."

Ms Ghahraman says Green voters oppose the deal, and the Greens were clear with Labour about their intention to vote against it from before confidence and supply negotiations began.

"This is an area which was flagged during negotiations, and we're comfortable that this is an area the Green Party will disagree with the Government on. That's the diversity of this coalition." 

The Greens - and New Zealand First - have long opposed the TPP, with the most-raised issue being the potential use of ISDS mechanisms. They allow companies to sue a Government that violates the company's rights under the treaty. 

National says it will back the agreement through Parliament, so the legislation will easily have the numbers to pass into force.

Newshub.