Greens Rule Out National Deal as Parties Set Out Tax, Parking and Fast-Track Plans

Greens co-leader Marama Davidson has ruled out forming a coalition with National after the election. She said she would 'die laughing' if National called the Greens.

The line led RNZ's election live coverage on 14 October, published as "Live: Marama Davidson would 'die laughing' if National called Greens after election" RNZ. It followed the TVNZ-RNZ multi-party debate on Tuesday night. Chris Luxon and Chris Hipkins were scheduled to meet in the Herald Leaders Debate on Wednesday. Finance spokespeople from across the parties were scheduled to debate economic issues in Queenstown on Wednesday. RNZ said it would provide live coverage of both debates and campaign events through the day.

Davidson had already ruled out a coalition with National in an interview with Newstalk ZB on 13 October Newstalk ZB. A coalition is an agreement where two or more parties govern together after an election. The 14 October live coverage carried the more colourful wording. RNZ's live coverage includes a political panel with the Green Party and ACT.

RNZ's 14 October election live blog was titled "Tax cuts for landlords, parking for Auckland and a faster fast-track". It grouped three separate announcements.

ACT promised tax relief for landlords with offset rental losses. The party framed it as tax relief, with rental losses able to be offset against other income for tax purposes. It is aimed at landlords and at voters concerned about rental supply and the tax treatment of property investment.

National released an Auckland plan that includes a promise to remove the blanket ban on minimum car parking requirements 1News. The promise sits within a wider Auckland package. It would give councils and developers discretion on parking minimums instead of keeping a blanket rule against them.

National and NZ First disagreed over proposed law changes to fast-track NZ Herald. Fast-track is the faster approval process for large housing and infrastructure projects. NZ First said it will ensure any future fast-tracked housing developments are supported by necessary infrastructure before approval is granted. The condition links housing approvals to things like roads, water and power, an area where the coalition partners have put different emphasis on speed and safeguards.

The Greens also set out organisational and economic plans during the campaign. The party announced 14 Māori candidates in its Delegate List for the 2026 General Election. It released an economic development plan it says will create 284,000 jobs over the next four years.

Davidson linked that plan to a critique of corporate power. She said "our government should work for the people and the planet, not for the greed of corporations, their faceless boards and shareholders."

The broader context here is familiar to people who follow coalition negotiations. Public exclusions narrow the options before talks begin. They also tell supporters where the lines sit. Davidson's wording leaves little room for a different reading. For National, it closes off one possible path. For Labour and the Greens, it makes the left bloc clearer.

Looking to the rest of the week, the two Wednesday debates test different skills. The leaders debate rewards discipline and direct contrast. The finance debate in Queenstown rewards detail on tax, spending and growth. Landlord taxation, Auckland parking rules and fast-track settings all suit that second forum. Parties are likely to use them to mark differences with rivals and with possible partners.