Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is making it clear the Greens intend to offer voters a distinct choice at the 2026 election, putting climate action, free school lunches and stronger support for whānau at the centre of the party’s campaign while signalling a willingness to work with others who share its vision for Aotearoa.
Speaking with Radio Waatea, Davidson ranged across the latest political polling, the Government’s move to restrict climate litigation, Mike Smith’s continuing climate campaign and a major Green election commitment to restore and expand Ka Ora, Ka Ako.
Her message on climate change was particularly direct: people who want a different direction need to make sure they are enrolled and use their vote to change the Government.
Davidson backs Smith’s climate fight
Davidson paid tribute to climate advocate Mike Smith, acknowledging the years of work he has undertaken attempting to hold governments and major emitters accountable for their contribution to climate change.
Smith’s legal battles have become increasingly significant after Parliament moved to restrict certain tort claims based on greenhouse gas emissions, potentially shutting down the pathway opened when the Supreme Court allowed his litigation against major emitters to proceed.
The Greens have positioned themselves firmly against efforts to restrict climate accountability.
Davidson told Waatea that those who support the kaupapa of stronger climate action cannot separate that concern from the election.
Her argument is that the most effective political response is to enrol, vote and elect a government prepared to take stronger action on climate change.
The Green Party’s 2026 manifesto promises stronger emissions reductions and measures designed to make major polluters carry more of the cost of climate pollution.
Poll puts Opportunity in powerful position
The discussion comes as the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll reshapes the election conversation, with the Opportunity Party emerging in a potential kingmaker position and approval ratings for both National leader Christopher Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins under pressure.
For the Greens, the changing political landscape raises questions about how a future government could be assembled and what compromises smaller parties might be prepared to make.
Davidson confirmed the Greens are prepared to work with anyone who shares the party’s vision.
That positioning allows the Greens to emphasise their own policy platform while leaving open the possibility of cooperation where common ground exists.
With the election approaching, the increasingly fragmented political landscape also means smaller parties could have considerably greater influence over the shape and policy direction of the next government.
Greens promise major school lunch expansion
One of the clearest examples of the Greens attempting to differentiate themselves is their newly announced Free and Healthy Kai for Kids policy.
The party wants to restore the previous Ka Ora, Ka Ako model, expand eligibility to approximately 400 additional schools and provide lunches to another 150,000 children every day.
The Greens are also promising permanent funding for the programme, giving schools, whānau and local providers greater certainty.
Davidson says the current centralised approach has failed to provide the quality of food tamariki deserve, describing the model during her Waatea interview as centralised slop.
Under the Green proposal, lunches would instead be provided through schools or local providers capable of responding to the needs of their students and communities.
Kai policy is also an economic policy
The Greens argue school lunches should not be considered simply as a welfare programme.
Their proposal would deliberately reconnect food provision with local economies.
That means supporting community providers, creating local employment and buying from local food producers while ensuring tamariki receive nutritious meals.
The party says hundreds of local jobs were lost when contracts were moved away from community providers under changes to the existing programme.
It also points to food insecurity as justification for expanding the scheme, saying around one in five children live in households that sometimes or often run out of food.
For Māori communities, where food insecurity and household financial pressure can intersect with longstanding health and economic inequities, the argument goes beyond whether lunch arrives at school.
It becomes about tamariki wellbeing, whānau budgets, local employment and community resilience.
From climate litigation to the ballot box
There is a common thread running through Davidson’s arguments on climate change and school lunches.
The Greens want the election framed around what sort of country voters want Aotearoa to become.
On climate change, Davidson’s message is that court action from advocates such as Smith remains important, but ultimately governments write the laws and set the direction.
On school lunches, the Greens are arguing government choices determine whether public money supports centralised contracts or schools, local providers and community economies.
And on the emerging electoral mathematics, Davidson is signalling that the Greens intend to campaign on their own programme rather than simply defining themselves through Labour or any other potential partner.
A distinct Green proposition
That could become increasingly important as November approaches.
The Greens are attempting to occupy political territory built around stronger climate action, environmental protection, reducing poverty, investment in public services and policies explicitly designed around future generations.
Davidson’s confirmation that the party will work with others who share that vision leaves room for negotiation after the election.
But it also establishes a test.
The question may not simply be who the Greens can work with.
It will be who is prepared to move far enough towards the Greens on the issues they regard as fundamental.
For Davidson, that begins with some immediate choices.
Feed more tamariki properly.
Allow climate accountability rather than shutting down legal avenues.
Support those challenging the status quo.
And for people who believe the country needs a different direction, make sure they are enrolled and turn that belief into a vote on election day.
#MaramaDavidson #GreenParty #NZGreens #Election2026 #NZElection #NZPolitics #MikeSmith #ClimateChange #ClimateJustice #ClimateAction #ClimateLitigation #SchoolLunches #KaOraKaAko #FreeSchoolLunches #Kai4Kids #Tamariki #Rangatahi #Whanau #FoodSecurity #ChildPoverty #Hauora #LocalJobs #MaoriEconomy #TeTaiao #Kaitiakitanga #FutureGenerations #TeTiriti #Vote2026 #EnrolToVote #Aotearoa #MaoriNews #PoliticalNews #WaateaNews #RadioWaatea #WaateaDigital
