who is the opposition?

NZ First and United Future leaders Winston Peters and Peter Dunne are Ministers of the Crown. Peters has constantly claimed that he and his party are not part of the Government. Does that mean that they are in Opposition? If you are a Green party MP, not necessarily so. No Green party MP holds a ministerial warrant but check this out from Green co-leader ( and why co-leader when there is curently only one leader at present) Jeannette Fitzsimons.

We are not part of government or of opposition. We are a free and independent Green Party and are free to speak our minds and to stand up for the environment, for justice, for peace and for democracy in opposition to the Government where our policies differ.

Would the Greens be equally "free and independant" if they were in formal Government coalition? The Greens may feel they are not in Government or opposition. Had we had a FPP electoral system, they would also not be in Parliament.

Had to smile when I read in the Herald that Ms Fitzsimons said the Green Party expected leaders to exemplify the party's principals. Perhaps Herald journalists should read speeches correctly, given that the article was pretty much lifted from the speech.