Labour deputy leader Jacinda Ardern has sought to distance her party from the Greens following Metiria Turei's welfare fraud admission.
Ms Turei two weeks ago admitted she'd lied to Work and Income in the early 1990s to get a few more dollars each week. She was a solo mother studying towards a law degree.
- Patrick Gower: Metiria Turei's political fraud is ripping off the New Zealand public
- Verity Johnson: The only reason I want to vote is because Metiria Turei lied to WINZ
Speaking to The AM Show, Ms Ardern said having never been in the same situation as Ms Turei she wasn't "going to sit here and be judgemental".
But she did question Ms Turei's lack of remorse and the perception she might be endorsing fraud.
"When you're lawmakers, you can't condone lawbreaking. You can share your story from your past, but of course you can't then condone it," said Ms Ardern.
"When you are a lawmaker, you have to be very clear about when what you've done in your past has been right or it's been wrong."
She made it clear to host Duncan Garner the Greens and Labour are "independent parties" with their "own political platforms and our own policies", despite their memorandum of understanding to work together to change the Government.
Labour has virtually no chance of forming the next Government without the help of either the Greens or New Zealand First, or both.
Newshub.
