Barbara Edmonds on Chlöe Swarbrick and Qiulae Wong as potential finance associates: 'If those are the cards that are handed to me by the PM, I will work with whoever are on those cards'

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has been open about wanting the job of Minister of Finance if the Greens were to be part of the next government, while Labour leader Chris Hipkins has said he only would give it to Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. 

It has prompted comments such as those from ACT leader David Seymour: "Imagine Chlöe Swarbrick flying to New York as Finance Minister and trying to convince the bond markets that New Zealand is a sensible place to lend money."

If Labour were to enter government with the Greens and Opportunity, the party's finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds was asked if she would be open to Swarbrick and Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong as her associates.

"That's above my pay grade. You have to ask the boss when he becomes prime minister," Edmonds said during an interview with Interest.co.nz.

"I am comfortable with working with whomever the prime minister, Chris Hipkins, delegates to me as associate," she said. 

"I've got the experience in finance. This is my 17th budget I've had to work on or analyse. 

"Ultimately, for me, if I'm going to have associates, you're going to have to build that working relationship, no matter who it is, and ensuring that you have confidence in them and can delegate them the work to do so."

Finance Minister Nicola Willis' current pool of associate finance ministers includes a make-up of Seymour and NZ First deputy Shane Jones.

On her personal view of Swarbrick and Wong, Edmonds said she had worked with Swarbrick on the finance and expenditure select committee for the last three years, and had "a really good personal relationship, very respectful personal relationship". 

"I don't really know Qiulae, but again, if those are the cards that are handed to me by the Prime Minister, I will work with whoever are on those cards."