We're proud of our work in 2011 that has led to good green change.
Working with Government on Green programmes
Our $323 million home insulation scheme has made more than 100,000 Kiwi homes warmer and drier. In total, the four-year Heat Smart programme, which is part of our memorandum of understanding with the National Party, will improve 200,000 New Zealand houses. Extending the scheme to an additional 200,000 houses is part of our Green Jobs priority for the 2011 election.
In May 2011 we announced a joint Government/Greens plan to better manage toxic sites in New Zealand. As well as creating a national register of the highest priority sites for clean up, we secured an additional $9.9 million to clean up the former Tui Mine site near Te Aroha, one of the most toxic sites in the country.
In September, joint Green Party-Government legislation to ensure natural health products are safe and true to label had its first reading in Parliament. The Natural Health Products Bill will create a stand-alone regulator to protect the growing number of New Zealanders using natural health products to improve their health. We expect the Bill to come back from Select Committee in early 2012.
We also continued work with John Key on Ngā Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail. A total of $46 million will be spent to create 18 Great Rides that will take cyclists through some of New Zealand's most iconic and picturesque country. This funding is being matched by co-funding of $30 million from the local communities involved. One Great Ride - the St James Cycle Trail near Hanmer Springs - has been completed while 11 other Great Rides have sections that are now open and in use. Green MP Kevin Hague also helped open the first of the on-road cycle touring routes along the Forgotten World Highway, connecting Taumarunui to New Plymouth.
Meanwhile our $4 million pilot project to protect New Zealand's forests and native species with better pest control continues. The Department of Conservation (DOC) is testing a new kind of trap for possums, stoats, and rats that, if successful, will reduce the country's costs for pest control and the reliance on poisons.
Making things happen from outside Government
We also found lots of ways to promote change independently of the Government.
Like all New Zealanders, West Coast-based Green MP Kevin Hague was deeply saddened by the tragedy at Pike River Mine. Kevin asked the Minister of Labour a series of questions in Parliament, highlighting poor safety standards and revealing alarming photos of the inadequate second egress ladder in the Pike River Mine. Sustained pressure from Kevin and others led the Government to announce a new High Hazards Unit in August, instead of waiting for the Royal Commission to report before making things safer for the hundreds of miners going underground every day right now.
The Government's master banking contract has been held by Westpac for over 21 years, without a competitive tender process. A series of written and oral questions from Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman earlier this year revealed a potential conflict of interest as Government Ministers regularly accepted gifts and lavish corporate hospitality from Westpac, including box seats at sports matches and rock concerts. We challenged the Government to open up the process and put the banking contract up for tender, and Finance Minister Bill English finally agreed to do so in June.
Over summer, Co-leader Russel Norman once again embarked on his infamous Dirty Rivers Rafting Tour, visiting polluted and threatened waterways around the country to highlight why we urgently need clean water rules now. After Russel visited the Mokau River in North Taranaki and spoke out against King Country Energy's plans to dam it, the controversial plans were withdrawn.
Catherine Delahunty's Human Rights Disability Commissioner Amendment Bill was pulled from the ballot in 2010. The Bill called on the Government to appoint a Disabilities Commissioner to help implement the New Zealand Disability Strategy. Just days before Parliament was to vote on our Bill, the Government adopted our proposal, and New Zealand's first Disabilities Commissioner, Paul Gibson, was appointed in September 2011.
We co-hosted a major conference with the Labour Party to promote smart transport choices, bringing together transport experts and advocates to advance public transport, walking and cycling options for all New Zealanders.
Kevin Hague worked with queer youth advocate and researcher Murray Riches to launch a major report on making a safer environment for queer youth at the time of coming out which has received an overwhelmingly positive response from the queer community.
Setting the political agenda
We've been leading the conversation in a number of areas to set the political agenda.
We released three detailed, costed plans to advance our three major priorities: bringing 100,000 children out of poverty by 2014, making our rivers and lakes safe to swim in again, and creating 100,000 new green jobs. These priorities will form the basis of our election campaign and we'll work collaboratively across the political spectrum to see them implemented after the election. Jobs, rivers kids - a compelling Green vision of a richer New Zealand!
We led the way proposing a temporary Earthquake Levy to help pay for the rebuilding of Christchurch after the devastating earthquakes of September and February. A temporary levy on those most able to afford it is the fairest way to fund the rebuild without going into even greater Government debt. Our proposal has attracted support from around the country and across the political spectrum and we hope the Government will soon see its merits too.
Our Earthquake Levy proposal was part of a wider Green Budget proposal released in May as an alternative to the Government's shortsighted economic vision. We challenged the Government to have the courage to raise revenue with a comprehensive Capital Gains Tax (excluding the family home) and eco-taxes to encourage efficient use of our precious natural resources. A version of our proposal for a Capital Gains Tax was later adopted by the Labour Party as a major election policy.
When Green MP Catherine Delahunty's Equal Pay Amendment Bill was pulled from the ballot, we hoped it would create a national conversation about the gender pay gap, and thanks in part to the outlandish comments of former EMA head Alasdair Thompson, it did. Equal Pay has become a major national talking point and we look forward to the Bill - which would make it easier for women to find out whether they are paid the same as their male counterparts - having its first reading in Parliament next year.
Retirements in 2011
Finally, we're about to farewell our two longest-standing MPs, Sue Kedgley and Keith Locke. Both Sue and Keith have made outstanding contributions to New Zealand during their time in Parliament, and given voice to thousands of New Zealanders on issues not championed by any other political party. Their achievements are an inspiration to the next generation of Green MPs and candidates.
That's some of the change the Green Party achieved in 2011. We hope to be even more effective with more Green MPs in Parliament in 2012. You can keep up-to-date on our work here.
