Foreign Affairs
Keith Locke MP speaking on New Zealand Foreign Policy
Keith Locke MP provides the Green Party view on NZ Foreign Policy. Part of a series hosted by the NZ Institute of International Affairs.
Petition calls on Govt to protect Pacific’s tuna fisheries
12 Aug 2008The Green Party is launching a petition calling on the Government to take urgent action to halt the over-exploitation of the Pacific's tuna fisheries.
Repression is not an Olympic Sport - Action outside Parliament
Action outside of Parliament tomorrow, 1pm, to highlight human rights abuses in China in the lead up to the Olympics. It marks the first day of Ni Yulan's trial. Ni Yulan is a vocal critic of the Chinese government and will appear in court for defending the rights of displaced people in Beijing.
"Ni Yulan is a courageous activist whose only crime has been to defend her rights and the rights of victims of forced evictions in Beijing. To try her on the eve of the Games is an extraordinary insult to those who lost their homes to the Beijing Olympics and shows contempt for human rights concerns raised by the international community. "
Sophie Richardson, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch.
See you tomorrow !
Hannah Scott
DVD with Keith
A chance to hang out with Keith Locke MP while watching an interesting Documentary - TBC.
For more information contact
otago.campus.greens@gmail.com or
greenmps.dunedin@greens.org.nz
Police must butt out of politics during Rice visit
25 Jul 2008
It is a constitutional affront for the Police to threaten students wishing to conduct a citizen’s arrest of visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Green Party MP Keith Locke says. Under the International Crimes and International Criminal Court Act 2000, proceedings can be taken against people visiting New Zealand who have been responsible for torture, or the launching of attacks which cause civilian casualties ‘clearly excessive’ to military objectives.
Immigration Bill improved, but still oppressive
21 Jul 2008Green Party MP Keith Locke has welcomed improvements in the Immigration Bill, reported back to Parliament today, but says it is still oppressive.
Mr Locke sat on the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee for hearings on the Bill. The report includes his minority comments on behalf of the Green Party.
Government should help NZ Cricket stop its tour of Zimbabwe
06 Jul 2008Green Party MP Keith Locke wants the Government to ensure the Black Caps tour of Zimbabwe doesn’t go ahead.
New Zealand Cricket is saying it won’t stop the tour on its own, and suffer penalties under International Cricket Council rules. The ICC, at its conference this week, decided that Zimbabwe Cricket would remain a part of the Future Tours Programme.
Help Britain kick Zimbabwe cricket out of 20/20
30 Jun 2008Green Party MP Keith Locke wants New Zealand to back Britain in getting Zimbabwe cricket kicked out of the World Twenty20 next year.
“We’ve got to use every bit of leverage we have against the Mugabe regime,” said Mr Locke, the Green Party’s Sports Spokesperson.
“Following the English example would also mean cancelling the Black Caps planned tour of Zimbabwe next July.
Latest Foreign Affairs Releases
The decision on what and where to spend our money is vital to the well-being of our community. Buying local boosts local communities. For every dollar we spend on foreign-made products, we take a dollar away from our families and communities, and we must reverse this. New Zealand manufacturers and retailers, who have provided centuries of commitment to their communities are being undermined by the introduction of 'big box' complexes and cheap imports. The further food travels, the greater the impact of carbon emissions, as well as the wider environmental impacts of global shipping and air freight.
As well as campaigning on Buy Local, in October 2006, as part of the Co-operation Agreement with the Labour-led Government, the Greens negotiated a Buy Kiwi Made programme. Sue Bradford is the Government spokesperson for this initiative, the goals of which are:
* Creating awareness of the employment, economic, environmental and social benefits of buying locally made products and services
* Building brand loyalty for New Zealand made products
* Reducing imports, especially of consumption goods
* Helping to reduce New Zealand's trade deficit
* Helping to increase New Zealand's manufacturing capability
* Helping to create employment
* Helping to reduce fuel consumption.
You can find information about this Government programme, headed by Sue Bradford MP, on our Buy Kiwi Made page.
The Green Party has been running buy local campaigns for many years before this government agreement. You can find a record of this here.