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Green Achievements by Subject Area


 

2008 BUDGET SUCCESSES

  • Almost $100 million has been secured by the Green Party in the 2008 budget, comprising their largest budget package ever. This will be put towards a range of projects, including: Community Organisation Grants Scheme, Environment Centre Fund, National Antibiotic Surveillance System and Community Internship Programme.
  • A total of $53.4 million over five years has been secured for a variety of renovations to make State Houses warmer, drier and more energy efficient.
  • In the 2008 budget we have secured $8 million over four years to support five major research projects on climate change and its effect on conservation land.
  • Funding of $2.4 million over the next four years will improve the monitoring and testing of foods that are imported into New Zealand. The new funding will enable the authority to extend its monitoring and testing regime to imported foods, in addition to those considered high risk, and allow for random testing.

ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

  • We have led the debate on climate change. Jeanette Fitzsimons, especially, is the driving force behind ensuring the proposed Emissions Trading Scheme is fair and effective, and championing other complementary policies to help New Zealanders to kick the carbon habit.

  • Jeanette’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, passed in 2000, has already saved ordinary New Zealanders over $148 million dollars in their power bills, and more still for Kiwi businesses.
  • Constant pressure from the Green Party has led to increased funding for public transport, cycling, and walking; vehicle fuel-economy labeling; and an agreement that fuel economy standards will be introduced soon.

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT

  • We successfully lobbied to make the electrification of Auckland rail system a reality.
  • Our popular campaign to save the Overlander Passenger Train Service demonstrated the widespread support in New Zealand for a revitalised rail network. One year on, and the Government has followed our lead and renationalised rail operations, promising a significant investment in run-down infrastructure. The Greens will make sure the Government delivers on their promises.
  • Jeanette negotiated an amendment to the Biofuel Bill ensuring that only sustainable biofuels that do not compete with food are allowed in New Zealand

SAFE FOOD

  • We have helped to keep New Zealand GE Free. We have kept the New Zealand public informed, run public meetings and run one of our strongest campaigns, focusing on this issue.
  • In 2007 Sue Kedgley made sure that organic bread is exempt from mandatory folate fortification requirements, keeping synthetic materials out of our organics, and ensuring consumer choice.
  • Since 2007, Sue Kedgley has been campaigning to get a mandatory ‘country of origin’ label on all foods sold in New Zealand.

OUR CHILDRENS' FUTURE

  • Sue Bradford’s efforts led to the passing of the Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Bill, taking away the defence of "reasonable force for the purpose of correction" for prosecutions involving the beating of children.
  • After years of Green Party campaigning the Government has finally introduced new food and nutrition guidelines for schools, ensuring that schools will only provide their students with healthy food and drink.
  • In 2002 Jeanette Fitzsimons and Metiria Turei secured $5.9 million to implement an environmental education programme in NZ schools. In 2006 this fund was increased to $13.5 million.

THE ENVIRONMENT

  • Nandor Tanzcos, and more recently Russel Norman, have developed and promoted the Waste Minimisation (Solids) Bill, including a levy to support recycling projects. The Bill was passed in August 2008.
  • We secured $8.8 million in 2007 to put towards wetlands conservation. This money is going toward the conservation of the Whangamarino Wetland in the Waikato, the Ashburton lakes, the Upper Rangitata River in inland Canterbury, and the Waituna Lagoon and Awarua wetland complex in Southland.
  • Since 2006, Metiria Turei has been supporting the fight to save Happy Valley and the endangered New Zealand native large snail from the grips of the state owned enterprise, Solid Energy, which plans to destroy this natural habitat and build a coal mine.
  • This year we have secured $4 million for a National Community Biodiversity fund to help fund community groups working to restore dune and river ecosystems.
  • Jeanette Fitzsimons successfully helped local communities to defeat a proposed hydro scheme on the Waitaki River in 2004. Today, Metiria Turei is leading a campaign to stop the Mokihinui River, and its pristine flora and fauna, from being drowned in Meridian Energy's latest hydro-dam proposal.
  • In 2000 we made sure the end of native forest logging on the West Coast was non-negotiable, despite the lobbying of Jim Anderton and Michael Cullen (Agriculture Minister, and Minister of Finance respectively).
  • Russel Norman, together with Greenpeace and the Indonesia Human Rights Committee, successfully lobbied all major furniture chains to convince them to stop importing outdoor furniture made of the endangered Melanesian timber, kwila.

HUMAN RIGHTS & PEACE

  • Nandor Tanzcos’s Clean Slate legislation came into effect in 2004 allowing people with minor convictions, who have not received a custodial sentence or re-offended within 7 years, to leave the stigma behind.
  • Keith Locke has fought for and gained basic rights for two of New Zealand's refugee immigrants: Ahmed Zaoui and Ali Panah.
  • Keith Locke led pressure from the smaller parties to successfully repeal the archaic sedition laws in New Zealand.
  • The Green Party played an important part in the successful campaign to persuade the Government to get rid of the Skyhawk air strike force, and helped ensure that New Zealand did not to join the US, UK and Australia in invading Iraq.

JUSTICE

  • The Green Party established an independent inspector of prisons, through a significant increase in the budget and mandate of the Prison Ombudsman. Their enhanced role will ensure that New Zealand’s corrections system acts in a just, humane, and effective manner.
  • The Green-initiated Victims’ Rights Inquiry highlighted the rough justice victims of crime experience in our judicial system. The inquiry proposed 38 reforms, most now being implemented by the Government.

MORE

  • The Buy Kiwi-Made Programme was launched as a result of a Labour-Green cooperation agreement. The $11 million campaign has lead to 200,000 more New Zealanders now thinking 'Buy Kiwi-Made' when they walk into shops; thus helping local businesses, workers and the environment.
  • In 2007, Keith Locke helped to obtain increases in the amount of money the New Zealand Government gives in overseas aid.
  • The Green Party has been campaigning for workers' rights; with Sue Kedgley winning more flexible working-hours for employees needing to care for children or elderly relatives, and Sue Bradford lifting the minimum wage for most young workers by up to $94 a week.