The Green Party supports constitutional transformation to uphold the rangatiratanga of tangata whenua and address the source of environmental degradation and social disconnection and inequity within Aotearoa New Zealand. We will ensure that our democratic systems prevent the misuse and over-influence of power in our democracy, including by regulating election financing and lobbying and by ensuring transparency of official information.
Vision
The Aotearoa New Zealand democracy exemplifies transparent, honest, inclusive and consensus-based decision-making.
Values and Principles
- Honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi: Te Tiriti o Waitangi and He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni (the 1835 Declaration of Independence) are central to our constitution. The tino rangatiratanga of hapū and iwi should be upheld and affirmed within both Central and Local Government and in a formal constitution of Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Ecological Wisdom: Public decision-making should seek to hear the voices of the natural world and work in the best interests of all species and future generations.
- Social Responsibility: The country should be governed by a Parliament that is representative of the votes cast and the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand, and recognises the inherent dignity and the equitable and inalienable rights and responsibilities of its people.
- Appropriate Decision-Making: People should be able to meaningfully participate in and contribute to central and local government decision-making which impacts on ourselves, our communities, our environment and the generations which will follow us, including through equitably representative decision-making bodies.
- Non-Violence: The democratic processes of Aotearoa New Zealand should respect the rights and needs of all its residents. Exploitation and advantaging of any group at the expense of any other should be avoided. Our democratic processes should be robustly defended from malign interference.
- Transparency: Freedom of information and openness of government and its procedures are essential elements of a democracy.
- Independence: Aotearoa New Zealand should safeguard its political and economic autonomy and integrity, including the right to set its own standards, institute protections against abuse of power and privilege and reduce the potential for conflicts of interest in the exercise of authority.
- Subsidiarity: Decision-making should be devolved to take place as close as possible to those affected by the decisions.
- Consensus: Collective decision-making should be cultivated through honest, informed, inclusive, structured consensus-seeking dialogue, giving due weight and effect to the voices of the many and of the few.
- Separation of powers: The separation of the legislative, judiciary and the executive functions of government must be upheld, and the independence of the judicial system and the civil service strengthened.
- Public interest politics: Politicians uphold high ethical standards, are open and accountable, and fulfil their public role in the best interests of New Zealand. Key decisions on the shape of the nation's democratic system belong to the people, not political parties.
Strategic Priorities
The Green Party’s strategic goals include:
“Our democracy will be accessible and enable inclusive, participatory decisions, where people can influence the collective choices that affect them.
“Māori will be empowered and resourced within a kaupapa Māori framework to support restorative and rehabilitative justice and provide for the well-being of whānau, the environment and our natural ecosystems.”
Actions in this policy that will help achieve this include:
- Support and resource the ongoing implementation of recommendations from the He Puapua report for forming a formal, written national constitution for Aotearoa New Zealand. (1.2)
- Ensure that constitutional arrangements uphold the Articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the tino rangatiratanga of hapū and iwi, whilst uplifting the mana of all Māori. (1.4)
- Institute the use of preferential voting within MMP for both the electorate vote and the party vote (...). (2.3)
- Initiate a review of the overall operation of campaign finance rules (...). (2.12)
- Require agencies to respond promptly to OIA requests and narrow the exclusion provisions to withhold important information (...). (5.6)
Connected Policies
The Green Party ‘s Local Government Policy includes measures to achieve greater transparency and reform local government elections, representation and participation. Our Tiriti o Waitangi Policy underpins the direction taken towards constitutional transformation.
