Dr Elizabeth Kerekere receives her COVID-19 vaccination

Today, Green Party MP Dr Elizabeth Kerekere received her COVID-19 vaccination from Tamaiti Whāngai COVID-19 vaccination centre, which had its official opening yesterday.

“As the Health spokesperson for the Green Party, I was really humbled to get my first vaccination against COVID-19 today,” says Green Party spokesperson for Health Dr Elizabeth Kerekere.

“I am one of many Māori with underlying health conditions. And because I have low immunity, my GP has advised the vaccine will likely make me feel a bit sick for a day or two, but then I am protected against a deadly, harmful virus that has ravaged communities around the world.

“I’d like to acknowledge how fortunate I am to receive my vaccination alongside Te Atiawa iwi and Kaumatua.

“This vaccine is safe. It will save lives. I urge every whānau to get it as soon as it becomes available to them to protect our whakapapa.

“Our strength against COVID-19 and any mutations relies heavily on quick and timely community vaccination. Together we can tackle it."

ENDS

Volunteer

The Greens are proud to be driven by passionate people like you. Today we need your help to take action on the biggest issues facing New Zealand.

Action

Save Auckland's Climate Budget

Sign the petition to stop Mayor Wayne Brown's proposal for dangerous cuts to climate and environmental programmes that protect us from extreme weat...

Action

No New Mines 2023

Action

Expand Voting

Now more than ever, young people in Aotearoa are impacted by Government decisions, and they deserve to have a say. We are calling on all Members of...

Action

End Intensive Winter Grazing

Sign the petition to Labour Ministers, to move faster in bringing regulations into force and end intensive winter grazing.

Action

Trains for Climate

Add your name to our open letter urging the Minister for Finance Grant Robertson to save our passenger trains between Wellington, the Wairarapa and...

Action

Healthy Oceans 2022

Join our Healthy Oceans Crew to help us keep the health and protection of our oceans high on the Labour Government’s political agenda.

Action

It's time: A Ministry for Rainbow Communities

Join our call asking the Prime Minister to establish a Ministry for Rainbow Communities that can champion Rainbow issues.

Action

No new mines on conservation land

Sign the open letter asking Labour Ministers to stick to their promise of banning new mining projects on conservation land.

Action

Allow community ownership of our buses

Public transport is an essential service and helps to tackle the climate crisis by reducing our carbon emissions. But there are barriers to communi...

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Health Announcements

Story

Free prescriptions important step forward

The Green Party is today welcoming free prescriptions.

Greens welcome life-saving treatments for rare disorders

The Green Party welcomes the news that Pharmac will fully fund Spinraza for people under the age of 18.

Monkeypox elimination plan is essential

The Green Party is calling on the Government to listen to public health experts and commit to an elimination strategy for monkeypox.

Migrant healthcare workers need fair pay as well as residency

Migrant nurses, aged-care and support workers need fair pay as well as equitable pathways to residency, not half-baked measures from National.

Nurses could face pay cut under National

A National Government would leave nurses behind, the Green Party says.

Budget 2022: Greens MP Dr Elizabeth Kerekere says wins for health not enough for Māori or Rainbow

Today Greens Te Mātāwaka Chair and Health Spokesperson, Dr Elizabeth Kerekere, said “The Greens have long campaigned for an independent Māori Healt...

Story

Greens welcome much needed investment but Labour can go further for Te Ao Māori & Pasifika in the Budget

Today the Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka (Māori and Pasifika) caucus supported the 2023 Budget, but there’s still room for improvement.

Greens call on the government to end perpetual leases

The Green Party calls on the Government to end perpetual leases over Māori land so that Māori landowners can directly control their lands.

Greens support Operation Pātiki restoring name for awa

The Green Party is proud to support Kohupātiki Marae to uphold the mana of their awa.

Greens welcome step forward for Waimana whānau

The Government has finally agreed to meet with the whānau of Te Waimana Kaaku, a step the Green Party says must lead to warm, dry, secure homes bei...

Crown closes the door for Waimana Housing programme

The Green Party is calling out the Government for its role in Te Waimana Kaaku whānau losing their deposits and the homes they were promised.

Pay equity for kaiārahi i te reo celebrated

Recognising te reo and tikanga Māori in schools starts with pay equity, says the Green Party.

Story

Government gets it right on COVID settings

Maintaining the current COVID-19 isolation requirement is the right decision, the Green Party says.

Summer COVID plan needed

The Green Party has been left wondering if the Government signed off for the summer break before putting in place a COVID plan.

COVID inquiry disappointingly narrow

The Green Party welcomes a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic – but is disappointed with the narrow scope.

Lasting public health measures needed for COVID response ahead of future waves

Winding down COVID powers does nothing to change the fact that stronger public health measures are needed to protect our immunocompromised and disa...

Vital public health measures still missing from COVID response

Strong public health measures are more vital than ever, the Green Party says as the Government removes many longstanding COVID-19 restrictions.

Better long-term planning needed for COVID

COVID-19 is here to stay and so the Government needs to put in place long-term protection measures, including mandatory ventilation standards, the ...