Articles by Francisco

services and systems

Greens call for a halt and urgent review into misuse of public money for political advertisements

The Green Party has raised concerns about the government's potential misuse of public money to fund political propaganda about government health targets. “It’s concerning that the government has potentially used public money for political advertising. This is clearly a breach of the Cabinet Office guidelines, especially at this point in the election cycle” says Green Party Public Service Spokesperson Francisco Hernandez.  “These advertisements talk about the progress HealthNZ has made against government health targets that have been set by the National...

Posted at October 01, 2026 11:59 AM by Francisco Hernandez

people and communities

Seymour plan would strip students of the services they rely on

The Green Party says ACT leader David Seymour's proposal for voluntary student fees will finish the job of destroying student associations and the campus experience."Students are not customers who pass through a campus and leave. They are the people who make a campus what it is, and they should have real power over how it runs," says Green Party tertiary education spokesperson Francisco Hernandez. "In 2012, ACT's Voluntary Student Membership Bill ripped out the guts from student associations across the...

Posted at August 11, 2026 11:55 AM by Francisco Hernandez

services and systems

Luxon’s ‘DOGE style cuts’ will harm New Zealand

Luxon’s cuts to the public service will only put more pressure on frontline workers, meaning New Zealanders miss out on the support they need, says the Green Party.“In 2024, Luxon told New Zealanders that frontline services would be ‘protected,’ which has now been shown to be a sham,” says Green Party Public Services spokesperson, Francisco Hernandez.  “These are DOGE style libertarian fantasies right out of Elon Musk’s playbook.” “Nicola Willis is committing New Zealand to arbitrary headcounts which will eat...

Posted at May 19, 2026 12:10 PM by Francisco Hernandez

services and systems

Green Party pushes for extension of $50 fuel crisis relief payment to students, alongside Winter Energy Payment

The Green Party has released an updated Member’s Bill to extend the Winter Energy Payment to tertiary students and temporarily raise this year’s payment for students by $50 a week, to match the fossil fuel crisis response payment.The Winter Energy Payment begins today, 1 May, and is currently provided to beneficiaries and pensioners to help them heat their homes until October, while other families are receiving the temporary $50 boost to help cover fuel and the cost of living. “Right now,...

Posted at May 01, 2026 11:26 AM by Francisco Hernandez

democracy and international relations

Open letter to Hon Judith Collins

It is with sadness that we write this open letter to respond to the blatantly partisan screed you wrote yesterday. We find it necessary to do so to correct the record and defend the hardworking teachers, nurses and doctors who are striking for fair pay and safe conditions for staff and the public they serve against your attempts to smear them.  But before we get to that - we would like to invite you to spend just one week walking...

Posted at October 20, 2025 11:11 AM by Francisco Hernandez

services and systems

Green Party launches petition to Save our Polytechs

The Green Party is today launching a petition calling on the Government to properly fund our polytechs, and end the cuts.“It’s time for the Minister for Vocational Education and Training to step up and support polytechs–not throw them to the wolves like she has so far,” says the Green Party’s tertiary spokesperson, Francisco Hernandez.  “Our polytechs provide people with the training they need to do the jobs they want and the work our communities rely on. We need our polytechs. ...

Posted at August 25, 2025 9:00 AM by Francisco Hernandez