Free prescriptions important step forward

services and systems

Greens announce plan to get big money and influence out of politics

The Green Party has today announced a plan to get big money and influence out of politics, with a package of reforms including capping political donations at $30,000, stopping companies from donating, and setting up a public register of lobbyists."Our democracy should work for everyone, not just the wealthy few. Right now, a handful of very rich and powerful people and corporations can buy access and influence the government for their benefit," says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson. "Successive governments...

Posted at September 22, 2026 1:04 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson

services and systems

Green Party pledge to remove AI from welfare payment decisions

The Green Party pledges that artificial intelligence and automated decision making will not be used for payment decisions in the welfare system, such as cancelling, suspending, or reducing welfare payments, or imposing benefit sanctions when it is in Government. “The Coalition’s push for automated decision making has already proven disastrous by treating tens of thousands of people like test subjects and leaving them financially vulnerable,” says Green Party Social Development Spokesperson, Ricardo Menendez March. “The Ministry of Social Development's report...

Posted at September 11, 2026 1:11 PM by Ricardo Menéndez March

services and systems

Over 14,000 Benefits Wrongly Suspended Under Minister’s Watch, Call For Compensation Continues

Today’s report by the Ministry of Social Development shows that over 14,000 people had their payments wrongfully suspended as a result of legislation introduced and passed under urgency by Louise Upston. “Louise Upston’s policies have resulted in thousands of people being left without the payments they need to put food on the table and cover their bills. Many of the people impacted are people living with health conditions, injuries, and disabilities, whose lives would have been turned upside down due to these payment suspensions”, says Green Party Social Development Spokesperson Ricardo Menendez March.    “Falling behind by $3000 when you are on...

Posted at September 10, 2026 3:38 PM by Ricardo Menéndez March

services and systems

Greens launch plan to break up the supermarket duopoly and bring down the price of food

The Green Party has today announced a plan to break up the supermarket duopoly by creating a publicly owned supermarket chain called KiwiMart, as part of its Affordable Kai election policy.  "Our country produces enough food to feed 40 million people. There is no shortage of food in Aotearoa, but it's somehow becoming too expensive for too many New Zealanders," says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.  "Two companies control what almost everyone in this country eats, and they take about a...

Posted at September 06, 2026 12:18 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick

services and systems

Luxon’s fuel tax freeze leaves worse roads and fewer choices

The Green Party says the Government's decision to cancel next year's fuel excise increase will leave the land transport system short of the money it needs and shows neither major party has a serious plan for paying for transport."Neither Labour nor National is being serious or responsible about how we pay for transport," says Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter. "Freezing fuel excise will make our roads worse, defer maintenance we badly need, and leave people with fewer options...

Posted at September 01, 2026 8:38 AM by Julie Anne Genter

services and systems

Labour’s nursing policy a positive step, more work still needs to be done to support healthcare workers

The Green Party welcomes Labour’s election policy of guaranteed employment for all nursing graduates. However, more work needs to be done when it comes to supporting the health workforce, says Green Party Co-Leader Marama Davidson.“Guaranteed employment for all nursing graduates is something the Green Party supports. We’re pleased to hear Labour’s announcement that they will do this if elected.” “However, there is still more that could be done to support nursing graduates and our health workforce, such as introducing paid...

Posted at August 31, 2026 3:46 PM by Marama Davidson

services and systems

New bill to ban supermarket price gouging

The Green Party has announced a new Member's Bill, the Commerce (Excessive Pricing in Retail Grocery Industry) Amendment Bill, that would ban price gouging by the supermarket duopoly."New Zealanders pay too much for their groceries, while supermarkets are raking in excess profits of a million dollars a day. So, the Greens are introducing a law to make it illegal to charge unreasonable prices for groceries," says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. "While Luxon’s Government has talked tough, prices at the...

Posted at August 17, 2026 10:47 AM by Chlöe Swarbrick and Ricardo Menéndez March

services and systems

Government making life harder for young people with ill mental health and cancer patients

The Green Party says the Government’s changes to Jobseeker benefit eligibility for young people will cut support for thousands of disabled, injured and sick young people.This follows Louise Upston today revealing that almost 70% of young people on Jobseeker Support (Health Condition, Injury or Disability) have a psychiatric or psychological condition. “This Government is making it harder for thousands of disabled and sick people to get the support they need. You don’t make mental health better by taking away income,”...

Posted at July 29, 2026 4:37 PM by Ricardo Menéndez March

services and systems

Financial mentoring report demands immediate action on New Zealand’s spiralling debts

The Green Party commits to regulating debt collection and banning attachment orders against beneficiaries, following FinCap’s finding that their clients’ debt has surged to almost a billion dollars.“Families are increasingly under pressure from the rising cost of living and the growing burden of difficult debt. Poorly regulated debt collectors are deepening the crisis for too many families,” says Green Party Social Development spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March. “An attachment order mandates the Ministry of Social Development to deduct up to 40%...

Posted at July 23, 2026 3:45 PM by Ricardo Menéndez March

services and systems

Fossil fuel inflation drives up cost of living, Luxon rests assured

Exposure to volatile fossil fuels has driven inflation to its highest level in two years, piling more pressure on New Zealanders' cost of living, says the Green Party. "Stats NZ has today confirmed what every New Zealander already feels at the checkout. Almost everything is more expensive. That is because our economy is wired up to fossil fuels," says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.  "Inflation has hit 4.1 per cent in the year to June, up from 3.1 per cent in...

Posted at July 21, 2026 11:16 AM by Chlöe Swarbrick

services and systems

Green Party launches plan to cut power bills and take power back from the big energy companies

The Green Party has today launched its election energy policy, a plan to cut household power bills and establish Kiwipower, a publicly owned company to deliver the affordable, secure, renewable power the market has failed to build.“The Greens will lower bills, cut emissions and put power back in the hands of New Zealanders. That means Warmer Kiwi Homes, community-owned power, solar on rooftops and a new generation company, designed to solve our dry-year problem, owned by New Zealanders: Kiwipower," says...

Posted at July 20, 2026 1:06 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson

services and systems

Transport plan more pipe dream than pipeline

The Government's Major Transport Projects Pipeline, released today, shows billions of dollars of mega-roads still unfunded with no timeframe for when many will ever be built."After years of pressure to front up on how it would pay for its roading wish list, the Government has released less a pipeline and more a pipe dream with no clear way to fund its mega-projects," says Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter. "Putting projects in the 'slow lane' is an admission that...

Posted at July 09, 2026 11:38 AM by Julie Anne Genter

services and systems

Private emails with lobbyists in Luxon's Ministerial offices are potentially a systemic problem

The Ombudsman has confirmed the Prime Minister's Office unreasonably withheld secret briefings, and the Green Party has obtained a new OIA showing the same private email problem in other Ministers' offices, suggesting a potentially systemic problem across Government.“New Zealanders have the right to know who is influencing political decision making, and how,” says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.   “Regular people do not get to exchange secret emails with the Prime Minister's top officials, getting the law ultimately changed in their favour....

Posted at July 01, 2026 1:55 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick

services and systems

Luxon's Government nearly halves food bank funding as demand hits record high

The Green Party says this Government has nearly halved funding for food banks in Budget 2026, extending the $15 million in annual support for just one more year before cutting it to $8 million a year from 2027, at the very moment demand has never been higher.“Food banks are the last lifeline for the people doing it the toughest, and this Government has chosen to nearly halve their funding,” says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson.  “Demand has never been higher. The NZ Food...

Posted at June 04, 2026 11:32 AM by Marama Davidson

services and systems

Government clears the way to automate decisions about people's survival

The Green Party is condemning the Government's move to hand decisions on benefits over to automated systems, warning it will leave more people in hardship without the support they are legally entitled to."Handing decisions about people's ability to survive to a machine is a deliberate choice to make it harder for people to get the help they need," says Green Party social development spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March.  The Social Security (Modernisation) Amendment Bill will be introduced today for its first...

Posted at May 29, 2026 11:07 AM by Ricardo Menéndez March