Greens pleased with Labour’s support for Matariki Day

The Green Party welcomes Labour backing a Matariki public holiday.

Green Party Co-leader and Māori Development spokesperson Marama Davidson said today:

“There has been an incredible push in Aotearoa to honour our unique te ao Māori worldviews, and in particular, to celebrate a Māori holiday on Aotearoa whenua.

“We’re really pleased to see Labour coming to the party and recognising the huge desire from across Aotearoa, including from the Greens, to make Matariki a public holiday.

“The Māori New Year is a chance each year to reflect, celebrate, claim our past, and look forward. It gives us time to look up at the night sky and teach our kids about how our tupuna used the stars to give guidance in how we live our lives.

“As well as increasing cultural awareness around our history, an extra public holiday will encourage New Zealanders to get out to the regions and support small businesses that have been hurt by the drop off in tourism.

“The commitment from both the Greens and Labour to make Matariki a public holiday reflects the shared values which make our partnership strong.

“We look forward to implementing and celebrating Matariki Day as part of the next Government, alongside Labour.”

Action

Protect te reo Māori

Sign our petition asking Minister Erica Stanford to keep prioritising the teaching of te reo Māori.

Action

Bird of the Year

Send Christopher Luxon an email letting him know that his fast track to environmental ruin is not something Aotearoa signed up for.

Action

Submission Guide to the Law Commission for Trans, Non-Binary & Intersex Peoples' Rights

Make a submission today for increased protection our trans, non-binary and intersex communities.

Action

Emissions Reduction Plan Submission Guide

Submit today on the Government's inadequate Emissions Reduction Plan.

Action

Safer Speeds Petition

Sign our petition asking Christopher Luxon to keep our roads safe.

Action

Cut the Coal Petition | Join the movement

Fight back: Tell the government that coal mining is not our future.

Action

Safer Speeds

Submit today on the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits, which stops Councils from being able to implement safe speeds on their streets.

Action

Protect Our Freshwater

Join our Green MPs in calling for the government to protect freshwater. Proposed changes to the Resource Management Act threaten New Zealand's...

Action

Marine Farm Consents Bill | Make A Submission

Tell the government that we will not accept damage to our oceans.

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 Aotearoa. Volu...

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 Māori Development Announcements

Story

Govt already seeking advice on Treaty referendum

On one hand, the Prime Minister has assured Aotearoa that his party will not support the Treaty Principles Bill beyond first reading, but on the ot...

Greens call on Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned after letter from Christian leaders

The Green Party is once again urging the Prime Minister to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill as a letter from more than 400 Christian leaders call...

Vast majority of councils support Māori wards

Councils across the country have now decided where they stand regarding Māori wards, with a resounding majority in favour of keeping them in what i...

Govt shirks its responsibility to Whakaata Māori

The Green Party has called out the Government for allowing Whakaata Māori to effectively collapse to a shell of its former self as job cuts and pro...

Greens call on Luxon to abandon Treaty Principles Bill following Waitangi Tribunal report

The Green Party is calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill following the Waitangi Tribunal’s scathing rep...

Budget neglects Māori and disregards Te Tiriti

The Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka (Māori and Pasifika) caucus has labelled this year’s Budget as unambitious for Māori and unapologetic in its disregar...

Story

Green Party welcomes PCE report that calls for more sustainable tourism

The Green Party welcomes the report that calls for more sustainable tourism by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.

Green Party releases tourism policy

Today the Green Party’s conservation spokesperson Eugenie Sage went kayaking on Akaroa Harbour to highlight the greater protection achieved for Hec...

Tourism

Tourism is important to Aotearoa, but it’s been hit hard by COVID-19. Our clean, green image and spectacular nature is what draws people to visit. ...

Greens call for additional public holiday for Matariki

The Green Party is calling for Matariki to become a public holiday, allowing New Zealanders to celebrate the Māori New Year over a long weekend.

Tourism Policy

Reforming tourism to be part of a regenerative economy requires a strategic and collaborative approach, which must recognise the importance of lead...

Story

First IVL projects to support sustainable tourism and conservation

A programme to build a skilled tourism workforce and a recovery plan for the critically endangered kākāpō are among the first projects to receive f...