Deepening connections and uplifting communities.
The Green Party will strengthen the relationship between Aotearoa and the Pacific through partnership grounded in respect, reciprocity and shared prosperity.
Aotearoa stands as a Pacific nation, grounded in deep and enduring whakapapa connections with Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.
Pacific Peoples are central to our shared future. Their innovation, leadership and cultural intelligence will help shape a sustainable, inclusive and thriving Aotearoa.
Pacific Peoples are one of our most youthful and fastest-growing communities, yet systemic barriers mean too many face challenges in employment, housing, education and health. Current visa rules make it hard for Pacific people to visit their family here in Aotearoa. Too many Pacific workers are denied the dignity, protections and fair conditions they deserve.
Persistent inequities and underinvestment threaten to hold back prosperity and undermine our relationship with the wider Pacific. The current Government has cut climate aid funding and slashed targeted funding for Pacific initiatives.
This term the Green Party helped restore citizenship for thousands of Samoans by passing the Citizenship (Western Samoa Restoration) Amendment Act, securing a historic win for Pacific justice. But there is still much more work to do.
It’s time for Aotearoa to show our Pacific identity with meaningful action that uplifts Pacific leadership, strengthens communities and deepens our relationships across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.
Our plan
- Extend visa-free travel to Aotearoa for visitors from the Pacific Islands.
- Restore and increase the international climate aid funding Aotearoa contributes. Affirm and support calls by Pacific Island nations for stronger climate action in international negotiations.
- Resource tangata moana leadership on climate action within Aotearoa.
- Replace the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme with an alternative that gives Pacific workers access to fair wages, housing and essential services, and provides for open work rights and residency pathways rather than being tied to a single employer.
- Support the independence of West Papua and French-occupied Polynesia. Call for an Indigenous-led human rights investigation and a visit from the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
- Support Pacific Island states with their marine protection initiatives, including by increasing funding support for the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme and supporting marine protected areas in the Pacific Ocean under the High Seas Treaty.