The Green Party is calling for the immediate release of the Government report into the treatment of a Malaysian diplomat convicted of indecent assault now that the diplomat has been found guilty and sentenced.

The latest critique of the TPPA, as an old fashioned agreement inconsistent with human rights, is a timely warning that the signing of the deal in Auckland today is not in the interests of New Zealanders, the Green Party said. United Nations Human Rights Council Independent Expert Professor Alfred de Sayas has issued a statement explaining how the ‘outdated’ TPPA is ‘fundamentally flawed and should not be signed or ratified unless provision is made to guarantee the regulatory space of...

The Government must be 100 percent clear with New Zealanders about whether it’s preparing to cave in to US pressure over extending patent protections in the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) that would make biologic medicines more expensive, the Green Party said. Reports from the USA suggest the pharmaceutical industry is pushing the US Government to force Australia and New Zealand to accept a longer patent period that would raise the cost of medicines, before the deal is signed on...

The Green Party has welcomed the appointment of Abbie Reynolds as Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Council (SBC). “We look forward to working with Abbie Reynolds at the Sustainable Business Council, which plays a vital role in transitioning New Zealand towards a smart, high value, low-carbon economy,” Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said. “Ms Reynolds’ background driving sustainability in the ICT industry bodes well for the development of more high-tech, low-pollution businesses in New Zealand. “We also want to...

The Government should help cash strapped dairy farmers by assisting them to transition to higher premium organic milk production, the Green Party said today. “Organic milk is fetching an extra $1.75 per kilo of milk solids over  Fonterra’s forecast $4.15 farmgate price, and internationally processors are crying out for it,” said Green Party organics spokesperson Steffan Browning. “The Government should recognise the economic and environmental benefits of organic milk production for New Zealand; these include higher returns for farmers from...

A proposed new coal mine at Mokau, South Waikato, shows why the Resource Management Act (RMA) should allow local authorities such as regional councils to take the causes of climate change into account, the Green Party said today. Mokau South Resources has applied to the Waikato Regional Council to dam, pollute, and discharge water in relation to a new coal mine it hopes to open under a mining permit it’s held since 1990. Since 2004, the RMA has prevented councils...

Reports of the police visiting known activists to ask their plans for the TPPA show appalling judgement and are a poor attempt at a chilling effect, said the Green Party.

Environment Canterbury’s (ECan) lax attitude to cows polluting our waterways is a symptom of a council which is more responsive to central government’s agricultural intensification agenda than the public’s concern for the environment and water quality, the Green Party said today. The comments come on the back of the most recent Environment Canterbury (ECan) compliance report which shows 95 complaints were made to the council about stock entering waterways in 2013 and 2014, with only one resulting in a fine....

Allowing stock to traipse through waterways on its watch is evidence the National Government has failed to protect our rivers and lakes from pollution, the Green Party said today. “The Government pays lip service to the environment and here’s the evidence that backs that up,” said Green Party water spokesperson Catherine Delahunty. “By shrugging its shoulders at these incidents, the Government is letting polluters off the hook. “The Government’s solutions to our water quality crisis have been feeble, and now...

The New Zealand Government cannot genuinely hold Saudi Arabia to account over a new UN report that has found they bombed civilian targets, while at the same time trying to foster a closer relationship with Saudi Arabia by gifting them a $3 million slaughterhouse, said the Green Party today.