The inaugural Environment Aotearoa report highlights the major shortfalls in the Government’s environmental management, and must lead to urgent action to protect our indigenous wildlife, rivers, and seas, the Green Party said today. "The Government’s hands-off approach to environmental  protection is a major reason for the fact that 66% of monitored river sites are no longer safe to swim in and the precarious positions of many of our native seabirds and marine mammals," said Green Party environment spokesperson Eugenie Sage. “Our native plants,...

New data released by the Green Party today shows that New Zealand is contributing far less than other comparable countries to a fund that helps developing countries combat climate change. This revelation comes amidst significant climate talks taking place this week in Bonn, and shows New Zealand’s pledge to the Green Climate Fund sits at just NZ$0.88 per person, compared to the average pledge of NZ$12.46. “The Green Climate Fund is one of the most important ways that developed nations...

The Green Party has welcomed the Government’s announcement today that it will set up a joint employer-union working group to address claims under the Equal Pay Act. “This is an historic victory, led by Kristine Bartlett and the union movement, who have fought to ensure all women are paid fairly for the work they do,” said Green Party Women’s spokesperson Jan Logie “Kristine’s heroic battle has forced the National Government to treat the underpayment of women seriously. “The negotiations over...

The Green Party is welcoming new financial protections for subcontractors as a win for the building industry after years of struggle following the collapse of Mainzeal in early 2013. Today, Parliament will pass the Construction Contracts Amendment Bill. “I’m really pleased to see the Government has finally listened to the building industry and put in place new protections for subcontractors, because for a long time it didn’t look likely,” Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter said. “The Green Party has...

The Government’s plan to curb childhood obesity is largely a rehash of existing programmes and offers very little to reduce the attraction of junk food. Green Party Health Spokesperson Kevin Hague says that real behaviour change happens when the environment changes that encourages unhealthy behaviour. The Government’s announced initiatives takes the easy way out by blaming individuals, while too many of us have the same problem. “Like the alcohol and tobacco industries, the junk food industry won't voluntarily sell less...

The Green Party is challenging Prime Minister John Key to tell New Zealanders what his next step will be, following his failure, over the weekend to secure any meaningful concessions on Kiwis detained in Australia.

The Green Party will press on with a human rights complaint about the detention and treatment of Kiwis in Australia, following an apparent failure of Prime Minister John Key today to secure any reasonable concessions from his Australian counterpart.   It's been reported today that Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had made a vague commitment to increase resources to allow appeals over deportations and detentions by Kiwis to be processed more quickly.   "It seems John Key has failed to...

The Green parties of New Zealand and Australia will be lodging a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) about the detention and treatment of New Zealanders in Australia.

The Government has an opportunity with its obesity plan to put the health of New Zealanders ahead of the profits of multi-national junk food companies, the Green Party said today. Health Minister Jonathan Coleman is expected to make an announcement today on tackling obesity, however there are reports that there will be no extra regulatory measures put in place around the food and drinks that are making us fat. “Until the Government stops protecting the junk food industry at the...

The Green Party is calling for stronger controls on agricultural land and business sales to overseas investors following new information that Americans were the biggest investors in New Zealand farmland in the past two years. “New Zealand should be keeping ownership of the land and businesses that underpin our agricultural economy in New Zealand hands,” Green Party finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said. “It’s not just land being taken from New Zealand hands, but also ownership of all points in...