New research shows the Government is ripping off children with special needs, who are being denied access to the education they need because specialist teachers are not being adequately funded, the Green Party said.   The NZEI TE Riu Roa survey of Special Education Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) in schools shows 90 percent believe children with special needs are not getting the support they need to learn.   “Every child has the right to an education, at their local school, that...

The self-proclaimed ‘business friendly’ National Government is out-of-step with its own bank and the wider business community who want stronger action to reign-in climate damaging pollution, the Green Party said today. A new Ministry for the Environment report reveals that nearly all businesses surveyed believed the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) could do more to drive down carbon emissions in the business sector and encourage more tree planting.[1] An independent report just released by Westpac has also criticised the National Government...

The report into the treatment of a diplomat found guilty of indecent assault highlights a failure of Government Ministers to show political leadership over sexual violence, the Green Party said today.

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Nations Human Rights Council Independent Expert Professor Alfred de Sayas has issued a statement explaining how the ‘outdated’ TPPA is ‘fundamentally flawed and should not be signed or ratified unless provision is made to guarantee the regulatory space of...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.