The Green Party is calling for the government to fund rail infrastructure from the National Land Transport Fund, following statements by KiwiRail boss Peter Reidy that the government “hasn't really considered the rail freight challenge” in its 30 year planning for Auckland's transport system.

The Green Party applauds Countdown’s initiative to support free-range and barn egg farmers and urges other supermarkets to follow suit.

National’s Special Housing Area (SHA) policy is in tatters after revelations that there hasn’t been any building activity in 97 of the 157 Auckland SHAs, the Green Party said today. “This is yet another example of the Government doing something they say will help first home buyers, but actually it mostly just ends up helping land bankers and property speculators,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said. “When less than half of National’s Special Housing Areas have actually seen any building...

The Green Party will not support new spy legislation proposed by the Government yesterday. The New Zealand Intelligence and Security Bill will bring spy legislation under one single Act, breaching the traditional demarcation between the Government Security Communications Bureau (GCSB) and the Security Intelligence Service (SIS).  It will expand the powers of the GCSB, allowing it to spy on New Zealanders. “The Bill declares its purpose to be the protection of New Zealand as a free, open and democratic society;...

The Green Party is calling on the Government to ban the toxic ingredient POEA, after answers to written questions to the Minister for the Environment revealed it is an undisclosed ingredient in almost 90 products sold in New Zealand. The European Union (EU) Commission has recommended that EU member states ban the use of Polyoxyethylene tallow amine (POEA), a common ingredient in herbicides like Roundup, which researchers expect could cause cell damage and death, and may cause pregnancy problems including...

The Green Party is calling on the National Government to trade good carbon credits for bad ones, to ensure the integrity of our global commitment to cut climate pollution. A Morgan Foundation report released yesterday highlighted the New Zealand businesses that made heaviest use of fraudulent emission reduction units purchased from Russia and the Ukraine to offset their climate pollution. “The Government needs to clean up its act on the climate and trade real carbon credits for past fraudulent ones,”...

The National Government has no more excuses for the Auckland housing crisis now that Auckland Council has passed the Unitary Plan, the Green Party said today. “This is a big step towards building a better, more affordable Auckland, and now the ball is in the Government’s court,” Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter said. “National needs to make the Unitary Plan work properly by building affordable homes, cracking down on property speculators, fixing the Building Code, and investing in public...

The Government’s inaction on the housing crisis is hurting our kids’ health, the Green Party said today. A report out yesterday showed an increase of 36 percent of rheumatic fever cases in Auckland which is being blamed on the housing crisis, with overcrowding and substandard homes too common.   “It’s well beyond time for urgent action from this Government to make sure no kid is living in conditions that are making them sick and risking their lives,” said Green Party...

The Green Party is calling on the National Government to support its levy on international visitors, to help fund conservation and local tourism infrastructure. “John Key and the National Government are most welcome to take our idea and run with it," said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw. “The concept of a Taonga Levy has already proved pretty popular, receiving support from groups like the Environmental Defence Society, the Tourism Export Council, and Forest and Bird. “National has adopted several Green...

People’s homes are one step closer to being free of a potentially harmful chemical with the reassessment of triclosan, the Green Party said today. Yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that, following an application from the Green Party, triclosan can be put forward for reassessment of how it is used. Triclosan is found in hundreds of household products, including soap and toothpaste. “This is a great win and the first step in getting this nasty ingredient out of people’s...