News

  • Govt’s obesity plan must put people ahead of junk-food industry profits

    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...
  • Government encouraging New Zealanders to become tenants in our own land

    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...
  • Waikato Regional Council is sitting on its hands while the river continues to be polluted

    The Waikato Regional Council (WRC) is failing to protect the Waikato River and the communities who value it from increasing pollution, by allowing Landcorp’s upstream dairy conversions to continue and allowing others to take place without resource consent, the Green Party said today. WRC councillor Alan Livingston and Chief Executive Vaughan Payne were questioned by the Primary Production Select Committee at Parliament today in response to a petition by Green MP Catherine Delahunty calling for a moratorium on Landcorp’s conversion...
  • Two dollar tax bribe at what cost?

    The Government needs to rule out borrowing to pay for tax bribes while funding for core education and health services continues to fall behind what’s needed, the Green Party said today. “Bill English’s surplus works out at $2.20 a week per person – about the price of a pack of chewing gum – so if he wants to cut taxes more than that he’s going to need to borrow to fund his tax bribes,” Green Party finance spokesperson Julie Anne...
  • Govt plans to melt Antarctica!

    The National Government’s plans for emissions reduction will melt Antarctica if all other countries follow our lead, the Green Party said today. New research published today in Nature magazine led by Nick Golledge, at Victoria University’s Antarctic Research Centre, has confirmed that Antarctica’s ice cap will melt unless ambitious action is taken to start reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the next five years. “If most countries followed New Zealand’s lead, global warming would exceed 3–4°C leading to major losses of...
  • TPPA will hit farmers in the pocket and funnel it to agribusiness

    Leaked TPPA documents show that farmers will be stopped from saving some seed from their crops to grow again and may face other restrictions, as the National Government signs away farmers’ rights as part of the deal, the Green Party said today. “The National Government is more interested in protecting big agribusiness and overseas interests than it is the farmers of New Zealand,” said Green Party GE spokesperson Steffan Browning. New Zealand will be required as part of the TPPA...
  • Surplus good but at what cost?

    National today achieved their own narrow goal for the economy by achieving a surplus, but it’s come at the cost of the things that matter to families and children, the Green Party said today. Treasury reported today that the Government has recorded an operating surplus of $414 million before gains and losses (OBEGAL) for 2014/15. This is National’s first OBEGAL operating surplus since they came to power in 2008. “National has finally secured its first surplus, which is good, but...
  • Green Party praise for Helen Kelly

    The Green Party has praised retiring New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) President Helen Kelly, who steps down today after eight years in the union leadership role. “Since I have been an MP I have had the pleasure of working closely with Helen in promoting the rights of working New Zealanders and resisting the National Party’s attacks on unions,” Green Party Workplace Relations and Safety spokesperson Denise Roche said. “Helen has been a delight to work with. “The Green...
  • Government continues to deny Cantabrians democracy

    The Green Party will be strongly opposing the Government’s Environment Canterbury (Transitional Governance Arrangements) Bill, which is due to have its first reading in Parliament today. “There is no justification for the Government to treat Cantabrians as second class citizens, denying them the right to elect a full regional council and the right to access the Environment Court,” said Eugenie Sage, the Green Party’s Canterbury spokesperson. “There is no reason for having the Resource Management Act continue to apply differently in Canterbury than elsewhere in...