Further falls overnight in dairy auction prices have highlighted the failure of National’s economic strategy, the Green Party said today. Dairy prices fell a further 11 percent overnight, reaching their lowest point in six years at US$2054 a tonne. Increasing supply suggests there could be more bad news to come. “National has failed to build a strong, resilient export sector,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw. “The simplification of our export economy to a few basic commodity exports like milk...

The Green Party is asking Parliament’s Justice and Electoral Select Committee to initiate an inquiry into equality of access to justice.

The National Government shouldn’t drag New Zealand backwards by replacing its climate friendly electric trains with carbon-polluting diesel trains, the Green Party said today. “We are calling on the National Government to rule out replacing KiwiRail’s electric trains with diesel trains,” said Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter. Today, Ms Genter, the RMTU, and Generation Zero have gathered near Parliament to tell National not to replace our electric train fleet with diesel trains. The group will then march backwards...

New Zealand is starting from behind as it is poised to take up the presidency of the UN Security Council by failing to show leadership on one of the most significant international security issues of the day, said the Green Party today.

The Green Party has chosen to allow a split vote on today’s third reading of the Harmful Digital Communications Bill.

The National Government is spending its Land Transport Fund primarily on carbon-polluting transport infrastructure, rather than building a clean, balanced and efficient system for the 21st century, the Green Party said today. “The National Government could use the Land Transport Fund future-proof our transport system. Instead, National has chosen to continue spending over a billion dollars per year on a few carbon-polluting motorways that haven’t even passed a business case test,” said Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter.  ...

John Key must guarantee any state houses sold to local or overseas buyers for social housing are offered back to the Government first in the event they’re sold in the future, the Green Party said today. The National Government plans to sell thousands of state houses to social housing providers by 2017, and Horizon Housing, a not-for-profit charity based on Australia's Gold Coast, has expressed interest in buying more than 400 of them.

New Zealand must condemn Israel’s attempt to stop the humanitarian flotilla reaching Gaza and the prolonged, illegal blockade of Gaza by Israel, the Green Party said today.

The Green Party is today challenging the Government to tell New Zealanders how many new state houses will be created by its sell-off of our current state housing stock to overseas interests, as Prime Minister John Key appears confused about what the sale is supposed to achieve. “John Key said again today on Morning Report that the state-house sell-off is going to create more ‘social houses’ for Kiwis to live in, and that the sale of 400 to 500 homes...

People in Canterbury should not be second class citizens having to live with second class local body representation, the Green Party said today. The Green Party is concerned at the prospect of the National Government failing to restore a fully elected Environment Canterbury Regional Council (ECan) in announcements later this week about the council’s future.