News

  • Smelter decision creates opportunity for new economic plan

    The Green Party is calling on the Government to show leadership and work with the Southland community to develop an economic plan for a post-Tiwai Point aluminium smelter world. “It’s a relief for Southlanders that the smelter will stay open for the time being, but everyone knows that it won’t be there forever and we need a proper plan for a post-Tiwai Southland economy,” Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “As long as New Zealand doesn’t have a clear...
  • Time for the Govt to come clean on flailing TPP

    The Government should come clean about what concessions it has already made and what issues have been left on the TPP negotiating table, the Green Party said today. “The Government has purposefully left New Zealanders in the dark during the TPP negotiations because they know that Kiwis will baulk when they find how much we’re set to lose if it goes ahead,” said Green Party trade spokesperson Dr Russel Norman. “With the negotiations stalled, it’s an opportunity for Tim Groser...
  • Wellington case another sign the Govt must do more to fix the state of our housing stock

    This morning’s story about Lamar Aspinall contracting rheumatic fever from living in a cold, mouldy rental home is yet another reminder of why we urgently need a Government-regulated rental housing Warrant of Fitness, the Green Party said today. “Two things are very clear: firstly, this issue isn’t going away any time soon and, secondly, the Government’s half-baked measures will do nowhere near enough to stop Kiwi kids gets getting sick,” said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei. “Kids like Lamar Aspinall,...
  • Urgent action needed on family and sexual violence

    The Government’s stocktake of family and sexual violence spending must now be followed up by a commitment to spending the money needed to prevent the violence in the first place the Green Party said. “I’m relieved that the Government are making family and sexual violence one of their top priorities, and creating a framework for a better response,” Green Party Women’s Spokesperson Jan Logie said. “We hope this signals an end to the Government’s erosions of protections for survivors such...
  • Government delay in Māori Language week an embarrassment

    Government MPs inability to make a decision today about an inquiry into Te Reo in schools is an embarrassment in Te Wiki o te Reo Māori  (Māori Language Week) the Green Party said today. The Green Party and New Zealand First are jointly calling for a Select Committee inquiry into the capacity to deliver and support Te Reo Māori within New Zealand schools. “This week, of all weeks, the Education and Science Select Committee should have supported the initiative to...
  • Even the lawyers say stock numbers should come down

    Legal advice that says Hawke’s Bay farmers might have to reduce stock numbers in order to mitigate pollution to waterways, will have implications for water allocation all over New Zealand, the Green Party said today. Earlier this year, a Board of Inquiry ruled that the proposed $80million Ruataniwha Dam in Hawke’s Bay can only go ahead if farmers taking water from the scheme keep the amount of nitrogen from their farms entering waterways below certain limits. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council...
  • Reserve Bank’s failings hurting businesses and households

    New information released by the Green Party today shows that the Reserve Bank has failed to forecast inflation accurately over the last four years meaning interest rates have been kept higher than necessary, hurting businesses and households. Analysis by the Parliamentary Library of Reserve Bank inflation forecasting versus the actual inflation rate shows that the Bank has consistently mis-forecast inflation over the last four years, resulting in a higher Official Cash Rate (OCR) than necessary to control inflation. Higher cash...