The National Government must urgently amend its water standards so the minimum requirement is that rivers are safe enough to swim in, after the Environment Aotearoa 2015 report released yesterday shows our lakes, rivers and other waterways are paying the price of continual dairy intensification. The report showed shocking increases in nitrogen levels caused by dairying intensification, to the point where nearly half or our waterways have enough nitrogen to trigger potentially toxic algal blooms. Today John Key said he...

The Foreign Minister must confirm whether New Zealand will be supporting Australia’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Green Party said today.

The Green Party is calling for the Government to prevent Sky City from gaining the 230 additional pokie machines it was given in the Convention Centre deal, following a media sting by ONE News in which an actor was able to spend hundreds of dollars on pokie machines over ten hours without any intervention from SkyCity staff. SkyCity is due to activate an additional 230 pokie machines, and an additional 52 gaming tables under the terms of the Pokies for...

Green Party Co-leader James Shaw has renewed his call for cross-party action on climate change at today’s trans-transman Environmental Defence Society Climate Change and Business Conference, saying a lack of policy stability is letting business down. “Increasingly business leaders are wanting to lead on climate, and are exasperated at the Government’s lack of political leadership on these issues,” said Mr. Shaw. “National has turned their back on business certainty and price stability by weakening the ETS and rejecting offers of...

The Green Party is today introducing two amendments to Organised Crime and Anti-corruption Legislation Bill which would make it illegal to bribe officials in order to do business overseas.

Prime Minister John Key’s admission today that he did not even ask his Australian counterpart to return Kiwis currently detained in off-shore detention centres to mainland Australia shows how little he tried to advocate for them when meeting Malcolm Turnbull this week. Under questioning from Green Party human rights spokesperson Catherine Delahunty, the Prime Minister admitted he made very limited requests on behalf of detained New Zealanders and he also refused to rule out supporting Australia on their bid for...

A new report from the Productivity Commission shows that the Government has many options to help solve the Auckland housing crisis and it must choose those that will create better cities for people and the environment, the Green Party said. “The Productivity Commission’s housing report highlights how the National Government is sitting on its hands when actually it has a huge range of tools it could be using to fix the Auckland housing crisis,” Green Party finance spokesperson Julie Anne...

The inaugural Environment Aotearoa report highlights the major shortfalls in the Government’s environmental management, and must lead to urgent action to protect our indigenous wildlife, rivers, and seas, the Green Party said today. "The Government’s hands-off approach to environmental  protection is a major reason for the fact that 66% of monitored river sites are no longer safe to swim in and the precarious positions of many of our native seabirds and marine mammals," said Green Party environment spokesperson Eugenie Sage. “Our native plants,...

New data released by the Green Party today shows that New Zealand is contributing far less than other comparable countries to a fund that helps developing countries combat climate change. This revelation comes amidst significant climate talks taking place this week in Bonn, and shows New Zealand’s pledge to the Green Climate Fund sits at just NZ$0.88 per person, compared to the average pledge of NZ$12.46. “The Green Climate Fund is one of the most important ways that developed nations...

The Green Party has welcomed the Government’s announcement today that it will set up a joint employer-union working group to address claims under the Equal Pay Act. “This is an historic victory, led by Kristine Bartlett and the union movement, who have fought to ensure all women are paid fairly for the work they do,” said Green Party Women’s spokesperson Jan Logie “Kristine’s heroic battle has forced the National Government to treat the underpayment of women seriously. “The negotiations over...