A Ministry for the Environment (MfE) report shows New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions are on track to reach record levels in the next 15 years, meaning the National Government’s promises at the Paris Climate Conference last week are ringing hollow, the Green Party said today. MfE’s Second Biennial Report shows climate damaging emissions in New Zealand are on-track to increase 96 percent above 1990 levels by 2030. This comes less than a week after the Government pledged to cut its greenhouse gas emissions...

Economic growth fuelled by high migration rates is not sustainable, the Green Party said today. Stats NZ released Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures for the September 2015 quarter today showing that the economy expanded by 0.9 percent. When adjusted for population growth, per capita GDP for the September quarter expanded only 0.4 percent, undoing the previous two quarters of negative per capita GDP growth. “High levels of migration are driving a lot of the current growth we’re seeing in our...

The National Government must honour the Paris climate agreement by setting a deadline for including agriculture as part of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Now is not the time to gamble on “silver bullet” solutions, the Green Party said today. “It has been less than a week since the world signed the historic Paris climate agreement and already the National Government has reverted to its polluting stereotype. We saw Government hock off more of New Zealand’s oceans for oil drilling...

“New Zealanders should be appalled by revelations today that the National Government is denying us deep sea marine reserves so it can promote oil exploration,” Green Party environment spokesperson Eugenie Sage said today.   According to reports by TVNZ, the Minister for the Environment has had to drop planned law changes which could have protected marine life in New Zealand’s deep oceans (known as the Exclusive Economic Zone). “National is saying that all of our deep oceans outside of 12...

The Government must rule out opening any more charter schools, as the first of the experimental schools has just been told it is closing, the Green Party said today. The Minister of Education Hekia Parata has today given Whangaruru School in Northland a month to respond to her decision to close the school. A further 26 charter schools have applied to open in 2017. “The experience of the children who were experimented on in Northland should never be allowed to...

The National Government has today awarded nine new oil and gas exploration permits, in the latest demonstration it has absolutely no intention of living up to the Paris agreement to halt climate change, the Green Party says. “National couldn’t even wait a week after world leaders agreed on a plan to stop climate change before giving out new permits for foreign companies to drill for fossil fuels in New Zealand waters,” Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “Today’s oil and...

Green Party MP Gareth Hughes made a final plea this morning to Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) to not replace Wellington’s iconic, pollution free trolley bus system with dirty diesel buses. Gareth Hughes spoke with GWRC councillors ahead of their vote today on Wellington’s public transport strategy. The strategy includes a decision about whether to replace Wellington’s 60 electric trolley buses with diesels. Last year GWRC decided to remove 60 trolley buses from the fleet by 2017. “Last year councillors...

Minister of Justice Amy Adams should not extradite a New Zealand resident to China because she can’t rely on that Government’s assurances that it will not subject him to torture or the death penalty, the Green Party says.

National’s obsession with its nanosecond surplus has ended up being a lose-lose for New Zealand because it came at the price of fewer jobs and more pollution, the Green Party says. The Government’s Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update today forecast a $401 million government deficit, GDP growth slowing to 2.1%, and unemployment rising to 6.5%. This is a step backward from the Budget 2015 forecasts of a surplus, 3.2% GDP growth, and 5.1% unemployment. “National should have focused on...

The West Coast region needs central government leadership to help it thrive in a post-coal world, not another road, the Green Party said today. Buller’s mayor has proposed building a new road through Kahurangi National Park to boost the region’s economic fortunes as the coal industry declines. “The Government must take responsibility for developing a just transition strategy away from coal for the West Coast’s economy rather than adopt an 1880s-style plan to bulldoze a new road through a treasured...