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NZ should follow UK's brave move on sugar
The Health Minister should follow the bold move of the UK chancellor who overnight announced he’d introduce a sugar levy on soft drinks, a move that is being tipped to “take over the world”, the Green Party says. UK Chancellor George Osborne is being hailed as a hero for children after overnight introducing a sugar levy on soft drinks from 2018. New Zealand Health Minister Jonathan Coleman has repeatedly refused to introduce a similar levy here, despite advice to do...
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Consultation over TPPA not enough
Te Puni Kōkiri (TPK) officials were barely consulted over the Governent’s formal analysis of the impact of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement on New Zealand, leaving doubts that the impact on Māori was properly assessed, the Green Party says. Emails released to the Green Party under the Official Information Act show TPK weren’t given enough time to read the agreement, and its written submissions on the National Interest Analysis amounted to three short emails over two days. “Consultation...
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Prime Minister “doesn’t have a clue” on dairy farm downturn
The Prime Minister’s admission that he “doesn’t have a clue” how many farmers will fail as a result of the dairy downturn shows that the Government is in denial about the scale of the threat facing our wider economy, the Green Party said today. Green Party Co-leader James Shaw asked the Prime Minister several straight questions on the numbers of farmers, small businesses, and rural retailers likely to be impacted by the downturn of the dairy industry and the risks faced...
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Govt plans to restrict the public’s right to have a say on environmental management
The Government is restricting the public’s right to have a say on what happens in their neighbourhoods and on environmentally damaging activities, the Green Party said today. “Under proposed changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA), council officers will be able to strike out submissions if they don’t meet a high enough threshold. This means that unless people have the time and money to pay for expert evidence, their submission can be ruled out,” said Green Party environment spokesperson Eugenie...
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Greens will withdraw gun briefing request if independent inquiry progresses
The Green Party will withdraw its request for a Select Committee briefing into gun control if an independent inquiry is to go ahead.
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Assessments for dyslexia should be state funded
Every child who is suspected of having dyslexia must be provided with a publicly funded assessment, after a select committee of MPs heard children from lower income families are still missing out, the Green Party says. Last year half of all the schools that made no Special Assessment Conditions (SAC) applications, which help dyslexic students with their exams, were decile one or two. This follows previous revelations that the vast bulk of kids who got one on one assistance in...
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Time to reassess Government irrigation spend
The Green Party is supporting calls for a moratorium on big, publicly subsidised irrigation schemes that are bad for the environment and bad for the economy, the Green Party said today. The Tourism Export Council and the Environmental Defence Society have called for a five-year ban on new irrigation in the wake of the collapse of dairy prices internationally. The groups have also said that the growth in intensive farming is a disaster for our rivers and streams. “This is...
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Green Party launches new plan to make it safe to walk and bike to school
The Green Party today announced a new Safe to School plan, which aims to dramatically increase the number of young people biking and walking to school. The campaign calls for a 30 km/h speed limit outside all urban schools, and an 80 km/h speed limit around rural New Zealand schools, with the limit dropping to 30km/h during school hours. Our plan would see these changes introduced over three years. Local authorities, in conjunction with schools, will also be able to...
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Ture Whenua Bill must not proceed without broad support
Te Ture Whenua Bill must not proceed without broad and properly informed support following the critical report from the Waitangi Tribunal released today, the Green Party said. “Te Ture Whenua Bill shouldn’t be introduced this month to Parliament until the concerns brought up by the Waitangi Tribunal and wider community are allayed,” Green Party Māori Development spokesperson Marama Davidson said. “Māori land, and the rules that govern it, are too important to get wrong. “The whole point of the Bill...
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Greens called for guns briefing four months ago
The Green Party asked a Parliamentary committee to hear from gun experts four months ago, but Government inaction has prevented it from going ahead.