The Government must rule out selling state homes for private developers to profit from, the Green Party said today. “The Government looks set to sell off these assets to property developers, and then pay the same developers to house low income tenants through the Income Related Rent Subsidy. It’s a perverse money-go-round in which only the developers win,” Green Party housing spokesperson Kevin Hague said. “New Zealand has built up a valuable stock of state houses that meets a need...

The Government’s grand state house sell-off will pit the welfare of the most vulnerable Kiwis against the profit motives of big business, as good community organisations refuse to have a bar of the extreme housing reforms, the Green Party says. The Salvation Army has announced they will not participate in the buy-up of state houses, despite being one of the organisations championed by the Government as a possible purchaser since they announced the scheme. “The Sallies have clearly recognised this...

New Zealand’s spy agencies are once again being used to further the personal ambitions of Cabinet Ministers, the Green Party said today.

  The Government’s hands-off approach to childhood obesity is out of step with the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor who, in another role, recommends a ban on the marketing of junk food to kids, a ban on junk food at schools, and has given the thumbs up to a tax on fizzy drinks, the Green Party says. The Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, is also Co-chair of the World Health Authority’s Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity, which...

The Green Party is calling on the Minister of Police to immediately establish an independent taskforce to implement and enforce changes in police culture in the wake of a damming report from the Independent Police Complaints Authority’s (IPCA) into the so called Roastbusters gang.

The Green Party is calling on the New Zealand Super Fund to divest their $140 million investment in coal companies that are vulnerable to becoming financially stranded according to a damning new report from Oxford University. The Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University has identified the world’s least efficient and most polluting ‘subcritical’ coal-fired power stations – assets vulnerable to becoming ‘stranded’. The Super Fund has $140 million invested in companies identified in the report. “The...

John Key and the National Government showed their true colours today, voting against a Bill to feed hungry kids in New Zealand schools, the Green Party said.

The Green Party welcome today’s announcement by Fonterra of a 45 cent per kg milk solids increase in the premium for certified organic milk. “Fonterra’s approach to organics has been inconsistent, cutting premiums in the past for organic farmers in several regions,” said Green Party organics spokesperson Steffan Browning. “During a time of difficult dairy prices, organics is a good direction for farmers to take and Fonterra needs to commit long-term to New Zealand organic production, and assure New Zealand...

Prime Minister John Key needs to back the farmers who are working hard for water quality, and join Waikato Federated Farmers’ call for a moratorium on dairy conversions in order to assess the impact on the environment, the Green Party said today. “Just two days ago, the Prime Minister said that any debate around the potential for more dairy conversions should be driven by the capacity for maintaining and improving the environment,” said Green Party water spokesperson Catherine Delahunty. “But...

National is attempting to control local government in Canterbury, and is denying its people the right to make their own decisions, the Green Party said today. The Government has proposed to have no regional council elections for Environment Canterbury Regional Council (ECan) until 2016 and then to have Ministers appoint six members of the 13-person regional council after the 2016 elections. ECan has been run by seven Government-appointed commissioners since 2010. "National doesn't seem to trust the people of Canterbury...