The Green Party has welcomed the release of the Waitangi Tribunal report, which has called for the legislative ban on prisoner voting to be overturned.   Green Party Justice spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said:   “The Supreme Court, and now the Waitangi Tribunal, has confirmed that denying these New Zealanders the ability to cast their vote on Election Day is an unacceptable breach of their fundamental rights.   “As a result they are excluded from processes that engage them in society,...

As the clean-up of the Fox River draws to a close the Minister of Conservation and Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage is thanking volunteers and government agencies involved in the massive clean-up since the Government stepped in to unify efforts. “This is a beautiful part of the country and it’s been incredible to see the massive effort put into Operation Tidy Fox to clean up the rubbish in the Fox and Cook Rivers and along the coastline with...

The Government is proposing a new way to deal with environmentally harmful products before they become waste, including plastic packing and bottles, as part of a wider plan to reduce the amount of rubbish ending up in landfills. Associate Minister for the Environment, Eugenie Sage released a public consultation document titled, “Proposed priority products and priority product stewardship scheme guidelines” at the Sustainability Trust in Wellington today. “New Zealanders are proud of our country’s clean, green reputation and want to help...

The Green Party is glad special treatment for oil and gas industries has been winding down since this Government was elected and the last remaining taxpayer funded support measures for fossil fuel industries in New Zealand will be reviewed. In the work program response to the tax working group report the ‘seven-year spreading’ provision, which officials have described as ‘least defendable’, as well as the future of the non-resident oil rig exemption will be reviewed. “Special treatment for oil and...

The Green Party is calling for the controversial Anadarko Amendment to be rescinded after the Murdoch report released today. “Today’s report is a stark reminder of the corrosive effect of the Anadarko Amendment on the legitimate right to protest fossil fuel exploration”, Green Party spokesperson for Energy and Resources Gareth Hughes said today. “National passed this amendment to the Crown Minerals Act under urgency, with no public consultation or Bill of Rights Act vet to protect their friends in the...

The Green Party is celebrating significant changes to the Misuse of Drugs Act that will ensure police treat drug addiction like the health issue it is. "Today we’ve passed the most transformative change in drug law in New Zealand in over 30 years", Green Party spokesperson on drug law reform Chlöe Swarbrick said. "We’re living up to the rhetoric as a country that implements evidence-based policy, and one that prioritises compassion. "Informed by the real-world practice of police, working across...

The Green Party has welcomed today’s First Reading of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which will strengthen participatory democracy in New Zealand. The Green Party will be working to strengthen the Bill as it proceeds through the House.  “Changes outlined in the bill are very welcome, particularly the addition of Election Day enrolment and increasing the number of places where New Zealanders can cast their vote. We know this will reduce barriers to people who are more likely to change addresses,...

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage and the New Zealand Conservation Authority have directed the Department of Conservation (DOC) to undertake partial reviews of the Conservation General Policy and the General Policy for National Parks, to give better effect to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. The direction is in response to the recent Supreme Court decision in Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, a case which examined the way DOC considered Treaty principles when it granted two commercial tour concessions on Rangitoto and...

The Government is set on restoring the dawn chorus and giving nature more of a helping hand, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Associate Minister for the Environment Nanaia Mahuta said today as they launched a new action plan for biodiversity in Wellington this morning. Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage launched Te Koiroa O Te Koiora – Our shared vision for living with nature, for all New Zealanders to help shape our biodiversity strategy for the next 20 years.  “New Zealand, like...

The Green Party has committed to prioritising support for New Zealanders who rent at their Annual Conference in Dunedin today. Co-leader Marama Davidson announced that the Green Party is ready to negotiate its rent-to-own policy as part of the Government’s Kiwibuild reset, reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act, and a mandatory Warrant of Fitness to enforce proper standards for rental homes. “Everyone deserves a warm, safe and healthy home to live in, and the Government has a role to provide...