The Government needs to stop playing politics with children’s lives and agree to child poverty measures and reduction targets, the Green Party said today. The Prime Minister refused to commit to a child poverty reduction target on Morning Report today, following the Children Commissioner’s call over the weekend for him to do so. “It’s ridiculous that the Government is willing to spend time and money to come up with a target to eliminate possums in New Zealand, but refuses to...

The Havelock North outbreak calls into question the Government’s growth-at-any-cost economic strategy, says Green Party Co-leader James Shaw today, in response to comments today by professors of public health, Alistair Woodward and Simon Hales

The National Government is choosing to disregard the welfare of future generations by allowing polluters to pay less than half the true cost of their climate emissions, the Green Party said today. A new OECD study conservatively estimates the cost of future climate disasters caused by emissions today - such as droughts, floods and destructive storms - at around $NZ47 for every tonne of CO2. Polluters in New Zealand currently pay just $18.85 for each tonne CO2. "National falsely believes...

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26 September 2016 Environment Minister Nick Smith deserves a frosty reception when he chairs a major environment meeting of OECD countries, just days after the Government opened up half-a-million square kilometres of ocean to oil and gas exploration, the Green Party said today. Nick Smith heads to Paris today for the OECD Environment Ministerial meeting, where countries will share expertise and outline the steps they’re taking to curb greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the environment. “You can't open up half-a-million...

The Government’s Department of Corrections is performing abysmally and needs to be overhauled so that it stops costing tax-payers, prisoners and the wider community, the Green Party said today. “Finding out that hundreds, possibly thousands, of people have been held in prison for longer than they should have been is the latest in a long list of failures for this disastrous department,” said Green Party Corrections spokesperson David Clendon.   “Minister Judith Collins needs to front up and explain how...

New Zealand’s smaller hydro and wind electricity generators are being put at risk from changes proposed by the Electricity Authority (EA), while Energy Minister Simon Bridges seems more focused on the static electricity in his office, the Green Party said today. Along with controversial proposed changes to the Transmission Pricing Methodology that would see Auckland and Northland households pay more for power, the EA is also proposing significant changes to the rules around distributed generation. Distributed generation includes everything from...

The Green Party is today releasing its Medically-Assisted Dying policy. “Adults with a terminal illness should have the right to choose a medically assisted death,” Green Party health spokesperson Kevin Hague said.  “The Green Party does not support extending assisted dying to people who aren't terminally ill because we can’t be confident that this won't further marginalise the lives of people with disabilities. “This policy outlines the medical and ethical safeguards that need to be put in place to ensure...

The Green Party is calling on the Government to support Green MP Catherine Delahunty’s Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill, to protect the small amount of land still in Māori ownership for future generations.

The Prime Minister could pay more than just lip service to the Syrian refugee crisis on the global stage by offering more funding and more resettlement places to refugees in New Zealand, the Green Party said today. Tomorrow’s (NZ time) meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC) will be chaired by John Key, following a historic meeting of world leaders to discuss the global refugee crisis. “The Prime Minister is talking a big game in New York, but resettling more...