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...

The growing Current Account Deficit is driven, in part, by falling dairy prices and shows why New Zealand needs to diversify its economy, the Green Party said today. “The overwhelming economic focus on dairy exports makes New Zealand extremely vulnerable to global dairy prices,” Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman said. “The National Government is failing to rebalance the economy or present New Zealand with a credible long-term economic strategy. “New Zealand needs a smart, green economy which adds value and...

The real objective of the Remuneration Authority Amendment Bill is to use the public backlash against MPs’ pay rises to constrain the pay of public sector workers, the Green Party said today. “It became clear in the debate over this rushed law change last night that the Government’s objective is to constrain salaries across the whole public sector,” Green Party open government spokesperson James Shaw said. “Minister Michael Woodhouse said that the Bill would ‘shine a light on profligate spending...

Bringing forward the start date on the Puhoi to Wellsford motorway will not help Northland or the rest of country that will have to pay for it, the Green Party said today. National’s Northland candidate Mark Osborne announced the Government’s intention to start construction on the low value Puhoi to Warkworth motorway project next year in a bid to influence the outcome of the Northland by-election. “Building the Puhoi motorway sooner doesn't stop it being a waste of money,” says...

The Green Party wants real constraints on MPs’ pay, not hurried superficial changes that continue large annual pay rises for MPs. “The Government has tabled yet more changes to MPs’ pay today, without consulting with the public or even giving other political parties time to consider the proposals,” said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei. “We oppose this latest change, because we are not convinced that it provides a fairer way to set MPs’ pay. “What’s needed is a completely different approach,...