A genuinely independent, expert evaluation of the Government’s charter schools programme is needed in light of revelations that Education Minister Hekia Parata interfered to prevent evaluators comparing the performance of charter school students with students at normal state schools. “It’s time for education specialists to provide honest, expert opinion on whether or not charter schools are working for New Zealand’s kids,” Green Party education spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said. “New Zealanders need a genuinely independent expert evaluation of National’s charter schools...

The National Government needs a plan to support people who work for Solid Energy and communities like Huntly as the coal industry winds up, the Green Party said today. “People who work for Solid Energy deserve the Government’s support to find new jobs,” Green Party spokesperson for workplace relations and safety Denise Roche said. “National’s mismanagement loaded Solid Energy up with debt and drove it into the state it’s in today, so National has a responsibility to support the people...

Record numbers of people are withdrawing from their KiwiSaver schemes due to significant financial hardship, the Green Party said today. The Financial Market Authority’s annual report on KiwiSaver shows that $43 million was withdrawn from KiwiSaver last year for reasons of significant financial hardship, up 38 percent from last year. A new record number of people are withdrawing their retirement savings, up 11 percent to 8,911 as calculated by the Parliamentary Library. “Record numbers of people are suffering significant financial...

The only useful conclusion in the Government-sanctioned evaluation of charter schools is the confirmation that smaller classes work better, the Green Party says. The evaluation, carried out by consultancy firm Martin Jenkins and released publicly yesterday, was a narrow study of three of the first five charter schools, which are part of the National Government’s charter schools experiment. "The report was meant to focus on innovation but the only educational ‘innovation’ clearly identified is that smaller class sizes work better,”...

Today’s launch of the new union E tū, formed through the merger of the EPMU and the Service and Food Workers’ Union, has been welcomed by the Green Party. The new union covers over 50,000 members and is New Zealand’s largest private sector union. “A strong union movement is essential to reducing inequality, and I am confident the new E tū union, with its larger membership base and organising capacity, will be able to cover more hard working New Zealanders...

The New Zealand Superannuation Fund’s commitment to invest NZ$540 million in clean energy is its clearest signal yet that they are taking climate change seriously, the Green Party said today. The release of the Fund’s annual report today details how the Fund’s $540 million commitment to invest in clean energy as part of a wider priority this year to explore opportunities to invest in climate-resilient infrastructure and complete their Climate Change and Investment Strategy project. “The Super Fund is putting...

The Government needs to ban neonicotinoid pesticides in light of new research that proves they kill bees and other important pollinating insects, the Green Party said today. “Banning neonicotinoids is one way the Government can take steps to ensure healthy bees thrive in New Zealand,” said Green Party pesticides spokesperson Steffan Browning. “Healthy bees are critical to our food chain and we must do everything possible to protect them. They pollinate the plants that we and other animals eat. We...

The Department of Conservation’s (DoC) decision to allow the habitat of threatened species such as long-tailed bat to be used for an irrigation reservoir sets a dangerous precedent that threatens our native wildlife, the Green Party said today. DoC’s Director-General has agreed to revoke the conservation status of 22 hectares of Ruahine Forest Park to allow the Ruataniwha irrigation dam and reservoir to proceed in return for 170 ha of private land called the Smedley Block. “DoC’s decision to sacrifice...

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) makes it more likely that everyday New Zealanders will become tenants in our own land, while private companies snap up the limited gains of about one percent of GDP, the Green Party said today. “The TPPA is a bad deal because the costs will be worn by everyday New Zealanders while the benefits will go to private companies,” Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said. “New Zealanders are more likely to become tenants in our own...

The Green Party is celebrating the conclusion of an uphill battle to get National to run a competitive tender process for New Zealand’s biggest banking contract – the Government’s master banking contract. Westpac has been the Government’s banker for over 25 years and the Green Party has pushed to have this cosy banking relationship exposed and put up for tender. The open tender process will now save taxpayers $120 million in lower bank fees over the next eight-year contract. “The...