A report launched today showing that Māori babies make up more than 60 percent of all cot deaths in New Zealand is another signal that Government agencies are not doing enough to help keep our tamariki safe, the Green Party said today.

New analysis showing median house prices in Auckland are now 9.22 times the median annual household income confirms that the National Government has failed to fix the Auckland housing crisis, the Green Party said. Figures compiled by the parliamentary library using REINZ March house price data and the most recent income data available from Statistics NZ, show a median house price/income ratio in Auckland of 9.22, up from 8.45 last month. Internationally, a ratio of 3 is considered affordable. “When...

The number of jobs in the screen industry continues to decline despite National’s promise that its backroom deals with Warner Bros would secure more jobs here, the Green Party said today. Statistics New Zealand released annual data from its Screen Industry Survey today showing that the number of jobs in the industry has declined since a high in 2009 of 30,600 jobs to 25,400 in 2014, the latest year data exists for. This is the lowest level since records were...

The Green Party is calling on the location of MPs’ trusts to be added to the Register of Pecuniary and Other Specified Interests.

The Green Party is calling on the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and its investment arm HBRIC to stop pumping public money into the Ruataniwha Dam, and call the project off. The call comes on the back of news that it will cost nearly $1 billion to build the dam. “The Ruataniwha Dam would be an economic and environmental disaster,” said Green Party water spokesperson Catherine Delahunty. “Farmers are reluctant to invest in the dam, so why should local ratepayers and...

The Government has ruled out public input into the inquiry into New Zealand foreign trusts which will undermine public confidence in any of the inquiry’s findings, the Green Party said today. Finance Minister Bill English ruled out public input into the foreign trust inquiry during question time in Parliament today. “Excluding the public from an inquiry into foreign trusts will further weaken the inquiry’s credibility,” said Green Party Co-Leader James Shaw. “Without public input, inquiry head John Shewan will have...

While the White House has declared the health impacts of climate change “one of the gravest threats” to America, at least one New Zealand health board is denying evidence global warming will have any impact on human health at all, the Green Party says. A survey of District Health Boards (DHBs) by the Green Party found that almost half had incomplete or inadequate plans in place to prepare for the health effects of climate change. The Wairarapa DHB even claimed...

A moratorium on new water bottling consents would ensure the public isn’t forced into footing the bill for the damage done by private bottling companies, as they will be in Ashburton, and resolve the confusion around water rights, the Green party said today. It was reported this morning that Ashburton ratepayers will foot the bill for infrastructure to replace pristine artesian water taken by a bottling plant, with water from the Hakatere/Ashburton River. The council is currently selling a property...

The Green Party is welcoming John Key’s U-turn on foreign trusts but is calling for a broader public inquiry to ensure this isn’t a whitewash, the Green Party said today. “The Prime Minister is in damage control mode over the use (and abuse) of New Zealand’s foreign trust regime, today announcing that he will appoint an independent expert to review New Zealand’s rules around foreign trusts,” said Green Party Co-Leader James Shaw. “While I welcome the Prime Minister’s U-turn on...

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee must stop pretending the central city rebuild is all fine and dandy and tell the people of Christchurch what’s holding up two key anchor projects in the central city, the Green Party said today. Gerry Brownlee today launched a stream of abuse at Treasury officials who have blasted the Government’s central city rebuild as the worst performing of the Government’s major projects. The Treasury red-flagged the two anchor projects for the central city: the...