Port workers and people living near the Port of Tauranga can breathe a sigh of relief following a successful bid by the Green Party and other groups to block the use of a potentially fatal gas at the port, said the Green Party today. An Independent Commissioner this week declined an application by Envriofume Limited to discharge the potentially fatal air pollutant Methyl Bromide at the Port of Tauranga. Methyl bromide is used to fumigate logs for export. The Commissioner...

The Government’s decision to accept all recommendations from a Select Committee inquiry initiated by Green Party MP Jan Logie is a huge win for sexual violence survivors and those working to help them, the Green Party says. The Government has today released its response to the recommendations of the Social Services Select Committee, following an inquiry into sexual violence services sparked by Green Party women’s spokesperson Jan Logie. The Government has accepted or broadly accepted all 32 of the committee’s...

Denise Roche today amended her Member’s Bill to increase the refugee quota to 1500 permanently.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman’s kneejerk opposition to changing the legal status of cannabis is out of step with the Police Association and a growing international consensus that current drug laws aren’t working, the Green Party said today. The Police Association this morning said updating our drug laws could be a way of reducing gang crime.  This followed a major review by the Lancet and Johns Hopkins University that found that the world-wide ‘war on drugs’ has caused more harm than...

The Green Party is calling on the Government to put its heart first and double New Zealand’s refugee quota immediately, a move that the Greens and Labour would make in government. An ActionStation petition of 20,000 people will be presented to politicians today asking for a doubling of the annual refugee quota, which has stagnated at 750 for 28 years. “Doubling our refugee quota is a heartfelt political statement that says New Zealanders care and want to do our bit,”...

Environment Minister Nick Smith must step in and question why the Hawkes Bay Regional Council (HBRC) has not prosecuted Eastland Group after a disastrous sediment spill that has devastated the Waihi and Waiau rivers, the Green Party said today. Silt has polluted the Waihi and Waiau rivers since late last year, when Eastland Group’s sluice gate was broken. “There are serious questions to ask of the Regional Council about why it hasn’t prosecuted the Eastland Group before now, and why...

The Government needs to correct how it pays Working for Families and the accommodation supplement to stop the value of them decreasing, the Green Party said today. The Government has been criticised today for deliberately running down the value of Working for Families and the accommodation supplement to the point that Kiwi families receiving the payments are falling into further hardship. These supports were introduced to help families sustain themselves and make sure they could afford rent and the basics....

The Green Party is offering to work with other political parties on evidence-based drug law reform and welcomes Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne’s suggestion that drugs be viewed as a health issue. Peter Dunne was reported today as saying that he was open to reviewing evidence around the decriminalisation of cannabis, and that he was unsure that New Zealand’s drug law was still fit for purpose. “It is fantastic to hear that the Government is considering regulating drugs in terms...

The National Government has admitted it has no idea of the amount of tax it is missing out on from multinational companies that are avoiding paying their fair share of tax, the Green Party said today. Revenue Minister Michael Woodhouse was unable to answer questions in the House today from James Shaw on the amount of lost tax revenue from multinational companies. Herald investigative reporter Matt Nippert estimated the amount of missing tax could be close to $500 million per...

The flag referendum result is a major failure for the Prime Minister who politicised the process and cost New Zealand an opportunity to change the current flag, the Green Party says. “The Green Party thanks the two million or so New Zealanders who participated in the flag referendum and acknowledges that those who voted for the alternative flag will be disappointed tonight,” Green Party C- leader Metiria Turei said. “John Key’s overt campaigning for his favourite flag tainted the referendum from...