The Freshwater Improvement Fund of just $10 million a year is a drop in the bucket of what is needed to make our rivers safe for swimming, the Green Party said today. “The Waikato River will need between $3 billion and $8 billion alone to clean it up. Nearly $36 million has gone into cleaning up Lake Taupō from the Government alone. Billions of dollars are needed to clean up waterways damaged by dairy intensification, sewage, and industrial and urban...

Auckland's housing crisis will never be fixed unless the Government stops blaming the Council and starts taking the steps it can to solve it, the Green Party says. Finance Minister Bill English has ramped up his attacks on the Auckland  Council this weekend, putting the sole blame for Auckland's housing crisis on the Council's difficulties freeing up land. "The Finance Minister's attacks on Auckland Council this weekend are an excuse not to take responsibility for his own Governments failures," Green...

New analysis shows that while some arts organisations have benefitted from Budget 2016, others have lost out and overall arts and culture funding has fallen $217.5 million behind where it needs to be to keep up with rising costs since National came to power, the Green Party said today. “It’s great that the NZSO, Royal NZ Ballet and Te Matatini kapa haka got more funding this year, but frozen Creative NZ funding means many artists and creatives will lose out again,”...

  The Government’s Freshwater Improvement Fund, announced in the Budget, will do little to make New Zealand’s rivers safe to swim in because the money can be used to fund irrigation schemes that will ultimately harm the environment, the Green Party said today. “The Government is spending millions of dollars of taxpayer money on clean-up while at the same time subsidising further pollution. It makes no sense,” said Green Party water spokesperson Catherine Delahunty. “The Government’s view of water is...

The Government has clearly signalled that tax cuts next year are more important than trying to fix the big issues we’re facing today, like the housing crisis, the Green Party said today. “This Government is more interested in getting re-elected than showing real leadership and vision for our country,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw. “Auckland is bursting at the seams – it desperately needs more houses and more investment in its infrastructure -- but this Budget offers neither of...

News that the only potential buyer for 348 state houses in Invercargill has pulled out of the deal is another blow to the Government’s flawed plan to rid itself of responsibility of state homes and their tenants, the Green Party said today. “The state-house sell-off has been a disaster from day one, and what’s happened in Invercargill is just another example of the Government’s sheer ineptness on this issue,” said Green Party social housing spokesperson Marama Davidson. “This risk now...

National has cut home insulation funding to its lowest ever level in Budget 2016, which will leave thousands of people shivering in their houses again this winter, the Green Party said today Budget 2016 allocates just $12 million this year for the Warm Up New Zealand programme this year and $4.5 million for the Healthy Homes programme, compared to $23.9 million for Home Insulation last year. “Over 2,000 families will miss out on getting a warmer, dryer, healthier home under...

Parents up and down the country will have to pay more for their child’s education, following the National Government’s surprise budget move to freeze funding for schools’ operational grants, the Green Party said today. “It is shocking that National is freezing funding for schools. Education should be at the top of any Government’s agenda,” said Green Party education spokesperson Catherine Delahunty.   “After the class sizes back-down a few years ago, it is surprising to see the Government again attacking school...

The Government’s visionless budget has failed to deliver the big solutions to the housing crisis and climate change New Zealanders want and instead is plastering over the cracks, says the Green Party. “This do nothing budget will leave a legacy of more poisoned rivers, more extinct wildlife, and a nation divided into those who own a home already, and those left further behind,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw. “National has been blindsided on housing. The Budget doesn’t respond at...

The Green Party is hoping National’s eighth budget today will address the great challenges of our time, and not just be another exercise in papering over the cracks in New Zealand society, economy and the environment. “After eight years of baby steps, we’re hoping Budget 2016 will take some big steps forwards towards a cleaner, fairer, more compassionate future,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw. “Eight years into John Key’s term, people are asking what exactly is National’s big vision...