New research looking into senior doctors’ and dentists’ work-related burnout raises significant concerns about the state of our health system, the Green Party said today. The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists’ report released today reveals that half of senior doctors have symptoms of burnout, with working more than 14 consecutive hours being significantly associated with higher work-related burnout. “Our senior doctors are propping up our health system at the expense of their own wellbeing,” Green Party health spokesperson Kevin Hague...

New figures obtained by the Green Party show that the amount of debt owed by beneficiaries to the Government is skyrocketing. Before National was elected in 2008, just 49 per cent of beneficiaries owed money to WINZ, at an average of $2,021 per person. Now 60 per cent of beneficiaries have an average debt of $2,584. “We clearly have a broken system when New Zealanders who are already in dire financial circumstances are racking up debt to a Government with...

The Taonga Levy will be a $14 to $18 increase on existing border charges for international visitors only. People who live in New Zealand will not have to pay the Taonga Levy. The revenue will be split 70:30 between Predator Free New Zealand and the Regional Tourism Facilities Fund. “The Taonga Levy will bring in tens of millions of dollars every year to help make New Zealand's dream of being predator-free a reality, and help tourism hotspots cope with rising...

A Green Party Member’s Bill pulled from the ballot today will put renters’ rights firmly on the political agenda, where it belongs. Metiria Turei’s Residential Tenancies (Safe and Secure Rentals) Amendment Bill strengthens tenants’ rights, and will lead to stable, long-term tenancies that are good for both renters and landlords. The 2013 Census records 453,135 households as renters, an increase from 388,275 in the 2006 Census. “My Bill will help people who rent get the stability they need to put...

The Reserve Bank was forced to cut the Official Cash Rate (OCR) today in a bid to drive down the high New Zealand dollar and address growing imbalances in the New Zealand economy, the Green Party said today. The Reserve Bank cut the OCR today by 25 basis points to 2.0 per cent, with Governor Graeme Wheeler signalling further cuts were likely. “The Reserve Bank has been forced to cut the OCR in an attempt to address growing imbalances in...

National needs to show some moral backbone and speak out on the abuse of children held by the Australian Government in Nauru detention centres, the Green Party said today. Documents published yesterday by the Guardian show the horrific scale of abuse in offshore detention centres on Nauru, where asylum seekers trying to reach Australia are being detained. “It’s appalling that the National Government refuses to condemn the suffering that children fleeing war and persecution are experiencing under the Australian Government’s watch,”...

The Government must do a better job of creating a National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity than it did with its National Policy Statement (NPS) on Freshwater, the Green Party said today. The Minister for the Environment Nick Smith this afternoon announced that the Government is establishing a stakeholder group to design a National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity. “The Government must do a better job on this NPS than it has on the freshwater version, which allows rivers to...

Corrections’ ongoing accountability failures make it clear that an Independent Prisons Inspectorate is more necessary than ever, the Green Party said today. A RNZ report today revealed that Corrections has refused to share details about the treatment of a prisoner who was tied to his bed as far back as February. His treatment has sparked an investigation by the Ombudsman’s torture team, but Corrections’ own report into the situation is MIA. “Corrections has shown that it cannot be relied upon...

House price data released today shows no signs of a slow down to the overheated housing market and overdue cuts to the Official Cash Rate (OCR) tomorrow are likely to add further fuel to the fire, the Green Party said today. REINZ data released today shows median house prices continue to rise, up 8.6 percent nationally (year on year) and up 12.2 percent in Auckland (year on year). The Reserve Bank will likely announce cuts to the OCR tomorrow, which...

A campaign launched by education unions today against global funding should make the Government carefully consider its next moves on education funding, the Green Party said today. “Make no mistake, global funding is bad old bulk funding in disguise,” Green Party education spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said today. “The Government’s global funding model will force schools to make impossibly tough choices, such as allowing larger class sizes or paying the power bill. “Teachers and educators are on the frontline of our...