The Green Party welcomes the Government’s decision to adopt Green MP Gareth Hughes’ Bill to include the Red Peak design as an option in the upcoming flag referendum.   “My Bill was about giving New Zealanders a choice following the groundswell of support for the Red Peak design to be included as an option in the upcoming flag referendum, and I am pleased it is looking likely to be passed,” Green Party MP Gareth Hughes said.   “I’m proud that...

The Green Party will today ask Parliament to allow it to introduce a Bill offering New Zealanders the choice of the popular Red Peak flag as a fifth option in the upcoming flag referendum. Green Party MP Gareth Hughes will seek the leave of Parliament to introduce the New Zealand Flag Referendum Amendment Bill 2015 and put it at the top of the order paper. This requires the support of every MP in Parliament if it is to be successful....

The Green Party is calling on the Government to increase core agricultural science funding in light of potential mass layoffs at AgResearch, the Government’s largest Crown Research Institute. “We cannot have a high-performing agricultural economy if the essential natural science that underpins farming success is underfunded and the scientists are losing their jobs,” said Green Party primary industries spokesperson Eugenie Sage. “The latest round of up to 90 redundancies at AgResearch is part of a disturbing trend. Since 2010, 71 science...

The Green Party is calling on the Government to embrace low-carbon economic development opportunities, because economic growth from record migration and the runaway Auckland housing market is unsustainable. “High migration is part of National’s facade of economic prosperity – migration-driven economic activity is part of what’s hiding the fact that National’s economic policies are failing,” said Green Party finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter. Statistics NZ has released monthly migration statistics that show a record net gain of 60,300 migrants in...

New information on Gloriavale Christian Community School shows that they are teaching a Victorian-era agenda of domestic servitude that should not be funded by the Government, the Green Party revealed today.

Revelations today that SkyCity is planning to sell a hotel that it is only able to build as part of the convention centre deal is the latest evidence that the public of New Zealand have been taken for a ride, the Green Party said. The Auckland City Council has this morning announced that consent has been granted to SkyCity for the building of a convention centre. SkyCity have said today that they are looking at options for future running and...

The Green Party is calling for the Government to ensure that any overseas companies that buy state-owned Solid Energy’s assets are properly vetted for their commitment to workplace safety, local communities, and environmental issues. “The world is full of coal companies with terrible safety and environmental records and it’s very important that the Government doesn’t sell out Kiwi workers and communities to these global coal cowboys,” Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “The Government got Solid Energy into this...

Parliament will have an opportunity to show it wants to be part of the solution to climate change by voting for the New Zealand Government to divest from fossil fuels, after Russel Norman’s Climate Change (Divestment from Fossil Fuels) Bill was pulled from the Members’ Bill ballot today, the Green Party said. “My Bill will give us the opportunity to join the rapidly growing global movement pulling the funding out from underneath the fossil fuel industry, who make their profits...

The Green Party agrees that blocking the sale of Lochinver Station to Shanghai Pengxin was the correct thing to do, but says tighter rules around the sale of land are still required to stop land falling into overseas hands. “We want the law changed to rule out the sale of farmland over five hectares to offshore interests. This would give more certainty to vendors and the public about who owns land in this country,” said Green Party primary industries spokesperson...

The Government should be using the economic slowdown as an opportunity to invest to protect jobs and move to a smart, green economy, the Green Party said today. Gross domestic product (GDP) data out today shows the economy is growing much slower than forecast, with quarterly GDP at 0.4 percent (compared to Treasury's Budget forecast of 0.7 percent) and annual GDP at 2.4 percent (compared to Treasury's Budget forecast of 3.3 percent). “Growth is slower than forecast and the risk...