Growing economic pessimism is justified and will be reinforced further by National’s failure to grow the internationally competitive part of our economy, comprising of exports and import competing industries, the Green Party said today.

The Green Party’s Independent Prison Inspectorate Bill would have brought to light the prison fight club problem much earlier, said the Green Party today.

The Government shouldn’t have argued against the Waitangi Tribunal fast tracking two claims regarding the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) because this has worrying implications for natural justice, the Green Party said today. “The Tribunal should be bringing forward an urgent hearing, as they did with the water claim for the sale of state owned power companies, because it’ll be too late if these claims aren’t heard before the TPPA is finalised,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said. “The Government...

The Green Party is welcoming a new system for recycling plastic bags as a useful first step but one that is not by itself enough to solve the problem of plastic bag pollution.   “While the new recycling system announced by the Government is a positive step in the right direction, it won’t fix the problem of plastic bags ending up in our waterways and on our beaches because it won’t actually lead to any fewer plastic bags being used,”...

The latest figures from the Government about getting people off benefits don’t translate into more jobs for New Zealanders, the Green Party says. Benefit numbers from the Government show that although fewer people are receiving welfare, the number of cancelled benefits as a result of “Obtained Work” has also dropped. “National needs to show their heavy-handed sanction-based approach to welfare is actually getting more people off benefits and into work. The numbers suggest it is not.” Green Party Social Development spokesperson Jan Logie said...

It’s very disappointing that the Far North Regional Council has dumped a pioneering and innovative, community and iwi owned waste management enterprise, the Green Party said today. “Cleanstream has been dealing with the Far North’s waste for over twenty years, and has made a huge contribution to the community and the local environment. It’s sad to see them dumped,” Green Party waste spokesperson Denise Roche said. “Cleanstream pioneered kerbside recycling in New Zealand and worked with Far North communities on...

Footage of prison fight clubs is yet another example of major flaws in National’s prison privatisation plan, said the Green Party today.

Now that the four biggest parties in Parliament agree on the way forward, it’s time for the Government to get on with simplifying provisional tax for small businesses, the Green Party said today. “The Green Party has been talking about simplifying provisional tax for small businesses, like Labour suggested today, since before the 2011 election,” Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said. “Anyone who talks to small business operators knows how annoying and difficult the current guesswork-based provisional tax system can...

News that Fonterra will axe 523 jobs shows that the human effects of the tumbling global dairy price are being felt throughout New Zealand, the Green Party said today. “These job cuts are a tragedy for the 523 staff and their families, who will now be joining rural workers and indebted farmers in financial insecurity,” Green Party primary industries spokesperson Eugenie Sage said. “Ultimately, these workers are bearing the cost of the National Government putting all its bottles in the...

It is hypocritical of Nick Smith to celebrate the reduction in nitrogen in Lake Taupo while at the same time, the National Government is converting more forests into dairy farms just down the road, said the Green Party today.