The Children’s Commissioner’s third State of Care report paints a damning picture of the treatment of children placed in state care, the Green Party said today. “The report shows that some children in secure residences are not safe and the conditions have been described as prison-like. We also know that the Government has pulled back monitoring of how many children are currently being abused in state care,” said Green Party social development spokesperson Jan Logie. “Taken together, it’s clear there...

Transport Minister Simon Bridges needs to clarify his position and order an independent review into KiwRail’s decision to replace electric freight trains with unreliable diesel trains, the Green Party said today On Friday Simon Bridges conceded that "there is an avenue down the line for different decisions to be made…” This followed the release of internal KiwiRail reports showing that new diesel trains could cost $230 million more than upgrading the electric fleet, and raising concerns about their reliability. “It’s...

Simon Bridges needs to immediately halt plans to scrap New Zealand's electric freight trains following the release of KiwiRail reports raising major concerns about the diesel trains the State Owned Enterprise intends to buy, the Green Party said today. Documents provided to the Green Party show that KiwiRail bosses decided to scrap New Zealand's electric trains in December last year, despite being told their diesel replacements could cost $230 million more than simply upgrading the existing electric fleet. KiwiRail were...

Tenancy rules need updating to give families more stability to put down roots in their communities, the Green Party said today. Data released today from the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study highlights that almost half the children in the study live in rental homes. Renters tend to move more than home-owners, which can make it hard for families to plan for early childhood and primary education. “Families need housing stability so they can put down roots in their...

Maggie Barry needs to front with evidence to back up her claim that profits gained from Government investment in DOC’s tourism will be reinvested in biodiversity protection, the Green Party said today. Conservation Minister Maggie Barry made the claim on RNZ’s Morning Report this morning that improving the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) tourism infrastructure will attract more tourists, helping the government to earn more money, which will then be reinvested in biodiversity protection. “DOC’s Great Walks are operating at a...

New Zealanders deserve a positive and solutions-focused discussion on access to medicinal cannabis, which should be legal, accessible and affordable, the Green Party said today.

The Green Party is thrilled to have had a Member’s Bill drawn from the ballot today that will help enable better Māori representation at a local government level.

National's tourism funding announcement falls short of what’s needed to cope with skyrocketing tourist numbers, and a bump in DOC funding for tourist facilities will do nothing to halt the loss of our threatened species, the Green Party said today. Tourism Minister Paula Bennett today announced a $15 million-a-year increase to tourism infrastructure funding, and $76 million over an unspecified period of time for the Department of Conservation (DOC) to develop tourist facilities. “Paula Bennett's tourism fund is mostly a...

A Government backed rent-to-buy programme would open the door to home ownership for the four in five New Zealanders who can’t afford a house according to the Government’s new Housing Affordability Measure, the Green Party said today. “With a rent-to-buy programme we could get thousands of families into their own homes, affordably,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said. “The Green Party’s Home for Life plan would save people $100 a week on mortgage payments. Payments would be no more than...

Women have been denied the opportunity to know when they are being underpaid, by a Government that is not prioritising women’s issues, the Green Party said today. “When the Government voted against my bill this evening, they denied women the right to know if they are being underpaid in the workplace,” Green Party women’s spokesperson Jan Logie said. “My member’s bill would have had employers adding gender to their payroll reporting requirements, and allowed employees access to that aggregated information...