The Government’s improving books give it scope to address the long-term deficits National has been running in health, housing, and the environment, the Green Party said today. The Treasury’s Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update, out today, forecasts the Crown’s fiscal position to steadily improve so that by June 2021, surpluses are expected to rise to $8.5 billion and net debt to reduce to 19 percent of GDP. “Treasury has signalled that the Government has scope to address the long-term...

New measures that will sit alongside GDP to chart the nation’s progress, as well as compulsory country-of-origin labelling on food, will be debated in Parliament following today’s Member’s Bill ballot. The Green Party had two bills pulled from the ballot today: Co-leader James Shaw’s Public Finance (Sustainable Development Indicators) Amendment Bill, and MP Steffan Browning’s Consumers’ Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Bill. “GDP is a highly imperfect measure of our country’s progress,” said Green Party Co-leader James...

The Government is actively seeking overseas buyers for 2,500 state homes in Christchurch, the Green Party said today. Government officials are hosting an invite-only session for potential investors in Sydney next week. “It’s bad enough that National is selling our state homes out from underneath some of our most vulnerable New Zealanders, but now they want to sell the land to overseas investors too,” Green Party social housing spokesperson Marama Davidson said. “National used to say its state house sales...

The Green Party is calling on the Government to end bottom trawling, dredging, purse seining and other destructive fishing methods in Tikapa Moana/the Hauraki Gulf, which damage the ecosystem and put livelihoods at risk. The comments come on the back of last night’s release of the Tai Timu Tai Pari/Sea Change report, a marine plan for the Hauraki Gulf produced by a collaborative co-governance group. “Tikapa Moana/the Hauraki Gulf supports the livelihoods of more than 1.5 million people. It needs...

The Green Party wishes to extend its best wishes to the Prime Minister, following his resignation today.   “On behalf of Metiria, the Green Party MPs and the Party, I would like to thank John Key for his eight years of service as Prime Minister,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw.   “No matter your political allegiance, you have to respect someone who chooses to make the personal sacrifices required to be our country’s Prime Minister.   “I would like...

News that National’s Auckland Housing Accord is likely to miss its target for the number of homes actually built shows that new ideas under a new Government are needed to fix the housing crisis, the Green Party said today. The Housing Accord’s three-year target of 39,000 new homes and sections is reportedly likely to fall short by around 1,000, with just 7,000 actual new builds in the last year, according to Radio New Zealand. “The Housing Accord was National’s flagship...

The Government has put East Coast snapper fisheries at risk by prematurely slashing the number of observers charged with monitoring and preventing commercial fish dumping, and undersize fish and wildlife being caught, the Green Party said today. Information obtained by the Green Party shows the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) cut the number of fisheries observers on trawlers by 60 percent in 2015/16 in the East Coast snapper fishery, which runs between the North Cape and Cape Runaway. Observers were...

The Green Party is thrilled to have two important bills drawn from the ballot today, both of which will help to create a fairer Aotearoa. Jan Logie’s Domestic Violence-Victims' Protection Bill introduces workplace protections for victims of domestic violence, including allowing victims to request paid domestic violence leave for up to 10 days. “I’m very pleased that my Bill has been drawn because helping victims of abuse stay in work is critical to reducing the effects of violence. When women...

The Green Party is supporting the Māori Women’s Welfare League’s call for the Minister for Social Development, Anne Tolley, to delay the introduction of the second CYF reform Bill, which will see more Māori children removed from their family and wider whānau.

The Green Party is working to improve earthquake legislation currently before Parliament, the Party said today. The Hurunui/Kaikōura Earthquakes Emergency Relief Bill will pass today with changes to ensure local people can have more of a say, while still enabling Kaikōura to get back on its feet again. “During recent cross-party talks on the legislation, we were able to put some of our concerns to the Government. We are pleased that Government took some of these on board and we’d...