News

  • National should stop gerrymandering MMP and vote for change

    The Green Party is calling on the Government to honour its promise to improve MMP by voting tonight to get rid of coat tailing and lower the party vote threshold to 4 percent.  Tonight Parliament may have the chance to vote on a bill to amend MMP by changing the electoral thresholds, including removing the hugely unpopular ‘coat-tailing’ provision. This and other changes were part of the recommendations from the independent review of MMP ignored by the National Government. “National...
  • NZ stopping animal testing of cosmetics a win for animals

    Today’s passing of the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill is a win for animals around the world says Green Party MP Mojo Mathers who led the charge in Parliament to stop the testing of cosmetics on animals. The bill now has an amendment making it illegal for manufacturers to test cosmetic ingredients or finished cosmetics products on animals after Ms Mathers tabled a similar amendment. “I look forward to the day when no animal anywhere in the world is subject to...
  • Child poverty must not be second broken Budget promise

    The Green Party is challenging the Government to make good on its promise to tackle child poverty in this month’s Budget, as its other promises fall by the wayside to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. “The Government has promised two key things from Budget 2015: a surplus, and action on child poverty. It’s already failed on its surplus goal and will be judged harshly if it fails to improve the lives of the quarter of New Zealand kids...
  • Government to blame for Auckland rates rise

    The National Government is letting down Auckland by delaying funding for critical rail and bus projects, the Green Party said today. Auckland Mayor Len Brown today announced that ratepayers will face additional average transport levies of $99 for households and $159 for businesses. “National’s refusal to back the smart transport projects Aucklanders need and want means the city is facing a higher increase in rates today,” said Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter. “Aucklanders are voting with their feet...
  • Intensive dairying is causing an environmental catastrophe – even without considering the use of poisons

    A report into dairying shows how the environment is being milked by the industry for all it’s worth - and that’s before taking the use of herbicides and pesticides into account, the Green Party said today. The report released by Massey University this week shows that dairy intensification over the last 20 years has seen waterways become heavily polluted, greenhouse gas emissions increase, and biodiversity loss, among other negative impacts, and argues that the cost of cleaning up the environment...
  • Auckland housing crisis hurting mortgage-payers and businesses

    The Government’s failure to take action on the Auckland housing crisis is keeping interest rates high and hurting households and businesses, the Green Party said today. “The Reserve Bank’s ability to lower the OCR to help businesses invest and households pay off their mortgages faster is limited by the Government’s inaction with regard to the Auckland housing market,” Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said. “Auckland’s housing crisis is clearly a drag on the rest of the economy which needs smart...
  • Rock star economy hits rocks

    Falling exports and rising imports have led to the largest annual trade deficit since July 2009, the Green Party said today. Statistics New Zealand Overseas Merchandise Trade figures for March show there was an annual trade deficit of $2.4 billion for the year ended March 2015. This was the largest annual trade deficit since the year ended July 2009, driven by falling whole milk powder exports to China and declines in oil exports. “A large fall in the value of...
  • John Key’s trip marred by absence of leadership

    John Key’s choice not to raise women’s rights with the Saudi King and to reveal New Zealand troops' location to international media instead of telling New Zealanders first are the latest in a series of leadership lapses by the Prime Minister, the Green Party said today.
  • Government must help Christchurch to keep its valuable public assets

    The Government needs to renegotiate the cost sharing agreement with Christchurch City Council rather than force the city to flog off its valuable assets, the Green Party said today. Submissions closed today on the Council’s Long Term Plan 2015-2025. In it, the Council proposes to sell $750 million of assets such as Orion and Christchurch Airport Limited in order to fund an ambitious capital spending programme and its $793m share of the anchor projects. “Anchor projects like the $253m stadium are...
  • John Key's Saudi trip is now about women

    John Key’s trip to Saudi Arabia has now become about women’s rights, as the world watches whether New Zealand’s Prime Minister will stand with or against women, the Green Party said today. “John Key said on the weekend he ‘may’ bring up issues of human rights when he meets with the Saudi King in the next 24 hours, but that is nowhere near good enough,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said. “This is a regime in blatant breach of its...