The Government’s opening of consultation over definitions of Genetically Modified Organisms needs to be paid close attention to ensure that New Zealand’s clean, green, and GE-free brand is protected, and the health and safety of people and animals is also protected, the Green Party said today. “The Government is finally acknowledging a 2014 High Court case that showed that their definitions of new technologies for risk assessments was wrong,” Green Party genetic engineering spokesperson Steffan Browning said. “Tidying up the definition of...

The Government must adopt a full rental housing warrant of fitness to prevent more New Zealanders from dying and falling ill from living in cold, damp, mouldy homes, the Green Party said today. The renewed call comes after a  study overseen by Government-owned Landcare Research revealed dangerous levels of toxic mould and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in some south Auckland homes. “The Government’s own scientists are telling them how dangerous the levels of mould are in these homes, yet National’s refusing to...

A new report suggests New Zealand’s potential prosperity is being held back by the National Government’s poor transport planning, the Green Party said. The report shows the amount of driving New Zealanders do relative to GDP is amongst the worst in the OECD group of countries. "If you feel like you spend too much time stuck in traffic and economically you’re not really going anywhere, you’re right,” Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said. “The OECD report shows that,...

The Green Party is calling on the Government to immediately ban junk-food vending machines from our schools, to help stop more Kiwi kids from becoming obese. The call comes after TV3’s Story revealed that sugar-filled Sanitarium drinks are being sold from school vending machines, with schools receiving financial kickbacks from the sales. “The Government recently announced its plan to tackle obesity and it has already proved to be utterly toothless,” said Green Party Health spokesperson Kevin Hague. “Voluntary measures don’t...

Christchurch deserves a co-ordinated transport agency with a region-wide plan, not just the new Bus Exchange that Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee is visiting today, said the Green Party. “The National Government is tinkering around the edges when it comes to public transport, but what we need is a coordinated regional transport agency that’s able to make smart planning decisions for all the people who live and work in Canterbury,” Green Party Christchurch spokesperson Eugenie Sage said. “The new Bus Exchange...

The National Government’s failure to fix the Auckland housing crisis has cost a family with a $500,000 mortgage at least $4000 in extra interest, as the Reserve Bank was forced not to cut interest rates today because the Auckland housing market is a ‘financial stability risk’, the Green Party said. “The Reserve Bank is clearly worried that property investors borrowed a new record amount of $2.239 billion in September, and so they haven’t lowered interest rates,” Green Party finance spokesperson...

The Prime Minister must get some guts and rule out supporting Australia’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council after an Amnesty International report condemned it for breaching the human rights of asylum seekers, the Green Party said today. A concerning report by Amnesty International condemned Australia over its treatment of asylum seekers, finding that it breached international law by paying people smugglers to turn boatloads of asylum seekers around, sending those on board back to...

The National Government’s lack of interest in protecting the environment is becoming an international embarrassment, the Green Party said today. The OECD environment report out this week shows New Zealand is one of the worst performers in the OECD on a range of environmental indicators, including greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater use, overuse of fertiliser, and taxing pollution. “Not only is the National Government failing to protect the environment we love, but it’s embarrassing New Zealand internationally. Other countries are making...

The Green Party is calling on the Government to stop plans to open another round of charter schools after documents reveal existing charters are failing to achieve agreed targets for NCEA Level 2. Budget documents show that on average only 41.5 percent of students left charter schools with NCEA Level 2, well short of the target for 2014/15 of 67 percent. While one school had a big impact on the overall average, even without that school’s results, the overall results were below...

The Government’s failure to place a price on agriculture emissions, as recommended by Ministry for the Environment officials, is hurting New Zealand’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and also hurting farmers who must plan for the future, the Green Party said today. Carbon News has today released  information gained through an OIA that shows the Ministry for the Environment officials advised the Government to include agriculture in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) when it is reviewed later this year. “National’s apparent...