27 April 2016 National should let KiwiRail compete for funding from the enormous roading budget and scrap the two-tiered funding system which grossly favour costly highway projects, the Green Party said today. The comments come following a report by KiwiRail showing it considered shutting down its entire freight business to meet the Government’s requirements to deliver a short-term profit. “The $3 billion a year in National’s transport budget should be opened-up to be invested in rail, not just roads," said...

Green Party Chief of Staff Andrew Campbell has announced his resignation from the position after five and a half years with the party. Andrew Campbell has overseen the recruitment process for his replacement, and it is anticipated an appointment will be made within the coming weeks. “Andrew indicated his intention to leave the Greens after the 2014 election, but offered to stay on to oversee the transition to our new male Co-leader James Shaw, and lead the internal change management...

The Green Party says the National Government must commit to stop burning coal at the Huntly power station in 2018 to achieve its own target of 90 percent renewable electricity by 2025. Veteran electricity consultant Toby Stevenson said today it is highly unlikely that New Zealand will reach a level of 90 percent renewable electricity by 2025. The statement comes in the wake of an electricity industry backlash against the decision by Genesis Energy to stop burning coal at Huntly...

Climate Minister Paula Bennett acknowledged this morning on TVNZ’s Q&A that the National Government had knowingly allowed business to buy carbon credits in the Ukraine and Russia that did not result in actual cuts in emissions, the Green Party said today.   This acknowledgement comes in the wake of a report by the Morgan Foundation which showed these false cuts in pollution equated to a quarter of the emissions the Government claimed to have reduced between 2008 and 2012. “Minister...

The Green Party is calling the concept of a 1.3 million hectare Forest Future a potential game-changer that could give New Zealand a real shot a creating a safer climate for future generations. Climate-focused business group Pure Advantage today released a report calling for the planting of 1.3 million hectares of forest to combat climate change and shift New Zealander to a low-carbon economy. “Planting on this scale is a huge but necessary step towards creating a safer climate for...

Wellington bus operator Infratil’s decision to repower its iconic electric trolley buses with electric drivetrains is a victory for the environment and all those who campaigned to keep clean buses in the capital, the Green Party said. “Electric buses will be excellent for Wellington’s air quality and for reducing our contribution to climate pollution,” said Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter. “I want to congratulate Infratil for making a good decision, and also congratulate the people who signed postcards...

The Green Party is calling for the Government to charge water-bottling companies for the water they bottle and sell, after the enormous profits companies are making from selling a free resource was revealed yesterday. “The National Government is sitting on its hands, pretending it’s powerless to stop water barons bottling up New Zealand’s precious natural resource for free and making millions selling it overseas,” Green Party water spokesperson Catherine Delahunty. “In fact there are ways New Zealand can charge these...

The New Zealand Initiative’s report on a sugar tax is deeply flawed, and the fact that the junk-food lobby are members and funders of this so-called independent “think tank” highlights a credibility gap, the Green Party said. “The New Zealand Initiative cares more about junk-food barons’ bottom lines than it cares about Kiwis who are getting sick and dying because of obesity-related illnesses,” said Green Party health spokesperson Kevin Hague. “Taxing sugary drinks to help curb obesity is not some...

A major report detailing the impacts of climate change on New Zealand is a reality check for the Government, and shows National needs to stop talking and start acting to combat climate pollution, the Green Party said today. A major report released today by a group of top scientists and academics at the Royal Society of New Zealand shows that a failure to reduce climate-damaging pollution will put coastal property and infrastructure at risk, double the frequency of droughts in...

The Finance Minister has refused to allow the Treasury to cost Green Party policy despite rules allowing political parties to access such a costing.