The National Government’s unwillingness to work cross-party to address climate change is putting businesses and the economy at greater risk, the Green Party said today. Green Party co-leader James Shaw questioned Finance Minister Bill English in the House today on reaching a consensus on the climate — the first of a week-long series of questions on the climate in the lead up to talks in Paris starting on November 30. “The National Government’s unwillingness to work cross-party means the Government...

The Green Party will be abstaining on the Returning Offenders (Management and Information) Bill.

The roll-out of 470 new gambling machines and tables at SkyCity’s Auckland casino from today, as reported on RNZ this morning, will hit families in the pocket and put already-vulnerable Kiwis at further risk, the Green Party said. The multi-national gambling corporation is allowed to increase the number of tables and machines as part of its highly controversial back-room deal with the National Government, in exchange for building a new convention centre. “SkyCity may be laughing all the way to...

The Green Party's thoughts are with the people of France, as we offer our sympathy to the family and friends of those who have been killed and injured in the attack.

Minister must say whether they had anything to do with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s (NZTE) refusal to release a report into the deaths of 900 lambs sent to Saudi Arabia as a Government bribe to a Saudi businessman, the Green Party said today.

The Green Party is calling on the Justice Minister to release the full list of the reasons New Zealanders are imprisoned on Christmas Island, and for the Prime Minister to correct his statement that the detainees were “rapists and murderers”. Justice Minister Amy Adams has given media an edited summary of offences committed by some of the New Zealanders on Christmas Island, but has refused to release details about those detainees who have not committed any offences, or who were...

Parliament will have the opportunity to establish a supermarket referee to ensure supermarkets treat suppliers fairly, after Green MP Mojo Mathers’ Commerce (Supermarket Adjudicator and Code of Conduct) Amendment Bill was pulled from the members’ bill ballot today. The Bill establishes an independent supermarket adjudicator who would work with the industry to develop a code of conduct for relationships between supermarkets and their suppliers, and deal with complaints about behaviour that allegedly breaches the code.  “The two huge supermarket chains...

The Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith should not be given the power to appoint Environment Protection Agency (EPA) decision-makers who decide applications for seabed mining and other development in New Zealand’s oceans, the Green Party said today. Yesterday, Greenpeace revealed that Dr Smith is seeking to change the law to give himself the power to personally choose who will sit on the Environmental Protection Agency’s “decision-making committees” for marine consent applications, responsible for deciding if companies can prospect for oil...

The Government’s treatment of sexual violence survivors and history of cutting funding to sexual and family violence services stands in stark contrast to John Key’s tirade about rapists in Parliament yesterday, the Green Party says. Prime Minister John Key caused widespread offence yesterday with his outburst claiming that members of the opposition were “backing rapists” when they questioned his Government’s unwillingness to challenge Australia’s record on human rights. “John Key should ditch the playground abuse and turn his energy to...

The Green Party is offering the National Government the chance today to vote for the environment, and show it can work constructively across parties to future proof our economy by voting for two Green Party Members’ Bills, the Green Party says. Parliament will today vote on two Green Party Members’ Bills - Green Party Co-leader James Shaw's Climate Change (Divestment from Fossil Fuels) Bill, and Green MP Gareth Hughes’ Fair Go for Solar Bill. The Divestment Bill would direct the managers of...