Murray McCully must take a proactive stance on human rights abuses in West Papua during his meeting with the Indonesian Foreign Minister.

The Green Party today welcomed calls for a conversation about public sector pay caps, but stressed that the conversation must also include pay transparency and the ratios between the highest and lowest incomes, as part of a larger plan to address inequality in New Zealand. “Addressing huge rises in public sector CEOs’ pay is a step in the right direction, but what’s really needed is a comprehensive plan to reduce inequality in New Zealand,” said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei....

The Green Party has suggested a Productivity Commission inquiry into how New Zealand can best raise living standards while simultaneously reducing net greenhouse gas emissions. “Measuring carbon intensity and agreeing on ways to reduce it can help New Zealand support a good standard of living while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help prevent climate change,” said Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman. Carbon intensity is a measurement of how efficiently greenhouse gas-emitting resources are used. It is commonly expressed as...

It’s good that the Government has listened to New Zealanders and announced a fairer way to set MPs’ salaries, the Green Party said today. “We’ve been pushing for a fairer system for setting MPs’ pay for a long time and we’re glad that the Government has listened,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said. “We’ve argued for MPs’ salaries to be linked to the nominal median income, and we still think this is the best option, but linking them to public...

The Green Party is calling for cross-party support to agree on a system of indexing MPs’ salary movements to median income, following the announcement of a significant pay rise for MPs, the Green Party said today. “The Green Party is proposing that MPs’ salaries should be indexed to movements in the nominal median individual income,” Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman said. “The system needs to change. Every year MPs across Parliament say ‘oh it’s too much’, but then nothing changes....

26 February 2015 The Green Party said today that it is challenging the Government to follow Wellington City Council’s lead and make children’s needs a priority in decision-making. Today (26 February) attendees at the Child Friendly Cities Forum co-hosted by UNICEF and Wellington City Council (WCC) will hear about how the capital city can benefit from including children’s rights and interests in decision-making processes, something the Green Party commends. “We know that better thinking around our kids is needed –...

Today’s announcement that construction work on the City Rail Link will begin this year is a further sign that the Government needs to get on board with immediate funding, the Green Party said today. “While today’s construction announcement is a positive step, if the Government continues to delay funding the people of Auckland will be waiting another decade for decent train services,” said Green Party Transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter. “Auckland rail patronage has grown 20 percent in the year...

Nathan Guy needs to stop playing politics with biosecurity and face up to the fact that National’s cuts to biosecurity funding contributed to the Queensland fruit fly outbreak, the Green Party said today. Figures compiled by the Parliamentary Library show that under National, spending on biosecurity has not kept up with inflation, the number of biosecurity officers has dropped, and the number of border protection dogs has also reduced. “Serious questions need to be asked about the Government’s secretive approach...

Students at a struggling school in Northland are the victims of the Education Minister’s failed charter school experiment and she must personally ensure they are given the educational help they need, the Green Party said today. Education Minister Hekia Parata approved Te Kura Hourua ki Whangaruru as a charter school in 2013, despite Ministry of Education concerns it had not outlined a "safe environment" for students. An ERO report released on the school today showed it had struggled from the...

John Key is dragging New Zealand into someone else’s war without a mandate from New Zealanders, said the Green Party today.