Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy must immediately investigate the way in which the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has been enforcing animal welfare standards in our dairy industry, the Green Party said today. The call comes after TV One’s Sunday programme revealed shocking footage of animals being severely mistreated on a farm and in a slaughterhouse, which MPI has yet to act on. “Like many New Zealanders, I am absolutely sickened by what happened to those animals,” said Green Party...

The Green Party is calling on the Government to send a navy vessel to the Southern Ocean to ensure Japan adheres to international law when it resumes whaling early next year. Japan has announced that it will resume whaling after a one-year hiatus, which followed an International Court of Justice ruling that its whale hunt for “scientific purposes” could not be justified. “We are glad the Government has spoken out against Japan’s resumption of this cruel and inhumane practice, but...

The tens of thousands of Kiwis who marched in solidarity around the country today sent a loud and clear message to the Government that they want a climate change plan New Zealand can be proud of, the Green Party said today. The New Zealand People’s Climate Marches, which continue tomorrow, are part of a worldwide weekend of action to urge political leaders to agree to a meaningful plan to combat climate change at the upcoming COP talks in Paris. “Tens...

The Green Party congratulates Kirk Hope on his appointment as Chief Executive of BusinessNZ. “Our congratulations go to Kirk Hope for his appointment as BusinessNZ Chief Executive,” Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said. “Mr Hope is the right person for the role.   “The Green Party has worked constructively with Mr Hope at the New Zealand Bankers’ Association and we look forward to working with him at BusinessNZ. “Over its fifteen years, BusinessNZ has shown an increasing understanding of the linkages...

The Green Party will be out in force this weekend, as MPs, celebrities and supporters join the Green Bloc to march in solidarity with thousands of Kiwis taking to the streets to demand action on climate change. Across New Zealand, people from all walks of life will take to the streets, led by a coalition of humanitarian organisations, environment groups, trade unions and faith groups. Tens of thousands of Kiwis are expected to join marches throughout the country on Saturday...

The Land and Water Forum’s mandate should be improving water quality, not making as much money from water as possible before the environment collapses, the Green Party said today.  The group, made up of iwi and stakeholders such as Dairy NZ, Irrigation NZ, commercial interests and some environmental NGOs, released its fourth report today, making recommendations to the Government on maximising the economic use of water within the limits of the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management (NPS-FM), as it...

The National Government’s research and development (R&D) funding system needs a massive overhaul in light of new information from Deloitte that some R&D Growth Grants don’t actually cover development spending, the Green Party said. A Deloitte report into the Government’s Callaghan Innovation R&D funding organisation’s Growth Grants found that funding agreements were “ambiguous and to a certain extent contradict[ed] the purpose of the grant" and that the “terms of the funding agreement specially prohibit a recipient claiming any development expenditure...

Locust swarms, invasive ants, tick borne livestock diseases and rampant aquatic weed growth are just some of the potential impacts on our agricultural and horticultural industries that the Government must protect against at the Paris climate talks next week, the Green Party said today.   The comments come on the back of a report soon-to-be released by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) on the effects of climate change on current and potential pests and diseases.   “The MPI report...

Proposed changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) appear on first reading to be a boon for seabed miners and property developers, the Green Party said today. The National Government today released a new Bill which proposes changes to the RMA, laws governing conservation lands, and the Exclusive Economic Zone. “The Government has repeatedly attacked the RMA to weaken its environmental protection, reduce public participation, and fast track high impact development. The more than 200 proposed changes in the Bill need...

The Government’s new Education bill appears to continue its moves to privatise New Zealand’s public education system, the Green Party says. The Government today released the Education Legislation Bill, which makes several changes including creating new types of charter schools and paving the way for principals to take over the management of other schools in what appears to be a new franchise-type arrangement. “Schools are not businesses, they are part of their community. New Zealanders don’t want their schools run...