The National Government has just handed SkyCity the last trump card in its convention centre deal, delivering the casino complete control over the centre, removing any last pretence that it’s a public facility, the Green Party said today. The Government and SkyCity today released a preliminary design on the convention centre, in which the casino has bought off the Government for millions of dollars so the public will have no more influence over the building or design of the facility....

Contact Energy’s decision to pay nearly 100% of its profit to its shareholders rather than drop retail electricity prices, invest in clean energy technology exports, or pay down debt, shows that it doesn’t put its customers first, the Green Party says. “The National Government has let the electricity market get away on them, and consumers are suffering as a result,” Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “The Government’s only response is to tell people to shop around but the...

Figures in National’s 2015 Budget revealing that nearly $31 million is being spent on increasing greenhouse emissions show just how much the emissions trading scheme (ETS) is unfair to New Zealanders who are trying to do their bit to prevent climate change, the Green Party said.   “All New Zealanders are essentially giving climate polluters almost $31 million via the tax system, whether they like it or not,” Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman said.   “The Budget has revealed that...

Pink Shirt Day is the perfect time for politicians of all stripes to launch a cross-party LGBTI working group. MPs put aside their differences today and donned pink shirts to take a stand against the bullying of LGBTI people in New Zealand. The group has been established to provide education, leadership and legislative progress on LGBTI rights. It was initiated by Green Party MP Jan Logie and includes 12 members from National, Labour, NZ First, Act and the Greens. “We...

The Green Party is disappointed that Budget 2015 continues Government cuts to conservation spending, increasing the risks to our native species. 

The Green Party will support the new levies on international passengers to protect New Zealand’s biosecurity, announced in Budget 2015. “New Zealand’s biosecurity is vital to our agricultural and tourism sectors, not to mention our natural environment, and so we will support the Government’s moves to strengthen biosecurity,” Green Party tourism and economic development spokesperson James Shaw said. “The Green Party acknowledges than some in the tourism industry have concerns about these levies, but we are encouraged that the Government...

Government is cutting $1.5million from essential refugee services, potentially stranding vulnerable refugees overseas, the Green Party said today.

Real cuts to Police funding will leave our communities more vulnerable to crime, the Green Party said today. Budget 2015 sees further long-term cuts to police spending. Police spending peaked in 2010 and has been falling since, down 5.7 percent to 2015 and 11.5 percent out to 2018 in real terms. New spending of $164 million spread over four years is not keeping up with rising costs. “Police Budget cuts means we’ll lose more community constables and see less of...

Today’s Budget is still no solution to child poverty, the Green Party said. “John Key could have kept his promise to tackle child poverty, but he chose instead to do the bare minimum,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said. “Much of what National is giving to beneficiary families in one hand, will be taken away with the other. “The increases to benefits that families are getting will be eroded in many cases by reductions in other payments. “Increases to benefits...

Any Government move to free up Crown land for housing in Auckland must come with a guarantee that 100% of the homes built on it will be dedicated affordable housing, the Green Party said today. “The Government can’t fix the housing crisis in Auckland by freeing up large swathes of land so developers can then build houses that Aucklanders can’t actually afford to buy,” said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei. “The bottom line of any new deal to build on...