The Green Party will be seeking leave of Parliament, on Tuesday, to immediately introduce Denise Roche’s Members’ Bill which would permanently increase New Zealand’s refugee quota. “While it is a good first step that New Zealand has agreed to an emergency intake of 600 refugees over two and a half years, this doesn’t solve the long term problem of New Zealand’s embarrassingly low refugee quota,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw. “The National Government has only moved to increase the number...

The Green Party is disappointed by reports that John Key is only willing to take 100 extra Syrian refugees as a response to the desperate humanitarian crisis unfolding around the world.

The Green Party will be seeking leave of Parliament, on Tuesday, to immediately introduce Denise Roche’s Member’s Bill which would permanently increase New Zealand’s refugee quota. “Our Bill provides a permanent long-term solution to New Zealand’s woefully inadequate refugee quota and compliments Andrew Little’s Bill, which addresses the immediate humanitarian crisis,” said Green Party immigration spokesperson Denise Roche. “By the time John Key does his review, many more lives will be lost. He can increase the quota now but is...

The Green Party is challenging the Education Minister to say whether she has instructed officials to refuse to issue information under the Official Information Act in order to protect the Government from being held accountable. “The Government is refusing to release information related to 30 mouldy and leaking schools, and possibly 30 or more additional schools, and the Minister needs to explain why,” Green Party education spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said. “It appears the Ministry of Education is being used to...

The Green Party is appalled by the lack of compassion John Key is showing by refusing to increase the refugee quota immediately.

The Green Party has launched a climate plan today showing it’s possible for the Government to set a much more ambitious emissions reduction target that New Zealanders can be proud of. 

The Green Party is calling for herbicide tolerant (HT) swedes to be removed from sale after a Dairy NZ report today confirmed high levels of toxins in the swedes have led to cows dying. “Dairy NZ are telling farmers to stop feeding HT swedes to cows in spring when the animals are in late pregnancy or early lactation, but we want to see the use of HT swedes stop altogether,” said Green Party GE spokesperson Steffan Browning. “HT swedes have...

The Green Party is calling on the Government to follow through with a recommendation from the Cycling Safety Panel to protect people who cycle with mandatory safe passing distances. “It’s vital that the Government follows through on the Cycling Safety Panel’s recommendation for mandatory safe passing distances to protect people who cycle,” Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said. “It’s good to see practical solutions recommended like different safe passing distances for low speed and high speed roads. “The...

The Green Party is calling on the Prime Minister to guarantee that the refugee quota will be filled to the maximum this year in light of the growing crisis around the world.

John Key must listen to the people of Coromandel and walk away from the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations because of the power the TPPA could give overseas corporations like Oceana Gold over the New Zealand Government, the Green Party said. “Oceana Gold, which is buying the Waihi Gold Mine, is already suing the El Salvador government for $470 million and if New Zealand signs up to the TPPA, we could be next,” Green Party Coromandel-based MP Catherine Delahunty...