The Green Party is calling on the Government to do something meaningful for the women of New Zealand this International Women’s Day, by picking up a Member’s Bill on pay transparency that’s currently in the ballot.

A Green government would immediately halt Simon Bridges’ eye-wateringly expensive motorway expansion between Warkworth and Wellsford and redirect funding to high-value projects like rail to Mount Roskill or the North Shore, the Green Party said today. Government answers to written questions show the Warkworth to Wellsford motorway is now estimated to cost between $1.4 and $1.9 billion with a Benefit Cost Ratio of 0.25. When it was originally proposed in 2009 the 24km motorway extension was expected to cost $494...

Paula Bennett’s first speech as Minister for Women was underwhelming and will not change things for New Zealand women, the Green Party said today.

Forest and Bird walking out of the Land and Water Forum (the Forum) is yet another sign that Nick Smith's river rebranding exercise has done more harm than good for freshwater in New Zealand, the Green Party said today. Forest and Bird announced today it would withdraw from the Forum because the Government's proposed freshwater standards largely ignore the consensus recommendation of the Forum. "Instead of unifying New Zealanders around protecting our rivers and lakes, Nick Smith's water policy risks...

With new data showing building consents for new homes are trending down, the Government must do the responsible thing and step up to build more affordable homes, the Green Party said today. “We have a serious housing crisis and it’s time for new thinking to solve it,” said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei. “National might talk big when it comes to housing, but the numbers don’t lie. Simply not enough new homes are being built for all the people who...

Nick Smith’s proposed changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) are based on anecdote and ideology. They will further weaken laws that help control ugly urban sprawl, and protect freshwater, public conservation land, and the coastal environment, the Green Party said today. The Green Party opposes Nick Smith’s Resource Legislation Amendment Bill which the Local Government Environment Select Committee is expected to report back to Parliament today. “Our environmental law should promote liveable cities and towns and help restore New...

Working mothers are still being underpaid in New Zealand and will continue to be until we have a government that’s willing to take decisive action on gender pay equity, the Green Party said today. Statistics New Zealand released new figures today which show that the pay gap between mothers and fathers in New Zealand is 17 percent. “Women have been underpaid for far too long, and we need a strong government that prioritises women getting a fair deal,” Green Party...

The Green Party is throwing its support behind the Access Alliance’s new campaign to make Aotearoa 100% accessible for everyone. The Access Alliance is a coalition of disability organisations campaigning for legislation that will set national standards for accessibility across all areas of New Zealand life and the economy. “This is a question of fairness. New Zealanders with disabilities need to have the same access to public infrastructure, services, workplaces and online information that everyone else has”, said Green Party...

A new report released today shows that officials under Environment Minister Nick Smith are largely ignoring councils who fail to enforce environmental law, leaving our natural places vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. On the enforcement of environmental law under the Resource Management Act (RMA), the Environmental Defence Society and Law Foundation report found that: “The Ministry for the Environment gives compliance and enforcement relatively little priority…" and that “Councils have, for the most part, been left to do the job...

The Green Party has today launched a member’s bill that will keep water from underground sources, called aquifers, safe from pollution and contamination. Co-leader James Shaw announced the move to a full house in his keynote address at the Green Party’s candidates’ conference in Upper Hutt. “New Zealanders are hugely concerned about the state of our fresh water – whether it’s our rivers or our drinking water – and it’s going to be a big issue for voters this year,”...