The Green Party is deeply saddened by the passing of Ngāti Awa rangatira Joseph Harawira QSM, who led the Sawmill Workers Against Poisons (SWAP) organisation. 

The National Government has failed to stop high income earners from avoiding paying their fair share of tax, the Green Party said today. IRD released aggregated tax data last week which shows a suspiciously high number of people last year declared their income just before the top tax rate threshold at $70,000. The (highlighted) spike is strong evidence of tax avoidance behaviour. (The lower spikes represent welfare and superannuation payments.) “National’s 2010 tax cuts for high income earners were sold...

KiwiRail’s plan to replace its electric locomotives with a dirty diesel-powered fleet is backwards and bad news for New Zealand, the Green Party said today. The Green Party understands that KiwiRail will today announce a plan to phase out its 16 electric locomotives responsible for freight between Hamilton and Palmerston North. The electric locomotives will be replaced with Chinese-made diesel locomotives. “We are very disappointed by KiwiRail’s decision to abandon our electric freight trains and infrastructure. Many New Zealanders will...

The Green Party is calling on the Government to front up to iwi after learning that, going right back to the Ngāi Tahu settlement in 1997, the Right of First Refusal (RFR) clause in Treaty settlements has actually meant right of first refusal for charities, not iwi.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) must stop its light-handed approach to fish dumping by commercial operators or we risk further declines in fish stocks, the Green Party said today. The comments come on the back of figures that reveal MPI has only prosecuted four commercial fishers for fish dumping since 2009. “Fish dumping is widespread amongst commercial fishers, which not only wastes a precious resource but also puts our fish stocks in jeopardy,” said Green Party fisheries spokesperson Eugenie...

The New Zealand Government needs to recognise what is happening in Syria right now as a humanitarian crisis and increase its refugee quota to take in more Syrian refugees, the Green Party said today.  "What we are seeing in the media about Aleppo demands a humanitarian response, and New Zealand can do that by increasing the refugee quota to help save people’s lives," Green Party immigration spokesperson Denise Roche said.  "When the New Zealand Government recently increased the refugee quota...

Simon Bridges needs to commit to fully funding light rail to Auckland’s airport and North Shore to break the city’s traffic gridlock, the Green Party said today. A NZ Transport Agency briefing obtained by the Green Party shows the Government is considering fully funding major public transport projects in Auckland as it currently does with major motorway projects. The briefing identified light rail to the airport and North Shore as projects that could be 100 percent funded by central government....

News that just one small exploration permit has been awarded in the latest oil and gas Block Offer shows it’s time for the Government to give up its fossil fuel strategy and embrace clean energy, the Green Party said today.  Previous Block Offers have usually seen 10 or more permits awarded for total areas up to 46,000 sq km, while this year the single permit awarded has an area of just 219 sq km. “With just one local company getting...

The Green Party welcomes the move by Sanford, Moana New Zealand and WWF New Zealand to restrict commercial fishing in Māui dolphin/popoto habitat north of New Plymouth, and is calling on the Government to increase protection for the severely endangered species. “Sanford and Moana New Zealand have shamed the Government by taking a step that the National Government hasn’t been prepared to,” said Green Party fisheries spokesperson Eugenie Sage. “But without stronger protection sooner from threats such as set nets,...

Green Party MPs Catherine Delahunty and Steffan Browning are announcing today that they will not seek re-election in 2017. Both Ms Delahunty and Mr Browning will continue in their roles as Green Party MPs until the election. “I’m very proud of my eight years as a Green Party MP, and the many, many years I spent before that as an activist fighting for women, our environment, and the rights of tangata whenua,” said Ms Delahunty, who holds the water, education...