The Green Party today announced a plan to kick-start the green economy, create jobs in the clean technology and infrastructure sectors, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. “The Green Investment Fund will be the Kiwibank of the clean economy, kick-starting our transition to a carbon neutral economy by 2050,” Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said. “New Zealand needs to jump on board the global response to climate change and get a piece of the economic action, instead of letting it...

The National Government has said it is open to disposing of conservation land to encourage mining on the West Coast and building a road through Kahurangi National Park, the Green Party said today. Today the Government released its West Coast Economic Development Action Plan, which included:          Identifying ‘low value’ conservation stewardship land that could be disposed of.          Streamlining mining consent processes to reduce Department of Conservation input.          Preparing a strategic case for a road through Kahurangi National...

Prime Minister Bill English is running scared from plans to set a fair price for the commercial use of water, the Green Party said today. The Green Party launched its election campaign yesterday with a policy to protect drinking water, including an interim levy of 10c per litre on companies who bottle and export drinking water, and the creation of a working group to resolve the issue of rights and responsibilities for water. “In government, we’ll develop a fair way...

The Green Party is today launching a policy that will ensure New Zealanders have access to clean, safe drinking water with measures including making water bottlers and exporters pay for the water they take and sell. The policy was announced by Co-leader James Shaw today in Nelson, as part of the Green Party’s election campaign launch. “Forty-five thousand New Zealanders – the equivalent population of Nelson – have to put up with faecal contamination in their drinking water at least...

The Green Party will fiercely oppose Bill English’s plan to override the Supreme Court decision that saved part of the Ruahine Forest Park from being flooded for the Ruataniwha dam. Bill English signalled yesterday that he would change the law to override the Supreme Court’s ruling that prevents the Department of Conservation from swapping conservation land for private farmland. “If National changes this law then specially protected forest and the habitat of threatened species will be destroyed forever,” said Green...

The Green Party is welcoming the release of a new NZCER report on te reo Māori revitalisation that recommends universal te reo in all schools, and is calling on Nikki Kaye to release a plan to build teacher capacity so it can be achieved.  

The Green Party is celebrating a big win for nature today with the Supreme Court ruling that removing protected status from conservation land is permitted only when the conservation values there no longer warrant continued special protection. “This is a big win for nature, despite the National Government’s best efforts to flood and destroy an important piece of the Ruahine Forest Park,” said Green Party conservation spokesperson Mojo Mathers. “It was a sad day for the environment when the Minister...

The Green Party is announcing today that in Government it will fast-track the building of a new rail line to Auckland airport to be completed in 2021, in time for the next America’s Cup. By light rail it will take approximately 43 minutes to travel from Wynyard Quarter, up Queen Street and Dominion Road to the airport. The $2.3 billion rail line will be a project of national significance funded from the transport fund. In Government we will also investigate...

Nick Smith’s inability to provide any real answers about his failed Special Housing Areas (SHA) experiment in Auckland shows a government that is running away from solving the affordable housing crisis, the Green Party said today. “It boggles the mind that Building and Construction Minister Nick Smith does not know how many affordable homes were being built in Auckland’s Special Housing Areas,” said Green Party Co-Leader Metiria Turei. “SHAs were his big, bright idea – how can he claim to...