The Green Party has today announced that, in government, it will establish a contestable Public Interest Journalism Fund and restore Radio New Zealand’s (RNZ) frozen funding to inflation-adjusted 2008 levels. The $3 million annual fund will be available through Creative New Zealand to fund one-off journalism projects and ongoing salaries of specialist journalists. All funded content must be publicly available free of charge. Restoring RNZ funding to inflation adjusted levels will cost an additional $3.2 million a year. “There’s a...

The Green Party is welcoming the Government’s announcement that it will now further protect Māori land from forced sale under the Public Works Act, following pressure from Māori and the Green Party.

The record number of children in Child, Youth, and Family (CYF) care shows large problems in the social fabric of New Zealand, the Green Party said today. The number of children and young people in CYF custody has increased from 5,159 to 5,453, according to new figures released. “All of our children deserve a fair go. But the record number of kids in CYF care shows we are going the wrong way. CYF is having to pick up the pieces...

A strong case remains for holding an independent inquiry into the allegations contained in the book Hit and Run, following yesterday’s press conference held by the NZ Defence Force (NZDF), the Green Party said today. “Without an inquiry there will be ongoing speculation about what happened in Afghanistan. These allegations risk eroding New Zealanders’ trust in their Defence Force," said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw. "Rather than conducting a tussle of competing claims via the media, it would be better...

     

The Green Party is thrilled to have had a Member’s Bill drawn from the ballot today that offers a concrete solution to fix the gender pay imbalance in New Zealand. Green Party MP Jan Logie’s Equal Pay Amendment Bill was today pulled from the ballot. If passed, it will require all employers to publish information about how much men and women are paid for doing the same job in their organisation. Women currently earn 13 percent less per hour, on...

The Government needs to set a clear deadline for when all KiwiSaver providers should have divested from companies involved in the manufacture of cluster bombs, landmines, and nuclear weapons, the Green Party said today. Radio New Zealand today revealed that four default KiwiSaver providers — ANZ, Westpac, Kiwibank, and Mercer — continued to profit from investments in companies involved in the manufacture of cluster bombs, landmines, and nuclear weapons. Jacqui Dean, Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs, expects all KiwiSaver...

The Government’s decision to allow oil drilling in 35.5 percent of the North Island Maui’s dolphin sanctuary, as well as along the shores of picturesque Lake Te Anau and close to Fiordland National Park, creates major risks for New Zealand’s clean and green tourism brand, the Green Party said today. “There are only 63 Maui’s Dolphins alive and drilling for oil and gas in the area that’s supposed to be their sanctuary puts every one of them at risk,” said...

The National Government’s research and development (R&D) strategy has failed, with a lower proportion of businesses now engaging in R&D than when they took office, the Green Party said today. The Statistics NZ Business Operations Survey released today shows that in 2009, eight percent of businesses engaged in R&D. In 2016, that number had fallen to seven percent. Labour productivity data also out today tells a similar story, with labour productivity growth at its lowest levels, over the growth cycle,...

National must put politics aside and open an independent investigation into allegations around the conduct of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) in Afghanistan, the Green Party said today. Nicky Hager and John Stephenson’s book ‘Hit and Run’, released last night, details the alleged killing of civilians in Afghanistan following a joint US-NZ raid, allegedly in retaliation for the death of a New Zealand solider. “These allegations are very serious and New Zealanders deserve full and frank answers about what...