The Green Party will propose an amendment to the Crown Minerals Act Amendment Bill to close a current loophole that allows for oil and gas companies to extend their permits for offshore drilling.
The loophole means there is no clear end date on offshore drilling, despite the Government announcing an end to further permits earlier this year.
The Green Party strongly condemns the attack on free press with the presumed death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
“Journalism is not a crime and no one should be murdered for speaking up against power”, Green spokesperson on human rights and foreign affairs Golriz Ghahraman said today.
“There are mixed reports in the media, some are reporting that Saudi officials are strongly denying the murder, others are saying they are preparing a statement to claim that an interrogation went wrong, resulting in Jamal Khashoggi’s death.
Ethos Environmental has taken out the Supreme Award at the New Zealand Spatial Excellence Awards tonight in Wellington for its use of location-based data to help control pest infestations on Great Barrier Island.
Ethos Environmental created an integrated Internet of Things (IoT) Geographic Information System (GIS) to record and analyse rat and feral cat intrusions, report when traps are triggered and monitor biodiversity gains. As a result, Ethos Environmental’s GIS provides a platform for the wider conservation sector to use.
The Green Party agrees with the Salvation Army that bold new steps are needed to stop a worrying trajectory of increased rent rises and homelessness.
“Home ownership is at its lowest rate since 1951 which means an entire generation is living with renting. 200,000 of these households are living in high financial stress due to unaffordable rent and, worse, we currently have 60,000 people on the very cusp of homelessness living in inadequate and precarious situations. This is not good enough”, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today.
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage today announced that the Department of Conservation (DOC) will close 21 tracks across kauri land to help prevent the spread of kauri dieback.
An additional 10 tracks will also be partially closed and the open sections upgraded to eliminate wet and muddy sections of track and better protect the roots of kauri trees.
“As there is currently no proven cure for kauri dieback, the best way to protect our kauri is to slow and stop the disease from spreading,” Eugenie Sage said.
The Minister of Conservation welcomes the planned start this Thursday, weather permitting, of the Department of Conservation’s Himalayan tahr control operation following discussion and consultation with hunters and other stakeholders on the Tahr Liaison Group.
The Green Party is welcoming stage two of the review of the Overseas Investment Act (OIA), which will look into water extraction and Māori cultural values as part of the benefits test, Green Party Co-Leader Marama Davidson said today.
“The way the previous National Government applied the OIA to sensitive rural land made it easier for overseas investors to buy up extensive areas of farmland.
The Green Party believes animals should not suffer to provide entertainment for people and we are calling for a ban on the use of animals in rodeo events.
“The Green Party is disappointed with NAWACs rodeo report and think waiting for further research and the rodeo association to self-regulate is negligent and will see animals continued to be hurt”, Green Party animal welfare spokesperson Gareth Hughes said today.
The Green Party are calling for common-sense legalisation of festival drug testing before the summer festival season begins.
“Despite decades of a hard-line approach, including harsh penalties, Governments worldwide have failed to stop recreational drugs being taken at festivals”, Green Party sensible drug law reform spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick said today.
“This has resulted in unnecessary tragedy, with unknown users ingesting unknown substances, at times costing emergency health sector resources, at worst costing lives.
The Government is currently taking public submissions on what its proposed trade agenda – Trade for All – should look like. I’ve submitted calling for 21st century trade policy that moves New Zealand into a new era of international trade, and focuses on prioritising the things that really matter to New Zealanders.
If you’re interested, you can make a submission yourself, closing Sunday 14 October.
Here's my submission as Green Party Trade Spokesperson:
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