News

Single-use plastic shopping bags will be phased out over the next year, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage announced today.

“We’re phasing-out single-use plastic bags so we can better look after our environment and safeguard New Zealand’s clean, green reputation,” said Jacinda Ardern.

“We’re listening to New Zealanders who want us to take action on this problem. This year 65,000 Kiwis signed a petition calling for an outright ban. It’s also the biggest single subject school children write to me about. 

A new report shows serious concerns remain for the continued existence of the native Canterbury mudfish, which is on the brink of extinction.

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage released the New Zealand Threat Classification System report on freshwater fish today. The report provides the latest conservation status of New Zealand’s 76 known freshwater fish species.

“Canterbury mudfish remain in the Threatened – Nationally Critical category, and continue to decline,” Eugenie Sage said.

The Green Party today welcomed the settlement of the nurses’ dispute that will give them a decent pay rise.

“Nurses, who are at the heart of health care, have historically been underpaid and undervalued,” Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said. “It is great they have fought for and won their battle to be paid reasonably and to have more staff employed so they can safely carry out their vital work.”

The Green Party has welcomed the establishment of the new Crown-Māori partnership on freshwater, Te Kāhui Wai Māori, and will continue to push strongly for Māori rights over water to be upheld, Co-Leader Marama Davidson said today.

“We welcome the establishment of Te Kāhui Wai Māori as it sends a clear signal that this Government will engage robustly with tangata whenua on their rights to freshwater, as opposed to the previous Government who kicked the can down the road,” said Ms Davidson.