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The Green Party recently tabled a 6,000 signature petition to Parliament to support drug checking, and has campaigned and worked across Parliament on this issue since the 2017 election.
“In an ideal world, communities would be completely free of drug use, where we all thrive and live healthy lives. Yet forty years of punitive legal sanctions have only driven problems further underground”, Green Party Drug Reform spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick said today.
The Green Party negotiated three major changes to the Government bill that:
“Everyone deserves to live a life free of pain. For hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders they’ve found relief with medicinal cannabis but have risked jail time in the process.
“We know Māori experience systemic racism from the moment they encounter front line services, through to when they are sentenced and imprisoned. This has resulted in disproportionate incarceration and worsened outcomes for Māori,” Green Party Justice spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said today.
“The treatment of Māori by our justice institutions is not only serious human rights breach but a continuing barrier to New Zealand being a truly equal and fair society.
As part of the Government’s capital investment package announced today, the Government will support the public sector to reduce its carbon footprint through an infrastructure spend of $200 million.
“Successive governments failed to respond to the climate crisis. Today’s announcement is another step towards our clean, green future,” James Shaw said.
“There are many simple ways we could reduce emissions, like replacing the old-fashioned coal boilers currently used to keep many of our public buildings warm.
The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill has been reported back from Select Committee and a Government SOP has been agreed on the Bill.
“We’re making a suite of changes advocated for by the human rights and legal communities. I’m personally very grateful for their work on this legislation despite the short time frame allowed.
“A mandatory two year review into the working of this law is particularly important given the short Select Committee process. This will include reviewing whether there is an ongoing need for the law.
The Government will phase out more single-use plastics following the success of its single-use plastic bag ban earlier this year and the release today of a pivotal report for dealing with waste.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed the Rethinking Plastics in Aotearoa New Zealandreport, released by her Chief Science Advisor Prof Juliet Gerrard.
“Our ban on plastic bags has already made a difference as we confront our enormous long-term challenge to tackle plastic waste,” Jacinda Ardern said.
Work to look after nature and restore freshwater quality in Te Hoiere/Pelorus River catchment is getting a significant boost, thanks to new Government funding support Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage announced in Canvastown today.
“Every New Zealander should be able to swim in their local river without getting sick, and rivers should be healthy for fish and other wildlife and for gathering mahinga kai. Currently Te Hoiere/Pelorus River is at risk and needs a helping hand to improve water quality for its own sake, and for people now and into the future” said Eugenie Sage.
"Aotearoa New Zealand should have evidence-based, harm-reduction cannabis regulation that ensures healthier communities and better mental health outcomes,” Green Party Drug Reform spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick said today.
“For 30 years Governments have pursued a failed war on drugs that has resulted in a harmful, unregulated market controlled by the black-market, where vulnerable communities and young people are exposed to sketchy substances.
“We believe in an open democracy with transparent and equal access for all New Zealanders.
“To help ensure New Zealand has a thriving and healthy Parliament the Green Party have long called for foreign donations to be banned. This measure in part of my Strengthening Democracy Members Bill, so we are very happy to see our Government making progress in this area.
“Limiting foreign donations to $50 will reduce undue influence from powerful vested interests and create a healthier and fairer system.
Steeped in Māori and European history, the recent reopening of Banks Peninsula’s Ripapa Island has been celebrated today by Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke and Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage.
Members of the local community and tamariki from Lyttelton Primary School have this afternoon retraced the footsteps of Ngāti Wheke ancestors. Those gathered listened to stories about the former fortified Māori Pā before it was later transformed into a quarantine station, and then a military fort at the end of the 19th century.