The Green Party has today written to Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges, asking him to commission an independent study into the best options for replacing coal-burning electricity generation at Huntly with cleaner alternatives. The call follows electricity industry backlash against the decision by Huntly power plant owner Genesis to stop burning coal in 2018, and pressure from the industry for New Zealand to keep burning coal to generate electricity. “With the pressure coming on Genesis to keep burning coal,...

The Government is forcing students into more debt, by keeping the student accommodation payment capped at 2004 levels for more than a decade, the Green Party says. Student Debt today tipped $15 billion. “The accommodation payment was capped at $40 a week for single students way back in 2004, before YouTube even existed,” Green Party tertiary education spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “The average student today is likely to be paying 56 percent more rent than they were in 2004.* “Rents...

The cost to New Zealanders of National’s asset sales has today hit $1 billion, according to figures released by the partially privatised power companies. The latest interim dividend figures from the partially privatised Mighty River Power, Genesis, and Meridian show that the Crown has forgone $945.14 million in dividends since the asset sales. The National Government spent $96 million on the asset sales programme, including bonus-share sweeteners for investors. Combined, that means the asset sales have a total cost of...

The Green Party supports the Labour Party’s call to bring back New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) Chief Executive Peter Chrisp in front of the select committee over his comments last week on the Saudi sheep agri-hub scandal.

Power companies should be leading a national shift to clean energy, not lining up to keep the Huntly coal power station open, the Green Party said today. Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes is inviting the power companies that have called for Huntly to keep burning coal to meet with him and find a way to replace coal with cleaner options. “If burning more coal is the answer then as a country we have been asking the wrong questions,” Mr...

The Government’s continued underfunding of Kiwirail is driving it into the ground and contributing to it losing major contracts, such as its Tranz Metro Wellington passenger rail contract today, the Green Party said. “The National Government has driven Kiwirail into the ground and now Kiwirail’s lost its important Wellington passenger rail contract,” Green Party Wellington issues spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “Ultimately, people who want to travel by clean public transport will lose out if Kiwirail’s viability is threatened by the...

The National Government has today awarded nine new oil and gas exploration permits, in the latest demonstration it has absolutely no intention of living up to the Paris agreement to halt climate change, the Green Party says. “National couldn’t even wait a week after world leaders agreed on a plan to stop climate change before giving out new permits for foreign companies to drill for fossil fuels in New Zealand waters,” Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “Today’s oil and...

Green Party MP Gareth Hughes made a final plea this morning to Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) to not replace Wellington’s iconic, pollution free trolley bus system with dirty diesel buses. Gareth Hughes spoke with GWRC councillors ahead of their vote today on Wellington’s public transport strategy. The strategy includes a decision about whether to replace Wellington’s 60 electric trolley buses with diesels. Last year GWRC decided to remove 60 trolley buses from the fleet by 2017. “Last year councillors...

The Commerce Commission’s decision to raise the price of broadband internet will hit consumers in the pocket and is the legacy of National’s failed meddling in the Telecommunications Act in 2010, the Green Party said today. “Families and small businesses will suffer higher prices from this decision, while Chorus – the company that owns the old nationwide copper broadband network – and its private investors will cash in,” Green Party ICT spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “New Zealand already has high...

The National Government is threatening to scupper a fair climate deal in Paris by failing to back a call by Australia and other Pacific nations to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, the Green Party said today. Australia joined forces with Pacific Island nations over the weekend to call on world leaders to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees, however, Climate Change Minister Tim Groser has refused to support Pacific allies and join the call for a more ambitious...