The National Government's love affair with fossil fuels has just become more embarrassing, as New Zealand was voted one of the top ten most attractive nations for the fossil fuel industry to do business in, the Green Party says. The Government was yesterday given a top 10 ranking by the Fraser Institute for making New Zealand more attractive to the fossil fuel sector.  Oil executives surveyed by the institute praised governments who supported their industry through government spending, tax settings,...

New Zealand being awarded the Fossil of the Day award at the Paris climate talks is an embarrassing indictment that shows up the National Government’s failure to walk the talk on climate change, the Green Party said. The award was given to New Zealand for dishing out $80 million in subsidies to the oil, coal, and gas industries at the same time as John Key gave a speech in Paris claiming to show leadership on ending fossil fuel subsidies. “National...

Prime Minister John Key risks New Zealand being seen as two-faced at the Paris Climate talks later today when he’ll call for reform of fossil fuel subsidies, while New Zealand is throwing around massive tax breaks for oil exploration, the Green Party says. Prime Minister John Key intends to issue a communiqué to the United Nations tonight calling for countries to cut fossil fuel subsidies, and to make public the hand-outs governments are giving the industry. The National Government has...

The National Government’s research and development (R&D) funding system needs a massive overhaul in light of new information from Deloitte that some R&D Growth Grants don’t actually cover development spending, the Green Party said. A Deloitte report into the Government’s Callaghan Innovation R&D funding organisation’s Growth Grants found that funding agreements were “ambiguous and to a certain extent contradict[ed] the purpose of the grant" and that the “terms of the funding agreement specially prohibit a recipient claiming any development expenditure...

Fonterra should follow the United Kingdom (UK) Government’s lead and phase out coal use instead of building new coal-fired milk drying plants, the Green Party said. The UK has announced that it will close all coal-fired electricity generation plants by 2025. Unless it takes action, Fonterra will by then be New Zealand’s largest user of coal after Genesis Energy stops burning coal in the Huntly power plant in 2018. “The UK has identified the need to stop burning coal and...

The Green Party is pleased that its original Bill to include the Red Peak design as an option in the upcoming flag referendum has passed after being adopted by the Government.

The Green Party welcomes the Government’s decision to adopt Green MP Gareth Hughes’ Bill to include the Red Peak design as an option in the upcoming flag referendum.   “My Bill was about giving New Zealanders a choice following the groundswell of support for the Red Peak design to be included as an option in the upcoming flag referendum, and I am pleased it is looking likely to be passed,” Green Party MP Gareth Hughes said.   “I’m proud that...

The Green Party will today ask Parliament to allow it to introduce a Bill offering New Zealanders the choice of the popular Red Peak flag as a fifth option in the upcoming flag referendum. Green Party MP Gareth Hughes will seek the leave of Parliament to introduce the New Zealand Flag Referendum Amendment Bill 2015 and put it at the top of the order paper. This requires the support of every MP in Parliament if it is to be successful....

The Green Party is calling for the Government to ensure that any overseas companies that buy state-owned Solid Energy’s assets are properly vetted for their commitment to workplace safety, local communities, and environmental issues. “The world is full of coal companies with terrible safety and environmental records and it’s very important that the Government doesn’t sell out Kiwi workers and communities to these global coal cowboys,” Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “The Government got Solid Energy into this...

New analysis of the financial statements of Genesis, Mighty River Power, and Meridian released by the Green Party today shows that National’s partial privatisation of power companies has cost New Zealand taxpayers $871 million, the Green Party said. “The latest data shows that National’s sale of 49 percent of shares in the power companies was a massive transfer of wealth from the people of New Zealand to a few select investors, many who live overseas,” Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth...