The Pope’s call for urgent action on climate change highlights an absence of leadership on climate from the National Government, the Green Party said today. The Pope is set to release his encyclical on climate change today at noon Vatican time (10:00pm New Zealand time). A draft of the document was leaked on Monday. “The Pope’s call for urgent action on climate change is further evidence that the National Government is not only out of step with ordinary New Zealanders...

All new legislation would get put to the ‘climate change test’ under a new Members Bill launched by the Green Party today at the Federation of Asia-Pacific Green Parties Congress in Wellington. The Climate Impact Disclosure Statement Bill will require all new legislation introduced to Parliament to be accompanied by a Climate Impact Disclosure Statement that outlines what impact, if any, the new legislation would be likely to have on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.

National has made New Zealand’s live export ban meaningless by skirting it, which is why the laws need to be made watertight, said the Green Party today.

The latest Wikileaks documents prove the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is a threat to Pharmac, and New Zealanders access to affordable medicine, the Green Party said today. The leaked documents include a series of principles and procedures by which agencies like Pharmac must operate. These procedures are designed to let the pharmaceutical industry challenge Pharmac’s decision-making process, rendering Pharmac less effective at saving money.

Revelations that 50,000 live sheep are being shipped to Mexico highlights massive inconsistencies in the Government’s live animal export policy says the Green Party.Revelations that 50,000 live sheep are being shipped to Mexico highlights massive inconsistencies in the Government’s live animal export policy says the Green Party.

Profits from work reshaping the IRD’s IT systems will flow offshore given the IRD has chosen an United States based firm for a potentially billion dollar plus contract to design and supply software, the Green Party said today. American firm Fast Enterprises has won the contract to design and supply the software platform that will run New Zealand’s new tax and social policy administration system. Cabinet has approved $193 million for the project but that is expected to grow to up...

The Government’s own economic modelling has proved John Key wrong about the cost of reducing New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, the Green Party said today following an exchange between the Prime Minister and new Green Party Co-leader James Shaw in Parliament. “It would only cost one tenth of one percent of GDP growth annually to reduce New Zealand’s emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, compared to doing nothing, according to the Government’s own economic modelling,” Green Party Co-leader...

The Prime Minister needs to stand down Murray McCully and investigate the Saudi sheep deal following new contradictory claims by Murray McCully, the Green Party said today.

New Green Party Co-leader James Shaw has challenged John Key to find common ground over climate change, in his inaugural speech at the Green Party’s AGM today.

The Green Party has asked the Office of the Auditor General to investigate the pay-offs given to a disgruntled Saudi businessman by the Government.