The Green Party will today support the Hurunui/Kaikoura Earthquake Recovery Bill through Parliament, after the legislation was significantly improved during the Select Committee process, following pressure from the Green Party and others. “We’d caution the Government to use the extraordinary powers in this Bill carefully and in partnership with communities to get quake- affected regions up and running again,” said Green Party civil defence spokesperson Jan Logie. “We hope the many new checks and balances in this Bill create a...

The Green Party is thrilled to have two important bills drawn from the ballot today, both of which will help to create a fairer Aotearoa. Jan Logie’s Domestic Violence-Victims' Protection Bill introduces workplace protections for victims of domestic violence, including allowing victims to request paid domestic violence leave for up to 10 days. “I’m very pleased that my Bill has been drawn because helping victims of abuse stay in work is critical to reducing the effects of violence. When women...

The Green Party is supporting the Māori Women’s Welfare League’s call for the Minister for Social Development, Anne Tolley, to delay the introduction of the second CYF reform Bill, which will see more Māori children removed from their family and wider whānau.

The Minister for Social Development needs to issue a full universal apology to those abused while in state care, and immediately set up an independent body to resolve historic and current complaints of abuse and neglect, the Green Party said today. More than 1100 people abused in state care as children submitted to the Confidential Listening Service, headed by Judge Carolyn Henwood, which recommended that an independent body be set up to hold the state to account. Minister for Social...

A new Human Rights Commission campaign to recognise the impacts of domestic violence in the workplace can be immediately addressed by the Government by adopting Green Party MP Jan Logie’s member bill. The members’ bill, the Domestic Violence Victims’ Protection Bill, provides for domestic violence leave to support staff. The Warehouse and some Government agencies, like the GCSB, are proactively offering this as good employers. “Maintaining employment helps women by supporting their independence and keeping them linked into their community. ...

Women around the country now have a much simplified pathway to being paid fairly following the Government’s acceptance of the Joint Working Group’s recommendations on equal pay, the Green Party said today. The Joint Working Group on the principles of equal pay – led by the NZ Council of Trade Unions, Business NZ, and Government representatives – submitted its recommendations to Cabinet earlier this year. “Women have been underpaid and undervalued for too long, and it’s about time the Government...

Families of children with disabilities are struggling unnecessarily when Government support is only theoretically, but not practically, available, the Green Party said today. Child Poverty Action Group’s report out today Barriers to support – Uptake of the Child Disability Allowance in Otara found that many parents of children with disabilities are not currently receiving the Government Child Disability Allowance (CDA) available. “Families are struggling unnecessarily to ensure that kids get the care that they need, and Government systems should make...

The community sector is stressed out and needs a government that supports them properly, especially in the face of large scale Child Youth and Family (CYF) reform, the Green Party said today. The ComVoices State of the Sector Survey, released yesterday, shows that almost half of community organisations are worried about their financial viability, with around a quarter of surveyed organisations only be able to sustain their organisation through reserves for a year or less. “When the majority of notifications...

A huge leap in Special Needs Grants show that more and more New Zealanders cannot afford the basics of life, the Green Party said today. Figures released from the Ministry of Social Development late yesterday show that in the last year there has been a 46.4 percent increase in Special Needs Grants payments, which people apply for to pay for things including emergency housing and food. The total amount of hardship assistance provided by the Government has increased 27.4 percent...

Changing the age of care for young people in state care up to 21 is a good step, but will need better financial resourcing to work, the Green Party said today. Young people will soon have increased levels of support available past the age of 17 under new Child, Youth, and Family (CYF) reforms that the Government has announced today. The age of care is being increased for young people in state care to 21 years old, with transition support...