26 February 2015 The Green Party said today that it is challenging the Government to follow Wellington City Council’s lead and make children’s needs a priority in decision-making. Today (26 February) attendees at the Child Friendly Cities Forum co-hosted by UNICEF and Wellington City Council (WCC) will hear about how the capital city can benefit from including children’s rights and interests in decision-making processes, something the Green Party commends. “We know that better thinking around our kids is needed –...

The Salvation Army’s report A Mountain All Can Climb shows the need for the Government to do more to address the issue of violence against children, said the Green Party today. The report, released today, shows that recorded offences against children increased by 3.5% over the year to 30 June 2014 and has increased 56% from 2009 figures. The increase in offences against children in the 2013-2014 year was almost entirely due to reported assaults on children, which increased by...

The Government must commit to a comprehensive review of the welfare system following a report that shows the children of some beneficiaries are being unfairly penalised and are missing out as a result, the Green Party said today. The Child Poverty Action Group has today published its report The Complexities of “Relationship” in the Welfare System and the Consequences for Children which found that the practice of basing benefit levels around whether a person is in a relationship or not...

The Government must urgently fix the broken response to family violence, in the wake of the latest death from domestic violence and the recommendations of the Glenn Inquiry. “How many women and children must die before the glaring problems in the justice system are fixed?” Green Party women’s issues spokesperson Jan Logie said. “It is great that the new Justice Minister Amy Adams is restarting the vital work on alternative trials processes for victims of sexual violence. Now she must...

Incomes are not keeping up with rising costs for kiwi households, the Green Party said today. Statistics New Zealand released its Household Economic Survey today which found that, while household incomes have increased by 9.1 percent since June 30, 2012, household costs have increased more rapidly, rising 11.1 percent over the same period. The change in household fortunes was not shared evenly. The number of households receiving more than $123,300 annually rose by 14.7 percent (the highest quintile in 2012/13)...

The Green Party is today welcoming the Justice Minister’s announcement to resume the Law Commission’s sexual violence Trial Proceedings work following repeated calls for the work to start again.

More than a quarter of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are being silenced with gag clauses under the National government, said the Green Party.

The Court of Appeal victory for Lower Hutt caregiver, Kristine Bartlett demonstrates that both the Government and employers have been ignoring and not fully implementing equal pay law, the Green Party said today. The Court of Appeal today upheld earlier rulings which supported the Service and Food Workers Union view that Ms Bartlett is entitled to use the equal pay act to argue for a rate of pay equal to what those working in the same occupation would receive if...

John Key is misleading the public to push through terrorism law changes under urgency, the Green Party said today.

National's decision to shift the state provision of housing to third parties is a smokescreen for the Government decreasing the provision of affordable housing, the Green Party said today. "What National should be doing is increasing the supply of both social and state housing," Green Party housing spokesperson Jan Logie said. "Newly appointed Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett admits that the demand for state housing exceeds the supply. There are currently over 3,000 applicants with a severe and persistent need...