More cracks are appearing in the National Government’s façade of economic management, with the Crown accounts back in deficit and international ratings agency Fitch downgrading its predictions for New Zealand’s economy, the Green Party said. “Eight years into National's reign, the Government has slipped back into deficit while net Crown debt continues to grow, because National hasn’t found a stable way to fund its spending choices,” Green Party finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said. “The root of National’s economic problems...

Rumours that Auckland Transport is set to raise the fares on buses and trains are disappointing given the huge fall in oil prices, said the Green Party today. Auckland transport writer, Ben Ross, has reported today that Auckland Transport is set to raise public transport fares on February 28. “Auckland’s bus and train fares should be falling, not rising, if Auckland wants to fix its transport problems,” said Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter. “With record low inflation last...

Low overall inflation provides ideal economic conditions for the Government to tackle snowballing housing costs, stagnating wages, and increasing climate pollution, the Green Party said today. The Consumers Price Index released today showed 2015 experienced the lowest level of annual inflation since 1999, at just 0.1 percent. “Relatively high GDP growth, low inflation, and low interest rates have created good conditions for the Government to invest in tackling the big economic issues like climate change and inequality,” Green Party finance...

New Zealand needs to push for a much stronger final agreement in the last week of climate talks in Paris, the Green Party said today. Overnight (NZ time), negotiators submitted a “Draft Paris Agreement”, which ministers will work with from Monday to try and reach a final deal by Friday’s deadline. “It’s exciting that we’ve reached this point, but the text is still riddled with unresolved issues, and a huge divide remains between developed and developing countries in terms of who should do what,” said...

The Government must make safe cycling around schools a priority, following new data that shows the number of children who cycle to school has dropped to just 2 percent, the Green Party said. The 25 Years of New Zealand Travel: New Zealand Household Travel 1989-2014 report shows that the percentage of children cycling to school has dropped from 12 percent in 1989 to 2 percent in 2014, and the number who walk to school has dropped from 42 percent to...

The National Government’s failure to take meaningful action to curb property speculation is creating a serious risk to the financial and economic stability of the country, said the Green Party today. The Financial Stability Report released by the Reserve Bank today echoed warnings in the IMF mission statement yesterday that rampant house price inflation, fuelled by property speculation in Auckland, is a serious risk to the New Zealand economy. The Reserve Bank stated in its report, ‘Rising investor activity has...

The Green Party is calling on Transport Minister Simon Bridges to adopt Wellington City Council’s trial of “gold coin” bus fares and fund it nationwide, if public transport use increases as a result of the trial. The Wellington City announced today it will trial cheaper weekend bus fares in the lead-up to Christmas, an initiative championed by a Green Councillor Iona Pannett. The move aims to reduce traffic congestion and help shoppers avoid parking fees during the busy Christmas shopping...

The Green Party has today launched a suite of new policies that will dramatically increase the number of electric vehicles on New Zealand roads, save Kiwis money, and cut pollution. The Green Party’s new policies will remove fringe benefit tax from       electric vehicles provided by businesses for their staff, and       public transport passes provided by businesses to help staff get to and from work.   “Tax breaks for businesses who choose electric cars provide a major cash incentive to...

A new report suggests New Zealand’s potential prosperity is being held back by the National Government’s poor transport planning, the Green Party said. The report shows the amount of driving New Zealanders do relative to GDP is amongst the worst in the OECD group of countries. "If you feel like you spend too much time stuck in traffic and economically you’re not really going anywhere, you’re right,” Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said. “The OECD report shows that,...

The National Government’s failure to fix the Auckland housing crisis has cost a family with a $500,000 mortgage at least $4000 in extra interest, as the Reserve Bank was forced not to cut interest rates today because the Auckland housing market is a ‘financial stability risk’, the Green Party said. “The Reserve Bank is clearly worried that property investors borrowed a new record amount of $2.239 billion in September, and so they haven’t lowered interest rates,” Green Party finance spokesperson...