The Government’s announcement today that it will improve Christchurch’s bus system comes after Green and NGO pressure.

As large parts of Aotearoa recover from two of the worst climate disasters we have ever experienced, it would be a huge mistake for the Government to deprioritise climate action from future transport investments, the Green Party says.

Instead of creating an appeal fund and one-off lotto draw, the Labour Government could tax the billions of dollars banks have made in unearned, excess profits and use the money to support people.

The Green Party supports the decision to stop work on the biofuels mandate.

 The tools exist to help families with surging costs – and as costs continue to rise it is more urgent than ever that we use them, the Green Party says.

The Green Party are welcoming a pause on all remaining oil and gas exploration, and call on the Government to stop it all together. 

The Government will constrain itself unnecessarily at Budget 2023 unless it changes the tax system to raise revenue from the wealthiest few which can be used to support people.

The Green Party will continue to prioritise affordable public transport for everyone.

The Government should adopt an excess profits tax and use any revenue raised to help people make ends meet, following the rise in the Official Cash Rate today. 

Long overdue changes to the Crown Minerals Act are a welcome step in the right direction but the Government needs to go further to end the nonsensical search for fossil fuels.