Climate Change Minister James Shaw has today released the Government’s Climate Action Plan in response to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into the low emissions economy. “Our Government is committed to a just and rapid transition to a low emissions economy, because it’s vital that we play our part looking after our planet. We’re already taking action on many of the Productivity Commission’s recommendations. Climate change is an urgent issue requiring an urgent response, to ensure a stable climate for future...

The decision by Cabinet to continue to deploy troops to Iraq and Afghanistan is strongly opposed by the Green Party, who believe the money would be better spent on humanitarian aid in the regions.

The treatment of migrant children and families at the United States border is heart-breaking and intolerable. The Green Party calls on the New Zealand Government to condemn this egregious breach of human rights. “The mass detention of children and separation from their families as a part of immigration policy is unacceptable,” says Golriz Ghahraman, Green Party human rights spokesperson. “It is abhorrent to do it as a way to ‘deter’ their parents from seeking asylum or migrating to the United...

The Green Party is strongly condemning the slaughter perpetrated by the Israeli armed forces in Gaza overnight following the opening of the new United States Embassy in Jerusalem, which has resulted in the murder of at least 52 civilians and over 2400 injured.  This is the second deadly massacre of protestors perpetrated by the Israeli armed forces this year and is the deadliest onslaught in Gaza since 2014.  “As predicted the opening of Donald Trump’s confrontational Embassy in Jerusalem has...

Aotearoa New Zealand can be a responsible global citizen, working to promote peace, human rights, and environmental sustainability, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Aotearoa New Zealand’s foreign policy should promote peace and human rights New Zealand law should ensure that our armed forces never engage in overseas military action without a UN sanction and the approval of Parliament. Our human rights and peace advocacy work should focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Aotearoa New Zealand should support and implement the UN...

Protecting our environment so it can be enjoyed by future generations means living in sustainable ways and ensuring our ecological footprint is within limits the environment can sustain. We need to reduce our ecological footprint Government actions should reduce Aotearoa New Zealand’s per capita ecological footprint by supporting practices that curb unnecessary production and consumption. Government should research New Zealand’s ecological footprint and our ecological limits. There is no “fixed and final” correct population for Aotearoa New Zealand Government should...

The Green Party today remains deeply concerned about the TPPA’s successor agreement, TPP-11. "The most egregious clauses in the original TPPA were the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms, which were included largely at the insistence of the United States. Now that the US isn't a part of it anymore, the remaining countries should simply remove the ISDS mechanisms," said Green Party Leader James Shaw. “As long as the ISDS mechanisms remain in place, the TPP-11 undermines New Zealand’s ability to...

The Green Party says that the National Government's decision to send more soldiers to Afghanistan is a mistake. The Government has announced today that they will send three non-combat troops to Afghanistan, following President Trump’s announcement this week that he would immediately beef up the United States’ military presence there. “We do not believe that any more Kiwi troops should be sent into danger in Afghanistan, and a Green Government would bring them back” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw....

The Green Party would oppose any deployment of combat troops to Afghanistan, following President Trump’s announcement on Tuesday that he would immediately beef up the United States’ military presence there. The Government has indicated today that they will make a decision on sending some NZDF personnel before the election on September 23.