Aotearoa New Zealand can be a model of tolerance, democracy, and inclusiveness, and a good international citizen pushing for human rights around the world. Legislation should always uphold human rights The rangatiratanga of tangata whenua, set out in te Tiriti o Waitangi, is a collective human right protected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Bill of Rights Act should bind the government. Exemptions for discrimination on the grounds of disability should be removed from the Human Rights Act,...

The Green Party is pleased with further improvements to the Government’s proposed terrorism law, Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman said today. 

A Bill to clarify the legal definition of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has been introduced to Parliament by women MPs from the Green Party, New Zealand First, Labour, and National working together as members of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians New Zealand Group (CWP). The Bill has been jointly sponsored by Jo Hayes MP (National), Priyanca Radhakrishnan MP (Labour), Jenny Marcroft MP (New Zealand First) and Golriz Ghahraman MP (Green Party). “ Today we begin the process of ensuring the Crimes (Definition of Female Genital Mutilation) Amendment Bill is updated so that...

The Green Party have welcomed the Immigration Minister’s announcement that the Government will drop the discriminatory ‘family link’ policy that excluded refugees in Africa and the Middle East from New Zealand’s refugee quota unless they already had family here. 

The Green Party has welcomed the release of the Waitangi Tribunal report, which has called for the legislative ban on prisoner voting to be overturned.   Green Party Justice spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said:   “The Supreme Court, and now the Waitangi Tribunal, has confirmed that denying these New Zealanders the ability to cast their vote on Election Day is an unacceptable breach of their fundamental rights.   “As a result they are excluded from processes that engage them in society,...

All New Zealanders should reflect on the situation of LGBTIQ+ people in New Zealand and around the world, say the Chairs of the New Zealand Parliamentary Rainbow Network. “We should all be proud of who we are and while the LGBTIQ+ movement has made significant strides, there is still work to be done,” say Jan Logie, Louisa Wall and Chris Bishop. “The Human Rights Act 1993 protects people in New Zealand from unlawful discrimination because of sexual orientation, yet every...

The opening of the new refugee resettlement housing unit in Whanganui marks a step forward in New Zealand’s commitment to offer a safe home for families fleeing war and persecution, Green MP and refugee Golriz Ghahraman said today.

The Green Party strongly condemns the attack on free press with the presumed death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.  

The Nauruan Government’s decision to ask Doctors Without Borders to immediately leave shows continued callousness towards asylum seekers desperately seeking a safe place to call home, Green MP Golriz Ghahraman said today.