National’s latest cynical election promise of sanctions for beneficiaries is a distraction from the pressing issue of poverty in New Zealand, the Green Party said today. Bill English announced that beneficiaries who fail drug tests or refuse rehabilitation will have their benefits cut by 50 per cent or more. “National’s latest cynical announcement ignores the evidence of how to properly treat drug addiction and will punish already vulnerable people,“ said Green Party inequality spokesperson Marama Davidson. “We know that sanctions...

National’s refusal to ensure our houses are warm, safe and dry is putting our kids’ health at risk, the Green Party said today. An investigation by the New Zealand Herald revealed today that 20 Kiwi kids die from preventable respiratory illnesses caused by cold, damp housing every year. “Kids are dying because they’re living in cold, damp housing. We need to fix this now,” said Green Party social housing spokesperson Marama Davidson. “National’s repeated refusal to put in a mandatory...

Mental health workers need to be paid fairly so that droves of people don’t leave the sector while it is in crisis, the Green Party said today. “The Government needs to act quickly to ensure that mental health workers are being paid fairly, otherwise essential staff will choose to leave to work in better paid sectors,” Green Party social development spokesperson Jan Logie said. “Mental health work is a female dominated industry  but that is no excuse to continue underpaying...

The Government’s plan to send 14-17 year-olds to an army boot camp is heartless and illogical, the Green Party said today. National announced yesterday that it would send young offenders to an army-organised training camp in Waiouru, with the threat of adult prison if they do not complete the course. “National need to own up to the fact that society has failed these children, and punishing them further by sending them far from their family and their community will not...

The Green Party has announced today that it will make public sector chief executives responsible for achieving pay equity for employees of core Government departments within its first term in Government. The Green Party will make gender pay balance a performance expectation for each chief executive across the core state sector. Green Party MP Jan Logie announced the move at a Pay Equity Coalition rally in Auckland today.  “Women have been underpaid and undervalued for too long. The Green Party...

A study highlighted by Grandparents Raising Grandchildren is even more proof that National’s ‘penal welfare’ approach is failing kids, failing caregivers and failing New Zealand, the Green Party said today.

The National Government continues to punish beneficiaries and their children by enforcing benefit sanctions, the Green Party said today. The Government’s latest figures show an 8.2 percent increase in benefit sanctions than this time last year. “Benefit sanctions punish families who are already struggling to get by, and punish them by pushing them further into poverty,” Green Party social development Jan Logie said. “These are not the actions of a decent and compassionate government – benefit sanctions are punitive and...

 

The Government should step up to ensure mental health support workers are paid more, the Green Party said today.  “Mental health support workers do important and difficult work in our communities. But because the workforce is largely female, they are not paid enough,' said Green Party women’s spokesperson Jan Logie.  The PSA and E Tū unions have lodged an equal pay claim on behalf of mental health support workers, following the historic care and support equal pay settlement, which didn’t...

The Green Party has a plan to help all Kiwi kids have a great start to life, by giving parents more financial support and more flexibility at work. Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei today launched the ‘Budget for All Mothers’ policy package which is aimed at reducing time and money pressures for parents, and improving long-term outcomes for children. “We want every single Kiwi kid to have a great start to life. That’s a Green Party priority, and we make...