• Metiria Turei

    Warming Up Christchurch - by Metiria Turei



    Earlier this week I was in Christchurch launching our newest policy to Warm Up Christchurch, and the rest of New Zealand, by reinstating the hugely successful insulation and clean heating programme Warm Up New Zealand, and by setting up special grants for Christchurch homes undergoing repair. It was an apt day to be launching a […] read more
    May 30, 2014 12:55 pm - No Comments
  • Catherine Delahunty

    Charter schools and who pays - by Catherine Delahunty



    This year’s Budget included $26 million for the next four years for the five existing Charter schools. But there is no information in the Budget about the costs of the possible new Charters whose names went public last week. Of the 18 groups who have put in applications, at least eight have strong religious backgrounds […] read more
    May 30, 2014 9:10 am - No Comments
  • Denise Roche

    NZ behind the times on single use plastic bags - by Denise Roche



    I’ve written to the Minister a couple of times suggesting she utilise those powers – most recently asking her to declare single use plastic bags a priority product – but she insists that product stewardship will happen on a voluntary basis. Yeah, right. read more
    May 28, 2014 5:55 pm - 4 Comments
  • Gareth Hughes

    We can and need to win on September 20 - by Gareth Hughes



    This election matters. It’s game on. We can and need to win this for all New Zealanders. read more
    May 28, 2014 10:01 am - 15 Comments
  • Gareth Hughes

    A surplus of debt and a deficit of ideas - by Gareth Hughes



    Bill English may have focused attention on the surplus but this election the Green Party will be pointing out the other surpluses – the surplus of inequality, debt and pollution. The only thing National can’t point to is a surplus of housing or housing solutions. read more
    May 26, 2014 3:08 pm - 5 Comments
  • Jan Logie

    Budget 2014 and Overseas Development and Aid - by Jan Logie



    Peace Movement Aotearoa pointed out recently just how incredible the global military spend is: Last year global military expenditure was $1,747 trillion (US$) – on average, almost $4.8 billion (US$) every day. By way of contrast, an average of more than 24,000 children under the age of five die every day from mainly preventable causes […] read more
    May 22, 2014 5:00 pm - 4 Comments
  • David Clendon

    Serious fun - by David Clendon



    The serious part of the equation was in the purpose of the ride, which was to raise public awareness and discussion about suicide in New Zealand, and particularly youth suicide. read more
    May 22, 2014 10:29 am - No Comments
  • Jan Logie

    Government response to domestic violence not good enough - by Jan Logie



    Earlier this year the United Nations Human Rights Council raised serious concerns about the prevalence of violence against women in New Zealand. That is obviously a concern I share. Yesterday the Minister of Justice sent out a press release responding to the report. It is titled NZ to build on strong human rights record and […] read more
    May 22, 2014 9:55 am - 3 Comments
  • Jan Logie

    Immigration law changes fail exploited migrant workers - by Jan Logie



    The Green Party wants to stop the exploitation of migrant workers. This should be a priority for any Government as we seek to protect the rights of vulnerable workers and our international reputation, and ensure a level playing field for all businesses in New Zealand. Along with many New Zealanders, we have been deeply affected […] read more
    May 21, 2014 10:40 am - 3 Comments
  • Metiria Turei

    A house with no land to put it on is not an affordable first home - by Metiria Turei



    Prime Minister John Key today told Auckland families, locked out of the housing market, to stop complaining and go look at Trade Me, saying there are more than 2000 sub-$400,000 homes they can buy. Even if that was the truth, Key’s glib response that there are plenty of cheap homes (and therefore no housing crisis) […] read more
    May 20, 2014 4:39 pm - 18 Comments
  • Denise Roche

    Youth homelessness in Auckland - by Denise Roche



    In Auckland there are around 15000 people who are homeless. About 7000 of these people are under 25. We heard about this on Monday at a forum hosted by the Auckland Council for people and agencies who work with the homeless. According to some of those agencies young people make up to half of all […] read more
    May 20, 2014 4:15 pm - No Comments
  • Gareth Hughes

    There’s one thing I agree with the deep sea fishing lobby on - by Gareth Hughes



    I don’t see eye to eye with the deep sea fishing industry on many things, having personally seen the havoc bottom trawling wreaks on the ocean floor, but one thing I do agree with them on is the issue of seabed phosphate mining. read more
    May 20, 2014 1:45 pm - 3 Comments
  • Denise Roche

    Time for action on e-waste - by Denise Roche



    “Government must introduce advance disposal fees for e-waste sooner rather than later”. read more
    May 19, 2014 5:05 pm - 2 Comments
  • Steffan Browning

    Is Key misrepresenting us over Five-Eyes? - by Steffan Browning



    Over the weekend, American investigative journalist and author Jeremy Scahill was interviewed on TV3’s ‘The Nation’ programme. Jeremy Scahill is the National Security Correspondent for The Nation magazine and the author of the international bestseller ‘Blackwater’. His latest book, ‘Dirty Wars’, raises questions about America’s war on terror, including the use of drones. In the […] read more
    May 19, 2014 10:24 am - 2 Comments
  • Jan Logie

    The Budget and poverty - by Jan Logie



    The glaring gap in this week’s budget was the absence of any measures at all to reduce child poverty, address the causes of poverty or raise the incomes of the poorest kids. The really nasty thing about the budget was that the absolutely most vulnerable children – newborn babies born into the families most lowest […] read more
    May 16, 2014 5:17 pm - 5 Comments
  • Catherine Delahunty

    Education and the Budget - by Catherine Delahunty



    Let’s be really clear. The money being spent on education is shrinking under the National Government. Any new money they’re splashing around is not even enough to keep up with inflation. In fact, under this budget education funding in real terms will drop by $500 million in 2018 compared with this year, using the Government’s […] read more
    May 16, 2014 3:32 pm - No Comments
  • Holly Walker

    How the Budget looked for students… - by Holly Walker



    Yesterday’s Budget was a bit different for me – since I’ve been the students spokesperson for the Greens, each Budget has delivered cut after cut to student support. Last year we saw the Government crackdown on overseas borrowers and limit student allowances for older learners. In 2012, there were even bigger changes, including removing access […] read more
    May 16, 2014 3:04 pm - 3 Comments
  • Gareth Hughes

    Working longer for less and paying more - by Gareth Hughes



    Today is Budget Day and a chance to evaluate how the national economy is doing but also how we feel we are doing as individuals and households. read more
    May 15, 2014 8:01 pm - 12 Comments
  • Gareth Hughes

    The right to Internet access - by Gareth Hughes



    The Internet has changed our world. It is now a major part of how people access information, express themselves, engage in financial transactions, and participate in the democratic process. UN Special Rapporteur Frank La Rue “…believes that the Internet is one of the most powerful instruments of the 21st century for increasing transparency in the […] read more
    May 15, 2014 4:09 pm - 2 Comments
  • Jan Logie

    Is NZ helping fund escalating tension on Nauru? - by Jan Logie



    I was shocked to hear last night that Nauru police were sent into their parliament to forcibly remove an opposition MP. The MP had been accused of making critical comments to foreign media. Nauru’s Minister of Justice has defended the police’s actions. The Nauru government has now suspended three opposition MPs from Parliament over unspecified […] read more
    May 15, 2014 11:41 am - No Comments
  • Gareth Hughes

    A Green Investment Bank for a smart green future - by Gareth Hughes



    In a nutshell the Green Investment Bank will be a government-owned, for-profit bank. It will partner with the private sector to fund new projects ranging from renewable energy and biofuel production to new clean technologies. You can read the policy here. read more
    May 15, 2014 10:05 am - 12 Comments
  • Denise Roche

    Inequality in New Zealand is getting worse - by Denise Roche



    Alarmingly, despite the growing disparity, New Zealanders display a hardening attitude towards those in need. The graph published in yesterday’s NZ Herald accompanying the article about the visit by authors of The Spirit Level: Why more equal societies almost always do better Professors Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, showed that only 50.1% of our people think the government should take some responsibility to reduce the income gap. We come last in the OECD countries for supporting government intervention. read more
    May 14, 2014 4:50 pm - 4 Comments
  • Gareth Hughes

    Dunedin divests from fossil fuels - by Gareth Hughes



    “Fantastic news from the South. Dunedin City Council has become the first council in New Zealand to divest from its fossil fuel investments.” read more
    May 14, 2014 1:25 pm - 1 Comment
  • David Clendon

    Polytechnics under attack - by David Clendon



    Teachers and other people who choose to work in education are generally quite positive, upbeat people – I think a sense of humour is a prerequisite to surviving and thriving in that environment!  Despite that, I’m seeing a lot of long faces and stressed people when I visit tertiary institutions, and the Tertiary Education Union […] read more
    May 14, 2014 1:14 pm - 1 Comment
  • Holly Walker

    Rent rises hurting students - by Holly Walker



    The New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) has today released new research that shows the impact of rising rents on students. They identify the measly amount available to students through the accommodation benefit as contributing to the problem. Despite skyrocketing rents, the amount that students can receive per week to help out with accommodation […] read more
    May 13, 2014 5:17 pm - 5 Comments
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