Category: Green Party

Source: Green Party

The Greens have launched an open letter calling on the Prime Minister to respond to the rental crisis. 

“Housing is a human right and should not be treated as a commodity to be gambled on,” says Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. 

“Over the past month, we have been running a campaign to put real people’s stories to the statistics that tell us the one and a half million renters in this country spend disproportionately more of their income to live in older, colder, mouldier properties than those who own.

“Today we’re launching an open letter to the Prime Minister, himself the owner of seven properties, calling on his Government to take some of that personal responsibility he likes to talk about, to improve the lives and conditions of renters.

“We’re asking New Zealanders to make this impossible to ignore. Sign our open letter to the Prime Minister, then ask ten friends to do the same, then ask them to ask ten friends,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.

Open Letter: The Renters Letter 2024 – action.greens.org.nz

Source: Green Party

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has urged the party membership to reach out and bring more people into their movement.

“We believe the sweeping majority of New Zealanders care about each other and the planet we all share,” Chlöe Swarbrick told the Party’s Annual General Meeting in Ōtautahi Christchurch today. 

“In the coming weeks, months and years, we will grow our movement to historic heights and build the political power to transform our economy into something that works for people and planet, instead of exploiting them.

“I have never so palpably felt the desire of people from right across our country to get involved in political change. It is the job of the Green Party to get out there, to mobilise and organise.

“We don’t exist merely to get into power. We exist to redistribute that power.

“It’s not enough to just have the policies that will lift people out of poverty. Our movement must gain the trust of those living it right now.

“Luxon’s Government is moving at pace to ram through countless cruel and callous policies, banking on people being too tired to engage. If it feels exhausting, and like you don’t know where to start in resisting it – that’s by design.

“The right wing is relying on mass disengagement. The solution is mass, people-powered engagement. Politics belongs to those who turn up.

“It’s time to turn up. Join the movement, join your union, run for council, start the community garden you’ve been waiting for, email your local representative about the change you want to see and put your values into action.

“I’m asking New Zealanders to believe in themselves and to believe in each other, and the collective change that only we, together, can create,” said Chlöe Swarbrick.

Source: Green Party

The Government’s move to dilute child poverty targets is a reminder that it is actively choosing to preserve hardship for thousands of households. 

“The Government has watered down our child poverty targets by stealth, a decision that will plunge thousands of children into material hardship,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Social Development, Ricardo Menéndez March.

“This decision will have severe consequences for our communities and is something the Government has tried to do as quietly as possible. There has been no announcement and they have shown no accountability for this.  

“This is just the latest example of the Government’s complete and utter disregard for our communities. This decision shows the Government is comfortable with nearly 17,000 more children being in material hardship.  

“Poverty is not inevitable, but rather a result of choices made by successive Governments. This Coalition has not only kept benefit levels below the poverty line, but also enabled landlords to continue lifting rents above inflation levels while punishing those on the breadline with more benefit sanctions. 

“Every child in Aotearoa deserves to grow up in a country that supports them to thrive, one that protects them from poverty. Already, one in eight children are growing up in material hardship. For Māori, it is one in five. How is it possible that in a wealthy country like ours there are thousands of children without enough to eat, a good bed, warm clothes, and decent shoes?

“The cruel and careless nature of this Government looks set to make these sobering statistics even worse. 

“The Green Party campaigned to end poverty for all families in Aotearoa by providing everyone with an Income Guarantee that would ensure every household and every child has everything they need to thrive. 

“Poverty is a political choice. We will keep fighting to make sure child poverty is a thing of the past,” says Ricardo Menéndez March. 

 

Source: Green Party

The Government must do all it can to bring abuse in care to an end following the release of the independent inquiry. 

“We cannot let history repeat itself, we must learn from our mistakes and bring abuse in care to an end,” says the Green Party Spokesperson for Children, Kahurangi Carter.

“The difficult journeys and harrowing testimonies from survivors who contributed to the Royal Commission of Inquiry cannot be ignored. It is incumbent on the Government to listen and learn from their stories. 

“This five-year inquiry involved painstaking collation of stories from people who have experienced grave mistreatment in care. We as a country have a duty to ensure this inquiry wasn’t in vain.

“However the reality is that the policies of this Government are likely to see a continuation of the legacy of neglect and abuse at the hands of the state.

“Labelling troubled children as young serious offenders, sending them to military boot camps, removing Treaty provisions in the Oranga Tamariki Act and building mega prisons all contribute to a cradle to the grave pipeline of institutionalisation which ruins people’s lives.

“The report’s recommendations for how to address the disgraceful legacy of abuse are clear – it is also clear the Government is taking us in a different direction. 

“Let’s not fail rangatahi all over again.

“We acknowledge and thank all those survivors, whānau, hapū, iwi, communities and support networks who advocated and told their stories throughout the Inquiry. Māori, Pasifika, disabled, impoverished and Rainbow tamariki have borne the brunt of this abuse.

“We can build a future where abuse and neglect is eliminated by undertaking transformational change to a system that has failed our communities time and time again. 

“Hundreds of thousands of young people were abused and neglected. An apology must be followed with redress and meaningful action,” says Kahurangi Carter.

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine.

“Silence is complicity, and New Zealand cannot ignore the ICJ’s detailed and damning assessment of Israel’s long-term illegal occupation of Palestine,” says the Green Party’s Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Teanau Tuiono.

“The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion couldn’t be more clear: Israel has breached international law over decades of incursions and illegal settlements on Palestinian land. 

“As a consequence of the illegal occupation and Israel’s apartheid approach towards Palestinians living within Israel and the occupied territories, the Palestinian people have been deprived of their right to self-determination for decades.

“Israel’s flagrant disregard both for international law and the rights of Palestinian people is ultimately what has caused the territory to become mired in violent conflict which is at its absolute worst as we speak.

“The conflict has built up over decades partly because countries like ours didn’t speak up for peace and against Israel’s actions that have pushed genuine self-determination for the people of Palestine further and further away.

“It is high time for New Zealand to find its moral compass, stand up for peace and join other countries urging Israel to pull back from its illegal occupation and recognise human rights.

“Until that is done New Zealand must work with the international community to impose sanctions on Israel in the same way as it has on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. We call on Aotearoa to take clear action to build a lasting peace – by recognising Palestine as a state and demonstrating our willingness to be involved in international peace building efforts. 

“If Israel doesn’t start complying with international law, we should expel its ambassador. We cannot stay silent, we must act,” says Teanau Tuiono.

Source: Green Party

The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. 

“The huge rise in benefit sanctions is just further evidence of the callous politics and cruel agenda at the heart of this Government,” says the Green Party spokesperson for Social Development and Employment, Ricardo Menéndez March.

“Benefit sanctions hurt people already struggling to make ends meet and limit their chances of escaping poverty. 

“This is the result of the Minister for Social Development’s directive to sanction more beneficiaries. Louise Upston is more interested in punishing the poor than actually supporting people into meaningful work.

“There is no evidence that benefit sanctions help people get jobs or result in positive outcomes for families struggling to make ends meet. Worse still, the work seminars and meetings that beneficiaries are forced to comply with have not been shown to directly translate into people finding meaningful employment.

“These arbitrary obligations break the spirit of people on benefits. And then if these obligations aren’t met, the consequent sanctions push these people further into the quagmire of hardship.

“At a time the Government is driving up unemployment by cutting jobs, Louise Upston is hellbent on making life even harder for those finding themselves without or unable to work. 

“The Green Party campaigned on a fully costed plan to end poverty. Central to this is the establishment of a wealth tax. Furthermore, we would guarantee liveable incomes, end benefit sanctions and provide tailored support to connect people with jobs that match their skills and aspirations.

“Poverty is a political choice. The solutions exist – all that is missing is political will,” says Ricardo Menéndez March.

Source: Green Party

The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country – with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent.

“The everyday struggle for renters is worse than ever, and we are paying through the roof to live in houses that make us sick,” says the Green Party’s Housing Spokesperson Tamatha Paul.

“Successive governments have allowed the rental market to tilt further and further in favour of landlords – until this imbalance is addressed, many renters will remain locked in poverty.

“Rapid rent increases are the biggest driver of inflation, and the Government appears indifferent to how this affects the most vulnerable households during a cost of living crisis.

“Many rental homes are cold and damp, mould is all too common, and landlords often do the bare minimum when installing heating. To make things worse, the Government announced yesterday that it plans to roll back standards designed to increase insulation in new builds.

“People are forced to make an impossible choice between what they can afford, and living in a warm, safe and dry home. Many resort to cutting essentials like food and heating to afford their rent.

“What’s more, renters are afraid to ask landlords or property managers to fix problems like mould, leaks or the lack of fire alarms for fear they’ll be kicked out or have their rent hiked.

“The Government has given $2.9 billion in tax cuts to landlords, and has bent over backwards to their interests, entrenching the power imbalance that leads to families living in unhealthy homes.

“This is why the Greens are calling for rent controls which will limit the amount that landlords can increase rent and how often they can do this. We also need a Rental Warrant of Fitness to ensure quality, and for the Government to commit to building more public housing to make sure that we have enough affordable homes for everyone. 

“Housing is a human right. Everyone deserves a warm, affordable and healthy home,” says Tamatha Paul.

Source: Green Party

Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana.

“In line with our commitment to openness and transparency, we are pleased to share the Executive Summary of the independent, expert investigation into the actions of Darleen Tana with the public,” says Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. 

“This Executive Summary makes it very clear that Darleen has failed to meet the standards we expect – not only of MPs within our Caucus, but across Parliament entirely. 

“Darleen was given multiple opportunities to be upfront about the serious allegations she was facing but chose to obfuscate instead of answering straightforward questions, prompting the need for an independent investigation.

“Now the public can see why Caucus was unanimous in requesting Darleen’s resignation from Parliament.

“We are deeply disappointed that Darleen Tana has not been forthcoming about nor taken accountability for very serious breaches of our kaupapa, nor even acknowledged the impact of her behaviour on others.

“Her staying on as an MP risks undermining the credibility of Parliament as well as faith of the public in it as an institution. 

“It is in the best interests of everyone that she resigns,” says Chlöe Swarbrick. 

Click here for the Executive Summary of the independent investigation. 

Source: Green Party

Today’s Draft Emissions Reduction Plan shows the Government couldn’t care less about a liveable climate for all.

“The Government is pouring oil, coal and gas on the climate crisis fire. Today’s draft Emissions Reduction Plan lays bare that they have no plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2050,” says Green Party co-leader and spokesperson for Climate Change Chlöe Swarbrick. 

“In a nutshell, their ‘plan’ means largely giving up on stopping pollution at the source and a whole lot of wishful thinking.

“Their core strategy remains relying on the emissions trading market, which they continue to heap uncertainty onto and refuse to ensure works properly per the advice of experts and the independent Climate Change Commission.

“These actions don’t just have environmental consequences. They will disproportionately harm the lowest-earning New Zealanders. Once again, the Government is basically just saying, let them eat cake.

“The total emissions reduction from so-called ‘key policies’ is about a third of the impact that the reversal of the oil and gas ban would create. In their literal climate plan, they nick fossil fuel executives’ talking points and try to justify handing gas a lifeline.

“A year ago, we were on track to meet climate targets. Those aren’t abstract numbers. It’s the hard science necessary for life on earth as we know it. 

“In just a year, Luxon’s Government has dragged our climate policies and ambition back to the dark ages. This costs more for all of us in the not-too-distant future, and the Government admits the lowest income households will be impacted almost four times as much as those on highest incomes by climate change. 

“There are plenty of credible solutions, from mass investment in public transport, to energy efficiency and meaningful investment in decarbonising – which can be paid for by polluters. Perversely, these are all programmes which this Government cut as soon as they could.

“New Zealanders don’t need to accept the Government’s latest attempt to pull the wool over their eyes. Submit on this flimsy ‘plan’, contact your local MP, organise in your community and help ensure, for all our sakes, that this is a one-term Government,” says Chlöe Swarbrick. 

Source: Green Party

While today’s announcement shows some support for bolstering urban density, it will not be enough to turn the tide on a status quo of urban sprawl. 

“Today’s changes to support density are a good start but effectively amount to a drop in the ocean compared to the waves of urban sprawl the Government will unlock with its broader policies,” says the Green Party spokesperson for Urban Development, Julie Anne Genter. 

“While today’s announcement includes some good initiatives that support density, the direction of this Government, especially in regards to its transport policies, will see our cities sprawl and their efficiency decline.

“If we want smart and efficient cities, we need to prioritise building homes where the infrastructure already is. Compact cities allow people to easily and affordably get to the places their lives revolve around. 

“Mixed-use zoning and enabling more housing and shops around strategic transport corridors are a good step towards building the density we need to bring our cities to life. However, disjointed greenfields development and a transport policy that prioritises cars will see a status quo of sprawl continue. 

“We literally can’t afford more car-dependent sprawl – especially with the urgent need to reduce emissions. Sprawling suburbs will see the efficiency of our cities decline and their pollution rise.

“The solutions to the housing and climate crises are the same: denser, greener cities that are less reliant on cars and enable more nature both in and out of the city.

“By prioritising density, we can build cities that are fit for the 21st century. We can create vibrant and efficient urban spaces that are able to accommodate our communities without being a burden upon our environment,” says Julie Anne Genter.