Category: Green Party

Source: Green Party

Golriz Ghahraman has been the leading voice in Parliament for human rights, truly independent foreign policy, and electoral reform for six years. Her political achievements are significant.

Green MPs are expected to maintain high standards of public behaviour.

It is clear to us that Ms Ghahraman is in a state of extreme distress. She has taken responsibility and apologised. We support the decision she has made to resign.

We are deeply sorry to see Ms Ghahraman leave under these circumstances and we wish her all the best for the future. 

Ms Ghahraman has worked tirelessly on behalf of her communities. Nothing detracts from that work and we know she will continue to support those communities in the future. 

We cannot comment on the details of allegations while Police investigations are ongoing.

The Green Party is a movement of thousands of people working for people and planet and that work continues.

Source: Green Party

It is a great honour to serve as a Member of Parliament. I am proud of my advocacy work on human rights and foreign affairs, and particularly proud of campaigns that resulted in practical improvements to the electoral laws governing donations and overseas voting.

It is clear to me that my mental health is being badly affected by the stresses relating to my work. This has led me to act in ways that are completely out of character. I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want to explain them. 

People should, rightly, expect the highest standards of behaviour from their elected representatives. I fell short. I’m sorry. It’s not a behaviour I can explain because it’s not rational in any way, and after medical evaluation, I understand I’m not well. The mental health professional I see says my recent behaviour is consistent with recent events giving rise to extreme stress response, and relating to previously unrecognised trauma. 

With that in mind, I don’t want to hide behind my mental health problems, and I take full responsibility for my actions which I deeply regret. 

I have let down a lot of people and I am very sorry.

The best thing for my mental health is to resign as a Member of Parliament and to focus on my recovery and to find other ways to work for positive change in the world. 

I will therefore be resigning from Parliament immediately. 

I want to thank the many communities and people who have supported me over the years. I will continue to work with and to advocate for those communities however I can, as best I can.

I also want to especially thank Scotties Boutique for the kindness and empathy they have shown me. 

I now ask for people to give me the space and privacy I need to get better. I won’t be commenting further at this time.

Source: Green Party

Just days after axing Fair Pay Agreements, this Government is once again trampling over people’s working rights by making it possible for bosses to fire new staff without reason. 

“Today National has made Aotearoa a more cruel and precarious place for thousands of working people,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for workplace relations and safety, Teanau Tuiono. 

“Building a healthier, more prosperous and better future for Aotearoa means addressing the problem of low-paid and precarious employment. 

“Over the last seven days, this Government has done the exact opposite on both.

“Insecure, low paid work can cause stress, anxiety, depression and exhaustion. I find it hard to explain why any government would trap people in these work situations.

“Imagine losing a loved one and knowing that asking for leave to spend time with family could lose you your job. Imagine worrying that getting sick or needing to be home to look after the kids could get you fired. 

“There is no evidence to back what this government has done. Evidence released under the last National Government showed 90 day trials had no impact on the number of people hired for jobs. 

“The only thing 90 day trials achieve is to make it cheaper and easier for employers to fire people – and that is what this is all about. The relish and speed with which this government has unwound people’s working rights is chilling. 

“National, Act and New Zealand First know full well that they are sacrificing the wellbeing of working people on the altar of profit for the wealthy few – and the Greens will call them out every step of the way,” says Teanau Tuiono. 

Source: Green Party

The Government’s repeal of the Natural and Built Environment Act is rushed, ideologically motivated, and will be hugely damaging to the health of our communities and the environment.

“This new government is more interested in winding back the progress and trashing the environment than it is about setting out a clear vision for the future of Aotearoa,” says the Green Party’s environment spokesperson, Lan Pham. 

“Aotearoa needs a planning and resource management system that puts climate resilience and flourishing nature first. This means delivering clean, renewable power; thriving natural habitats; liveable towns and cities connected by low carbon public transport; and warm, affordable homes in areas people want to live.  

“The previous government’s reform of the RMA was far from the perfect answer, but it was a step forward. The resource management system that had been in place previously was broken. The planning process was cumbersome and failed to properly protect environmental and human health, particularly in the face of the climate crisis. 

“What took its place was a system designed to better care for our precious natural environment and take steps towards upholding te Tiriti, while delivering the housing, transport, and climate-friendly infrastructure we so desperately need. The concerns raised by National during the legislative process, including on the deficiencies of the RMA itself, certainly do not justify taking a wrecking ball to the whole reform. 

“Tearing up six years of progress for the sake of a few minor objections looks more like an act of slapdash scrambling  than it does a vision for the country. Surely it would be a better use of time and resources for National to focus on changing the few things it says it doesn’t like. These issues could easily be addressed with a few targeted amendments.  

“As a former local government councillor, I am particularly horrified that the government is riding roughshod over years of public engagement, expert input and hundreds of millions of dollars of shared public money.

“Forcing these changes through Parliament without proper public scrutiny or consultation is a blatant violation of the promise National made in their coalition agreements with Act and New Zealand First to take an evidence-based approach to decision making. 

“The Government’s petty and short-sighted approach to planning and resource management is going to make it much harder to meet Aotearoa’s development needs within the limits of our fragile planet.

“But to the thousands of people watching in horror as this government turns its back on the years and years of work you have done, I want you to know that the Green Party will be a strong voice for our precious native wildlife and te Tiriti. 

“Our children deserve to inherit an Aotearoa where everyone has a warm, dry home powered by clean energy; where native plants and animals are thriving; and where our communities get around easily and safely on wheels, foot or train. 

“While that better future may be a little further out of reach tonight than it was yesterday, we can still make it happen. We just need this government to stop political point-scoring and start making some rational, sensible decisions that put our people and our planet first,” says Lan Pham.

Source: Green Party

Once again, the National Party has shown a breathtaking willingness to say one thing during an election campaign and then do the exact opposite when in government.

“It is no good for National Ministers to parrot their talking points about supporting people to make ends meet, only to make decisions that will do the exact opposite,” says co-leader and finance spokesperson for the Green Party, James Shaw. 

“People cannot pay the bills with soundbites. Imagine sitting at home reading in the newspaper or watching on the television as government ministers tell you they will help, only to find it is getting harder and harder to make ends meet. It is textbook political gaslighting. 

“Ripping away essential support for people right before Christmas is just cruel.

“The decision to axe 20 hours free ECE to two year olds will put families under huge pressure. Thousands of children will now not be able to have the best possible start in life. Parents all over the country will be forced to cut back on food to pay the bills. I am also very worried that the future of free school lunches has been put in doubt, with National identifying a programme that makes sure children do not go hungry as a “fiscal cliff.”

“They are also going to make it more expensive for young people to hop on a bus or train. Everyday activities like going to the doctor, taking the kids to school, or visiting friends and family will now be more expensive for thousands. 

“National’s so-called ‘climate dividend’ is climate denial dressed up as a tax cut. That’s it. I find it insulting, frankly, to the thousands of people who dedicate their lives to fighting for faster climate action. For the National Party to co-opt the language of climate action to justify delay is appalling.

“Today could have been the day that New Zealand ended poverty. It could have been the day the government made sure everyone has what they need to have kai on the table, a safe place to call home and to live a good life. 

“It could have been the day it promised to confront climate change with the urgency and the scale that it demands. It could have promised to boost the pay of teachers and nurses and bus drivers, and to fund world class buses and trains. 

“The spending decisions of every government are a choice. They are the product of deliberate decisions – and those decisions reflect the values and priorities of decision-makers. 

“We know from the government’s own advice that some of the wealthiest New Zealanders are not paying their fair share of tax. The top 311 families hold more wealth than the bottom two and a half million New Zealanders. Those with an average wealth of $276 million pay an effective tax rate less than half of the average New Zealander. National is deliberately choosing to keep this unfair status quo in place even thousands of people struggle to get by. 

“I am also shocked by the willingness of this government to rewrite economic history to pursue its own ideological goals. 

“They are acting as if  COVID had nothing to do with spending on direct payments to people who need it, flexible working arrangements and rent freezes. They are making it up as they go along – and are doing enormous harm to people as they do,” says James Shaw.  

Source: Green Party

The independent reviews of Kāinga Ora announced today should be focused primarily on building enough houses to make sure everyone has a warm, dry, and affordable place to live. 

“For this government to be more concerned about debt than giving everyone a place to live should tell you everything you need to know about where their values lie,” says the Green Party’s housing spokesperson, Tamatha Paul. 

“I can tell you now that the financial situation at Kāinga Ora is not the primary concern. The problem that needs solving is the fact that thousands of people across Aotearoa do not have a safe and affordable place to live. 

“Right now, there are 25,000 households on the housing wait list. The government’s priority should be on clearing this and making sure everyone has a place to call home as soon as possible. 

“The terms of reference for the review need to reflect this by stating very clearly that it is to consider how to scale up more housing that is so desperately needed. Kāinga Ora’s “Housing Delivery System” has been described by industry as best practice, and industry leading – and the government needs to consider how it can scale this up. 

“The National Party loves to make up fake problems to deflect, distract, and disguise their real intentions. My biggest worry is that they are going to use this review to slow down the public house build even further, making the situation so much worse for whānau all over the country. 

“It’s time to start treating housing as a human right. Aotearoa is proud of our public health and public education systems, but when it comes to housing, National governments have a track record of selling off public housing assets instead of building them up. With thousands of people on the housing waiting list, it’s essential this government takes a more forward-looking view.

“I am calling on the government to commit to continuing the existing Kāinga Ora build programme. The budget earlier this year committed to only fund the programme for another 12 months. During the election campaign National refused to commit anything beyond this. The concern now is that they will use this review to justify selling off public assets. 

“It’s always important to ensure that public institutions are managing their funds well – but National needs to come clean on intentions for the Kāinga Ora build programme and not use looking into financial performance as a fig leaf for winding back New Zealand’s first large-scale public housing build programme of the 21st century,” says Tamatha Paul. 

Source: Green Party

The new government’s decision to walk away from Let’s Get Wellington Moving shows they are still tied to the failed approach of building more roads. 

Wellington’s Green MPs Tamatha Paul and Julie Anne Genter said the people of Wellington deserve a clear long-term plan to build more affordable homes, cut climate pollution and improve active and public transport across the city.

“National scrapping Let’s Get Wellington Moving doesn’t change the fact that we need an achievable plan to address the real transport and housing challenges our city faces right now. The good news is that there are remnants in the scrap heap that we can build from,” says MP for Rongotai and Green Party transport spokesperson, Julie Anne Genter.

“This government is more interested in putting projects through the shredder than it is in developing a vision for the future of our towns and cities. Our job as Wellingtonians now is to organise and push the government into making the right decisions for the future of the city we love. 

“We have already seen this working in the decision to retain the Golden Mile, which three months ago the National Party had pledged to scrap. I am delighted that even without Let’s Get Wellington Moving, people will see those essential improvements around that part of the city.

“The time is now to build from this and to develop a clear and realistic plan to cut climate pollution, build affordable homes, and better public transport right across the city. 

“My first priority is to make sure the Government’s commitment to improve public transport takes priority over the Basin works and tunnel. These mega projects will come with huge costs and create disruption, and the sad reality is they will not noticeably improve people’s ability to move around the city.

“National’s expensive plan to put in a new road tunnel through Mt Victoria shows they’re more interested in kickbacks to the roading lobby than effective transport solutions for the people of Wellington. More roads just move bottlenecks – transport alternatives remove them”

“Adding one extra lane in each direction for about a kilometre won’t stop traffic jams at peak time in our city. It just moves the congestion to other parts of the road network. It remains a fact that rapid transit is needed to support more people living and moving around the city. The Green Party remains committed to light rail from Wellington train station out to Island Bay – with new apartments and townhouses along the route,” says Julie Anne Genter.

Green Party MP for Wellington Central and Green Party housing spokesperson, Tamatha Paul added:

“All people want is a bus that shows up on time, decent pay for bus drivers, and to move around without having to worry about their safety. I want tamariki to get to school safely and to know their future is safe with decision makers who make the right decisions by the environment.

“The last thing our city needs is expensive state highway projects. We know that tunnels and extra lanes do nothing to provide the step change our transport system needs. But we will not give up on the sustainable transport that we all dream for that will allow us to move around confidently and safely.

“We have a once in a generation opportunity to address the climate crisis and build the affordable housing we desperately need. Confidence is low and we have wasted far too much time drawing on maps. It’s time to deliver for our city so I’m pleased to see local and central government coming together to start delivering,” says Tamatha Paul.

Source: Green Party

The scrapping of the Clean Car Discount is an act of climate vandalism – and the Green Party is calling on the Government to release all the advice it received before making this move.  

“I am so proud of what we have achieved with the Clean Car Discount over the last 18 months. It breaks my heart that this government is slamming on the brakes of climate action,” says the Green Party’s transport spokesperson, Julie Anne Genter. 

“The Clean Car Discount is the single most effective climate policy implemented by any Government in New Zealand so far. It has prevented 2 megatonnes of climate pollution entering the atmosphere, led to cleaner air for people to breathe, and saved people thousands of dollars on fuel. It is as close to an ideal government policy intervention as you can get. In August this year, 60 percent of all new cars sold were electric or hybrid. 

“It makes no sense whatsoever for the government to say they are intending to hit net zero by 2050 and at the same time roll back the most successful policies that are reducing our emissions right now. Earlier this week, the non-partisan Climate Change Commission made clear that addressing the upfront cost of electric vehicles is crucial for reducing transport emissions. 

“The Clean Car Discount was designed in a way that meant people were working together to be part of the solution to climate change. People who need to buy higher polluting vehicles, for whatever reason, were also contributing to getting more zero-emissions and low-emissions vehicles on the road. 

“Simeon Brown has provided no evidence to justify getting rid of the Clean Car Discount, only a bunch of culture war talking points and an ideological zeal to force people to get around in the most polluting forms of transport. 

“It has been estimated that National’s decision to get rid of the clean car discount could result in 100,000 fewer electric vehicles on the road by 2030. This would increase carbon emissions by around 900,000 tonnes.

“There is a good chance that the Minister has been told this, and yet he is pressing ahead. 

“I was a Minister for three years and helped design the clean car discount. I know Simeon Brown will have been advised on the impact of what he is doing. Mr. Brown, you owe it to New Zealanders to tell them just how much damage you are going to be doing to the climate,” says Julie Anne Genter. 

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is calling on the Government to step in as New Zealand’s four energy giants continue to pay outrageous dividends to shareholders while thousands of people struggle to keep warm.

A new report out today by NZCTU, 350 Aotearoa and First Union shows that the big four big electricity companies continue to funnel billions of dollars into the pockets of shareholders instead of investing in clean, affordable energy. 

“We can have lower household bills, and an energy system that works for our climate and our communities, if only the Government had the guts to require the energy giants to reinvest more of their profit into clean, local energy generation,” says the Green Party’s energy spokesperson, Scott Willis. 

“Today, I am calling on the government to break the iron grip of the four big electricity companies, create a fair and transparent electricity market, and invest in community renewable energy. This is the best path towards an energy future that works for everyone. 

“The energy system created by successive governments, most notably by the previous National Government, is broken. Billions of dollars are being funnelled straight into the padded pockets of wealthy shareholders, thousands of people are forced to choose between heating and eating. Energy companies need to work for us, not simply serve their shareholders. 

“The eye-watering dividends being paid out to shareholders are an insult to the thousands of people across Aotearoa who struggle to keep their home warm. Most of us would be appalled if we knew so much of the money we are spending just to keep warm is benefiting wealthy shareholders. This is a political choice. 

“Affordable energy is a public good that the four energy giants are betraying. There is a clear answer staring us in the face: warm homes powered by cleaner, cheaper, smarter electricity, generated on our rooftops and in our communities. The Green Party campaigned on Clean Power Payment which is exactly the type of solution people need. 

“Thousands of people have signed a petition that I was proud to table in Parliament this week calling on the government to massively increase support for community renewable energy. The report released today shows exactly why this is so important,” says Scott Willis. 

Source: Green Party

Chris Luxon is giving big oil and gas corporations a free pass at a time when countries all over the world agree to transition away from fossil fuels.

“This Government is giving the global fossil fuel industry a free pass and we urgently need to stop it happening,” says co-leader of the Green Party, Marama Davidson. 

“World leaders have finally agreed that we must move away from fossil fuels if we are to have a liveable future. Yet here in Aotearoa, Chris Luxon is planning to do his fossil fuel mates a huge favour by reopening the ocean for oil and gas drilling. 

“The agreement at the global climate talks does not deliver the rapid phase out of fossil fuels that global communities, especially our neighbours in the Pacific, so desperately need. It looks like there are enough loopholes in the agreement for Chris Luxon to land an oil rig in. 

“However, there can be no doubt that a commitment to ‘transition away from fossil fuels’ sends a signal to the fossil fuel industry that its days are numbered. And yet the industry seems to have found a willing friend in this National, ACT, and New Zealand First Government. 

“It has been infuriating to watch the Prime Minister and his government backers gaslight New Zealanders all week – with extra gas – using talking points from the fossil fuel industry.

“Unless fossil fuels stay in the ground we are going to warm the planet to dangerous levels. It is as simple as that. Our Pacific neighbours are already on life support and we cannot let Chris Luxon pull the plug. 

“Five years ago, people power won the oil and gas ban – and it is people power that is going to save it. Nearly 30,000 people have signed a petition calling on the government to keep the oil and gas ban in place – and if a few thousand more join them, we commit to putting on a billboard Chris Luxon can see from his office in the Beehive,” says Marama Davidson.