Category: Green Party

Source: Green Party

Hundreds of jobs lost as a result of pulp mill closures in the Ruapehu District are a consequence of government inaction in addressing the shortfalls of our electricity network. 

“These closures and job losses are a damning indictment on the Government’s failure to address chronic flaws in our electricity market,” says the Green Party Energy Spokesperson Scott Willis.

“We can build an electricity network that puts people and planet before profit, one that supports our communities without costing our climate. But instead, we have had short-term thinking and a lack of Government leadership. 

“These closures and the jobs cuts that come with them are a consequence of successive governments failing to address the need for a sustainable and secure energy transition. 

“When the electricity market sees major price spikes it’s enormously challenging for businesses to operate in such an environment. The current Government had an opportunity to act in response to this, but it didn’t. 

“Last week, our co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick wrote to the Prime Minister to intervene in the closures of the Ruapehu Winstone mills and address the glaring imbalances across our electricity market. There has been no response. 

“Having visited Ruapehu district two weeks ago with Chlöe to meet the mill workers, we felt their frustrations first hand. 

“If Christopher Luxon truly cared about our communities he would have committed to urgent intervention and reform that puts people and planet before gentailer profits.

“The Government has the power to enact change. It could use the dividends earned from its majority shareholding in our gentailers to invest in renewables and build a more sustainable, secure and affordable electricity network. 

“We have more than enough gas to meet short-term electricity needs and power through the transition to a fully decarbonised electricity system. 

“The longer the Government fails to act, the longer our communities will be left to suffer soaring electricity prices. It doesn’t have to be this way, change is possible and the solutions exist, all that is missing is political will,” says Scott Willis.  

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is once again urging the Prime Minister to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill as a letter from more than 400 Christian leaders calls for the proposed legislation to be dropped.

“This letter is an endorsement of Te Tiriti justice and an indictment on the Treaty Principles Bill,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori development, Hūhana Lyndon. 

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi provides the foundation for us all to find common ground and build an Aotearoa where all of us can thrive. This Bill would see us lose sight of this and fall out of touch with the very core of our country. The Prime Minister has the power to prevent this Bill from progressing a step further. 

“The Waitangi Tribunal, translation specialists, iwi leaders, historians and now more than 400 Christian leaders have been clear that the Treaty Principles Bill distorts the true meaning of Te Tiriti while failing to uphold the rights Māori were promised as part of it. 

“This Bill that attempts to re-write history and essentially erase tangata whenua rights is not fit for Parliament. Giving this legislation a stage would risk unearthing and emboldening views that will do nothing but hold Aotearoa back, it must be abandoned,” says Hūhana Lyndon. 

“This legislation platforms those who want to sow fear and division for political gain – that is bad for all New Zealanders. Luxon must match the leadership shown by these Christian leaders and ensure this Bill is abandoned,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori and Crown Relations, Steve Abel.

“The Prime Minister’s actions need to match his words. He cannot stand at Waitangi and say that Te Tiriti is our past, present and future and then let legislation that corrupts the very meaning of the Treaty to progress through our Parliament. 

“We call on the Prime Minister to step up for the good of our nation and uphold the dignity, meaning and integrity of our founding agreement,” says Steve Abel.

Source: Green Party

Councils across the country have now decided where they stand regarding Māori wards, with a resounding majority in favour of keeping them in what is a significant setback for the Government.

“The voice of our councils has echoed the chorus of calls opposing the Government’s concerted campaign to erase Māori wards and silence tangata whenua voice in local government decision making” says Green Party spokesperson for Māori Development, Hūhana Lyndon.

“Forty-three out of 45 councils have voted in favour of keeping their Māori wards and protecting the voice tangata whenua have in local democracy. That is 96 per cent support across all councils that have been bulldozed into this situation by the Government’s legislation, a clear sign of deep opposition to this Te Tiriti-trampling agenda. 

“Māori wards are essential to empowering the unique and often marginalised voices of Māori. The tino rangatiratanga promised as part of our nation’s founding document demands that we are given a seat at the decision-making table. 

“Local government knows first-hand the value of Māori wards which allow councils to more adequately and accurately represent our often under-represented and under-served Māori. 

“The coalition’s law change to require councils to either disestablish their Māori wards or agree to a binding poll is simply wasteful, racist and an overreach into the business of local authorities.

“This Government has tried, and largely failed, to deter local councils from establishing wards. It is a coalition which is seeking to advance anti-Maori policies at every turn, not least of which is a move to change the principles of our founding document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

“The Greens encourage people, both Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti, to prepare to stand up and vote Yes in October 2025’s polls on Māori Wards,”  says Hūhana Lyndon.

Source: Green Party

The Green Party welcomes the coronation of the new Maaori Kuiini, Te Arikinui Nga Wai Hono i te Po, today in Turangawaewae.

“The Green Party embraces Te Arikinui Nga Wai Hono i te Po’s accession ki te Ahurewa Tapu, and acknowledges the Kuiini as the head of the Kiingitanga movement,” says Green Party Co-Leader Chlöe Swarbrick.

“The Kiingitanga movement is not a conquering monarchy, but one built by Māori for the good of all, and we know the Kuiini will step consciously in carrying that legacy and future of kotahitanga for the nation we all can aspire to be. 

“As Kiingi Tuuheitia lays to rest on Taupiri maunga next to his mother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, and his tūpuna who stood as Kiingi before him, we mihi to Te Arikinui Nga Wai Hono i te Po, who is just the second wahine to ever take the mantle,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.

Green Party MP and chair of the Te Mātāwaka caucus, Teanau Tuiono, also welcomed the coronation of the new Maaori Kuiini, while acknowledging the legacy of the late Kiingi Tuuheitia:

“We take this opportunity to pay tribute to Kiingi Tuuheitia and his legacy of fostering Kotahitanga, noting the importance of kotahitanga in diversity. I am also reminded of his commitment to the taiao, not just here but right around the Pacific.

“As we have seen in recent days, with so many people coming together from across the motu to mark the passing of Kiingi Tuuheitia, kotahitanga is the beating heart of our country and provides a way forward as we confront the major challenges of our time.

“The Green Party looks forward to working with the Kiingitanga under the leadership of Te Arikinui Nga Wai Hono i te Po,” says Teanau Tuiono. 

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is unsurprised but disappointed by today’s announcement from the Government that will see our Early Childhood Centre teachers undermined and pay parity pushed further out of reach. 

“The Government has built on its archaic anti-worker legacy by undermining the pay of our ECE teachers,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Early Childhood Education, Teanau Tuiono.

“The working conditions of our teachers are the learning conditions of our tamariki. We can help set up the next generation for success by ensuring our teachers are equipped with all the tools and support they need to help their students become their best selves.

“Today’s changes announced by the Associate Minister of Education will cut the pay of ECE teachers charged with giving our tamariki the best possible start in life. This is already a low-paid, vulnerable workforce. Seymour’s changes will undermine pay parity across the teaching workforce, leaving our ECE workers to fall further behind. 

“Seymour’s supposed cutting of red tape also raises further red flags in that his changes will encourage centres to use unqualified and untrained people to do relief teaching. 

“Unsurprisingly, the Government is once again prioritising the welfare of the corporate sector over the welfare of our people. These changes ultimately favour corporate providers who will be able to lower working conditions and boost profit margins, at the expense of our tamariki. 

“Late last year, our ECE workers took strike action for the first time in their history. This was a decision that was not taken lightly but was very much warranted considering the shocking conditions they have had to endure across many years. 

“While they may be valued by many of us, our ECE teachers are clearly not being valued by this Government. Nearly every one of us will remember a teacher who helped inspire us. But, the work is demanding and underpaid, now even more so. 

“The Green Party will continue to fight for pay parity and equity for ECE teachers. We know that high-quality early education is critical for tamariki wellbeing and development,” says Teanau Tuiono.

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is calling on the Government to intervene in the supermarket duopoly dominating our supply of groceries following today’s report from the Commerce Commission.

“The greed of our supermarkets is coming at a severe cost to our communities. We need urgent intervention to ensure people are coming before profit,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for commerce and consumer affairs, Ricardo Menéndez March.

“Everyone deserves to be able to put food on the table for their whānau. The food systems that support our society should ensure that these fundamental needs are prioritised over the profits of big corporations. 

“Today’s report further outlines what many of us already know: the current state of play in our supermarket sector is not really serving anyone aside from the shareholders of the duopoly that dominates our supply of groceries. 

“Successive Governments have let this situation slide deeper and deeper into disarray. The current Government must intervene and prevent our communities from suffering any further. 

“We cannot keep waiting for the current players to just do the right thing and behave in a more competitive way, this is wishful thinking. There is action we can and must take now to ensure our communities are getting a fair deal at the checkout. 

“The Government needs to break up the duopoly, force them to divest their subsidiary companies and target the corporate greed costing our communities. It could start by making sure any breaches to the standards we expect of our supermarkets are met with significant fines. 

“The Government could also take action by initiating an excess profits tax. The revenue could be used to resource alternatives to supermarkets such as urban food gardens, mahinga kai and papakāinga. The treatment of big corporates in Aotearoa, from supermarkets to banks and energy companies, has left our communities vulnerable to exploitation for private gain. Genuine tax and regulatory reform is needed to address this. 

“Food is a human right, it is high time we started treating it that way,” says Ricardo Menéndez March. 

Source: Green Party

The Green Party says the Government’s new National Land Transport Programme marks another missed opportunity to take meaningful action to fight the climate crisis.

“Today’s announcement only deepens our dependence on fossil fuels while kicking climate action down the road,” says the Green Party Transport Spokesperson Julie Anne Genter.

“Our communities should be supported to build sustainable societies that allow people to move around without great cost to the climate or household budgets. 

“However, the Government’s heavy reliance on roading, alongside reduced investment in public transport infrastructure, shows it has no plan when it comes to climate change, other than going backwards.

“The Minister continues to take us down a road to nowhere, seemingly oblivious of the trap he’s setting for us all in the form of rising emissions and congestion.

“Today’s investment will come at cost for tomorrow’s generation by doing little to fight climate change or help kickstart the just transition we so desperately need.

“We need rail of national significance, for freight and people. Our cities need more affordable and frequent public transport, not more chasing after a fossil fuel fix. 

“Transport is one of our biggest carbon burdens and presents a challenge we must rise to. Solutions are at our fingertips and are being implemented across the world. 

“We either act now or risk total failure to deliver a resilient transport system and help ensure a habitable climate for our kids,” says Julie Anne Genter.

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is calling on the public to support the Ngutu Pare Wrybill not just in this year’s Bird of the Year competition but also in pushing back against policies that could lead to the destruction of its habitat and accelerate its extinction.

“We need to save Christopher Luxon’s Bird of the Year from his own Government,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Environment, Lan Pham. 

“Two years ago, Christopher Luxon held a pretend press conference announcing his support for the Wrybill in the 2022 Bird of the Year contest. Fast forward to today and his Government looks set to fast-track the extinction of this same bird. 

“Wrybills live in our braided river systems, which are extremely rare, making them unique ecological hotspots. Meanwhile, the Government’s fast-track legislation looks set to unleash as many as 21 mining projects upon our environment. We were recently given a harrowing reminder of the damage mining can do to our environment when an old mining shaft leaked arsenic into the Ohinemuri River, leaving it a fluorescent orange colour. 

“The Government has slashed and burned almost all environmental safeguards through its anti-environment Fast Track Bill and in scrapping the Natural Built Environment Act. These decisions pose a significant risk to Wrybill habitat and open the door to land development impacting braided rivers.

“Organisations charged with the protection of our environment have also been stripped to their bare bones, with the Department of Conservation, Ministry for the Environment and Environmental Protection Authority victim to the deep cuts Luxon has executed across our public service. This will come at a significant cost to birds like the Wrybill that make Aotearoa unique. 

“Once again, Luxon’s rhetoric is failing to match up with the reality of his actions. He was happy to participate in a competition aimed at raising awareness of species on the brink of extinction but is now actively accelerating the extinction of the same bird he threw his support behind. 

“We are calling on the public to support the Wrybill by voting for it in this year’s competition but also by letting Luxon know that his fast track to environmental ruin is not something Aotearoa signed up for,” says Lan Pham.

Notes for editors

• Voting for this year’s competition opened at 9am on Monday 2 September.

• Voting closes at 5pm on Sunday 15 September. 

• The winner will be announced on Monday 16 September. 

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is paying tribute to the Māori King, Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero XVII, after he passed away earlier this morning. 

“Kiingi Tuuheitia put kotahitanga on the national agenda, as our guiding star, to build the country we all deserve,” says Green Party Co-Leader Chlöe Swarbrick.

“His legacy is one of unity, kindness and truly listening to understand. Kiingi Tuuheitia’s ability to deliver incisive, unapologetic, profound truths on open hearts and ears was a testament to how he navigated the world and embodied tino rangatiratanga. His deep passion for this planet and all who lived on it – from our tamariki to the creatures in our oceans and forests – was palpable.

“Only last week, at the 18th anniversary of his coronation, people from across the land and oceans gathered at Turangawaewae to pay their respects and weave our collective potential. 

“Kiingi Tuheitia saw the nation we could be, and invited us all to live up to it. Our love and thoughts are with his dear wife, Makau Ariki, whānau, Tainui Waka and the entire nation in mourning.

“Moe mai rā, e te rangatira. We all must continue to mahitahi in your legacy,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.

Source: Green Party

The Green Party has called out the Government for allowing Whakaata Māori to effectively collapse to a shell of its former self as job cuts and programming cuts were announced at the broadcaster today.

“When the Government is spending $2.9 billion on tax cuts for landlords, it can surely afford to adequately fund a broadcaster which plays such a critical national role,” says Green Party’s Spokesperson for Māori Development Hūhana Lyndon.

“Whakaata Māori was established two decades ago as a result of Waitangi Tribunal claims highlighting the Crown’s obligations under the Treaty to actively protect and promote Māori language and culture – unfortunately this Government has failed its duty to uphold a basic level of ongoing funding to ensure the broadcaster continues to serve this important role.

“We only need to look at the resurgent use of Te Reo across the country over recent years, as well as greater understanding of Te Ao Māori among younger generations, to see that Whakaata Māori has been a success, especially as it continues to attract a broader audience, helping foster unity.

“That success was achieved despite the fact that the broadcaster hasn’t received a substantive funding increase since 2008.

“What we see here with Whakaata Māori resorting to job and programming cuts is a case of the Government hanging the broadcaster out to dry because the coalition parties are hostile to Māori culture.

“It’s another instance of the Government ignoring the Tribunal. It is shirking on its commitment to Aotearoa’s Indigenous public broadcaster.

“The Minister of Māori Development Tama Potaka can keep laying the blame for the funding shortfall at the previous Government’s feet, but the reality is he is letting funding for Whakaata Māori expire, although he has the opportunity to rectify the situation right now.

“E ai ki te kōrero nā Tā James Hēnare ‘Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori (as James Hēnare said, the language is the life force of mana Māori). We would ensure Whakaata Māori has adequate funding to be able to remain independent, financially secure, and continue broadcasting quality Māori media that promotes the best of Māori creativity,” says Hūhana Lyndon.