Category: Green Party

Source: Green Party

The Green Party says the latest statistics on child poverty in this country highlight the callous approach that the Government is taking on this issue of national shame.

“Not only is it clear that the Government isn’t focussed enough on stopping child poverty, but also that its policies are making the problem worse by entrenching low-income households in the poverty cycle,” says the Green Party’s Spokesperson for Poverty Reduction, Ricardo Menéndez March.

“We can eliminate child poverty – we have enough in this country to guarantee that all children are adequately fed and housed. All children deserve this.

“However, the latest figures show that more than half of children in material hardship live in working households – while at the same time the Government’s telling families that work is the only way out of poverty.

“As if these whanau didn’t have it hard enough – with the Government making them pay more at the doctor, more at the pharmacy and more for public transport – thousands of public service jobs are being cut while the Government reduces frontline support for those who are struggling.

“Māori, Pacific and disabled children are disproportionately affected by child poverty – the very groups who are hit the hardest by the policies of a Government which has bent over backwards to give 3 billion dollars of tax cuts to landlords and property investors while ignoring the many struggling.

“The Government must start listening to expert advice which in this case says unequivocally that sustained and cross-party commitment is required to properly address child poverty.

“The Chief Children’s Commissioner’s report also makes very clear that if we are to address the material hardship many children face it is paramount that we lift incomes, and provide practical support and investments focused on children’s wellbeing.

“We know that experiences in the first few years of a child’s life have a large bearing on the rest of their lives. Living in a household mired in poverty has long-term consequences for our kids and their wellbeing.

“But there is no good reason for children in Aotearoa to go hungry or to live in damp, cold houses. Child poverty is a political choice. 

“The Green Party would guarantee liveable incomes for whanau, while investing in the support networks that communities need to ensure children have all their rights met – even when times are tough,” says Ricardo Menéndez March.

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is urging the Government to end the use of solitary confinement within our prisons after new research revealed some prisoners have been held in confinement for more than 900 days. 

“Solitary confinement is a barbaric breach of human rights that breaks a prisoner’s spirit and decreases the chance of successful rehabilitation,” says the Green Party Corrections spokesperson Tamatha Paul.

“My proposed amendment to the Corrections Amendment Bill would remove this draconian form of punishment from our prisons, recognising that human rights apply to all.

“Solitary confinement can cause severe physiological and psychological pain, exacerbating the risk of self-harm and suicide for those exposed to it. For prisoners to be held in the Extreme Risk Unit for over 900 days of solitary confinement is a shameful breach of international human rights, especially considering the maximum is 15 days.

“The facility who kept prisoners in solitary confinement for this long was described as a ‘super-maxi’ unit. These are the kinds of human rights breaches and prison mismanagement we can expect to see if the Government succeeds in building their mega-prison at Waikeria. We need safeguards against excessive use of solitary confinement now.

“We are also deeply concerned about the use of solitary confinement for vulnerable people such as rangatahi, those experiencing mental distress and people with intellectual disabilities.

“Furthermore, solitary confinement disproportionately metes out the harshest form of punishment to Māori who are significantly over-represented in the prison population, failing the Crown’s obligations to honour te Tiriti, and to provide for equitable rehabilitation and reintegration.

“Twenty years ago the Mental Health Commission called for the ‘eventual eradication’ of solitary confinement in mental health facilities, recognising that it ‘poses significant risks to service users, including death, re-traumatisation, loss of dignity and other psychological harm’. The same pattern applies to the Corrections system.

“Instead of enabling sub-human conditions for people in prison, we must adequately resource the Corrections System to provide rehabilitation and help people re-integrate into their communities,” says Tamatha Paul.

Source: Green Party

The Government’s moves to enable the import of Liquefied Natural Gas is another step away from the sustainable and affordable energy network that this country needs.

“Investing in fossil fuels in the middle of a climate crisis is like buying stocks in the Titanic. Fossil fuels are a sinking ship we cannot afford to tie our future to,” says the Green Party Energy spokesperson, Scott Willis.

“We can build a more sustainable and affordable energy network that puts people and planet before the profits of our gentailers. 

“Resorting to fossil fuels will delay the transition we so desperately need and instead turn up the temperature on the already raging climate crisis. 

“We should re-invest profits from gentailers into enhancing our energy efficiency and bolstering our supply of renewable energy. Delaying this is partly why we’re in this situation now – but it’s not too late to turn this ship around.

“We can unlock innovation and build our energy resilience by disrupting the current monopoly that dominates our energy market at the expense of our climate and communities. 

“Last year, we campaigned on a Clean Power Payment that would empower 60,000 households a year to upgrade their homes to run on clean energy, reducing demand and distributing generation capacity. Fossil fuel-based appliances, such as gas heaters, would become a thing of the past as cleaner, greener and more efficient technologies are brought in.  

“This would reduce the power gentailers have over households and increase the autonomy people have to live more sustainable and affordable lives. 

“Aotearoa already has ample supplies of gas to keep the lights on while supporting our transition to renewables, there’s no need to import more. Fossil fuels are an inherently risky and increasingly uncertain source of energy. 

“Future generations will pay the price for the decisions we make today. We can become an energy sovereign, sustainable nation with enough for everyone. All that’s missing is the political will,” says Scott Willis.

Source: Green Party

Today’s court ruling upholding the rights of Uber drivers is a message to the Government that it must not tamper with employment protections. 

“This decision is a monumental win for workers’ rights. We call on the Prime Minister to rule out and refrain from pushing policies that undermine today’s decision and the rights of our workers,” says the Green Party’s Workplace Relations & Safety spokesperson Teanau Tuiono.

“The judgement couldn’t be clearer – maintaining the status quo means upholding the rights of workers to have their employment relationship considered by the courts, based on the facts of the arrangement. 

“This sends a strong message to the Government that it should pull back from a commitment in the National-ACT coalition agreement to maintain a so-called ‘status quo’ where contractors who sign up for a contracting arrangement are not allowed to challenge their employment status in the Employment Court.

“The Government is clearly confused with what the status quo is, and glaringly out of touch with workers’ rights.

“Since it began operating in this country, Uber has shown scant regard for employment law and the rights of those who make its business work. Thankfully our court system has repeatedly upheld those rights, and this has now been affirmed by the Court of Appeal as well as the Employment Court.

“The critical role our workers play in our society must be respected – and as new ways of working emerge it is paramount that laws evolve to ensure workers’ rights are protected. 

“Workers are the backbone of our economy. Government must start supporting them,” says Teanau Tuiono.

Source: Green Party

Our environment remains at risk despite the Government’s proposed changes to its controversial fast-track legislation. 

“The tinkering and shallow re-packaging of the contentious fast-track legislation fails to address the severe threat it poses to our natural world,” says Green Party spokesperson for Environment, Lan Pham. 

“Our environment forms the foundation for life as we know it. By looking after nature, we look after ourselves. We need to move on from the archaic, exploitative and extractive approach that has already seen us lose so much. 

“Despite the watering down of unprecedented ministerial powers, the risk to our environment remains. There are still absolutely no environmental protections, as legislation such as the Resource Management Act and the Wildlife Act can still be overridden. It is also heartbreaking to see 21 mining projects in the pipeline following the sickening pollution of the Ohinemuri River over the weekend. 

“There is a powerful and growing voice from kiwis across Aotearoa that our environmental protections are a bottom line. Our communities do not want to see Te Taiao and the environmental protections put in place for our kids and grandkids bulldozed for private gain. 

“The overwhelming opposition to this legislation has already forced the Government to backtrack on its fast track. We must maintain this pressure and ensure our environment is not driven towards ruin. Now more than ever, we need to make our voices heard. 

“Even with today’s changes which essentially move the deck chairs, the fact remains that this fast-track bill is dangerous to both people and planet.

“It is outrageous that prohibited activities, projects that have been strongly opposed by communities or even declined by the courts could be given a lifeline through the fast track legislation. 

“Any companies thinking of taking advantage of a fast-track process that shortcuts our democracy and sidesteps the scrutiny of our Parliamentary process should be well aware that a change of Government could result in a loss of consent, possibly without compensation,” says Lan Pham.

Source: Green Party

The harrowing images of the severely polluted Ohinemuri River caused by an old mining shaft could become a more common occurrence under the mining regime the Government is looking to roll out. 

“The state of the Ohinemuri river paints a picture of what the future looks like if the Government unleashes mining across the country,” says the Green Party spokesperson for Resources Steve Abel. 

“We need to work with nature, not against it. This is how we leave behind an Aotearoa that can be enjoyed for generations to come. We can’t mine our way to lasting prosperity, mining will instead pave the path to environmental ruin. 

“The desecration of the Ohinemuri river with waste from an old mining shaft is a stark example of the toxic legacy mining leaves behind. Ruined nature haunts communities long after the jobs have dried up and the profits have been funnelled overseas. 

“Meanwhile, the Luxon Government looks set to fast-track a laundry list of mining projects that will throw our natural world into even further disarray. Mining on conservation land and in the areas critically endangered species call home remain on the table. 

“Expanding mining in the middle of a climate and biodiversity crisis is reckless and will see future generations pay the price for today’s mistakes. 

“Our environment is the foundation for all of us to survive and thrive. We must treat it with the respect it deserves so that cases like the Ohinemuri river become a thing of the past. 

“No one wants a future filled with fluorescent rivers and climate-charged catastrophes. The solutions exist, all that is missing is political will,” says Steve Abel.

Source: Green Party

The Government’s move to enforce austerity measures on councils is an assault on local democracy. 

“This shows how hollow Christopher Luxon’s commitment to localism is, but also how impervious he is to the challenges of local government,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Local Government Celia Wade-Brown.

“Our councils should be supported to empower our communities, particularly in the face of climate change and the natural disasters that come with it.

“However, the Prime Minister has instead chosen to punch down on local government and erode the agency of our local communities. Democratically elected councils alongside their communities should be able to decide what constitutes a ‘core activity’.

“A council with a mandate to combat climate change should be empowered to do that and not be blocked by the anti-environment agenda of the coalition Government. 

“The Government’s three water reforms have already thrown councils into financial disarray, limiting capacity to deliver in critical areas. Today’s announcement will only see our local authorities fall further into austerity. 

“Luxon’s party spent most of the last Parliament term attacking the previous government for allegedly interfering with the independence of councils, and yet here he is doing just that.

“This is the latest episode of overreach in a series of blows for councils. We have seen unsafe speed limit increases forced on local communities, funding for public transport cut, fast-tracking overriding local decisions, and councils forced to hold expensive, unnecessary referenda on Māori Wards.

“The Government needs to stop dictating policy to councils and instead work with our communities in achieving the change they need. The Green Party would ensure councils are properly resourced to serve their communities,” says Celia Wade-Brown.

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is calling on the Government to support its proposed amendments to leave Treaty provisions in the Corrections Bill. 

“Treaty provisions are needed to demonstrate a sincere and genuine commitment to reducing the over-representation of Māori throughout our justice system,” says the Green Party’s Spokesperson for Justice Tamatha Paul.

“Taking Te Tiriti provisions out of the Corrections Bill goes against the recent recommendations of the Waitangi Tribunal. 

“When introduced last term, this Bill took an important step towards addressing the inequities of our corrections system by inserting Treaty provisions into the Corrections Act. But the current Government removed these at select committee without any opportunity for feedback, as part of their ongoing, ideological attack on Te Tiriti.

“Cultural connection is a powerful and important tool in promoting rehabilitation. We know that legacies of colonisation and disconnection from culture have played a role in fuelling the over-representation of Māori throughout the justice system.

“Despite the fact that Māori make up just 16 per cent of the general population, somehow we make up 51 per cent of the prison population, making us one of the most incarcerated indigenous peoples in the world. Corrections must accept responsibility for their contributions to this shameful statistic, something which my amendment would ensure.

“The Waitangi Tribunal was clear in its advice: the Government must abandon the Treaty Principles Bill and stop tampering with Treaty Clauses in legislation. 

“Te Tiriti must play a central role in healing our communities from the inter-generational trauma they have suffered at the hands of colonisation. Upholding and embracing Te Tiriti is how we address the disparities that we see not only in our prisons, but across society. 

“The Green Party will continue to fight to ensure our corrections system enables access to culture and mātauranga, so Māori who are incarcerated can begin to rebuild their lives,” says Tamatha Paul. 

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill following the Waitangi Tribunal’s scathing report on the proposed legislation. 

“Our Te Tiriti is a taonga. It binds us together, it should not be used to drive us apart,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori development, Hūhana Lyndon. 

“At Waitangi, Christopher Luxon told Māori that Te Tiriti was our past, present and future. If he truly meant what he said, he would not allow someone to attempt to re-write our history with such a lack of understanding and regard for this nation’s founding agreement. He would also not allow another member of his Government to remove Treaty Clauses from different pieces of legislation. 

“We are calling on the Prime Minister to reject this uneducated and antiquated attempt to trample on the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It is high time that his rhetoric matched the reality of his actions when it comes to standing up for Te Tiriti. He has stood by and watched as Treaty protections were removed from state care, as the Māori Health Authority was scrapped and as Māori wards were essentially erased. It’s time to take a stand, Christopher.

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi affirms the rights of hapū to continue to care for their people and their taonga. It provides the foundations for an enduring relationship between Tanagta whenua and Tangata Tiriti. Losing sight of this would see us lose touch with the very core of our country,” says Hūhana Lyndon

“Upholding Te Tiriti is about rectifying the wrongs of our past, challenging the injustices of our present, and building a country that provides for everybody,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori and Crown Relations, Steve Abel. 

“It is on all of us to honour our founding agreement. Luxon must take on board the findings of the Tribunal and not allow this Treaty-rewrite legislation to progress a step further. 

“If Luxon truly respects our founding relationship, Iwi Māori and Te Reo Māori, he must ensure that a bill that mistranslates Te Tiriti is never put before 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

Statistics released today show that rents have increased 4.3 per cent over the past year. 

“Rents are continuing to rise at an alarmingly unaffordable rate despite the Government’s claims their policies would result in downward pressure,” says the Green Party Spokesperson for Housing Tamatha Paul.

“Housing is a human right and something that should be afforded to all, and affordable to all, regardless of whether you rent or own. However, inaction from successive governments has allowed housing to become more of a business than a human right accessible to all. 

“The current Government has tipped the balance of the housing market even further in favour of landlords by giving them $2.9 billion in tax cuts. Meanwhile, renters have been threatened with no-cause evictions and are faced with rising costs.

“All the while, the Prime Minister – who owns seven properties – tries to paint a picture of easing budget pressures on households when the reality is the exact opposite for many. Everything is getting more expensive, but rent is the most obvious expense for many people. 

“The statistics tell us that 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. 

“Worse still, the Government has frozen much of the public housing build programme, allowing our housing market to slide into further disarray, leaving many struggling families out in the cold. 

“We can ensure everyone has a healthy and affordable home by taxing wealth and using this revenue as a springboard to fund an ambitious public housing build programme. We need to limit rent increases, we need a Rental WOF, we need to treat housing as a human right. That’s why we wrote to the Prime Minister demanding that he take these actions.

“For too long, housing in Aotearoa has been treated as a business that benefits a few at the expense of the many. It is time for change,” says Tamatha Paul.