Category: Green Party

Source: Green Party

The Government must abandon its Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act interventions after the Waitangi Tribunal found it was committing gross breaches of the Treaty.

“This Government is throwing relations between Māori and the Crown into deeper disharmony,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Steve Abel. 

“Māori rights to their Customary waters are at the core of what Te Tiriti guarantees. We need to uphold and honour the founding agreement our nation is built upon.

“But the Government is trampling all over Te Tiriti by attacking Te iwi Māori customary rights to the marine and coastal area. We must call this what it is – an act of Raupatu.

“The Government cannot hide behind a false narrative of ‘restoring parliamentary intent’, it is quite clear that its real intention is to undermine tangata whenua customary rights. This is a complete mischaracterisation of the past that is being used to advance the interests of those who want to take rights from Māori and exploit our oceans for private gain. 

“The Waitangi Tribunal found that it is breaching the principle of tino rangatiratanga by riding roughshod over Māori rights and interests in te takutai moana without providing evidence for its claim that the public’s rights and interests require further protection.

“Following last year’s Court of Appeal decision which represented a sign of progress in recognising tikanga Māori, this Government’s proposed amendments to MACA would take Māori Crown relations backwards.

“The Green Party will stand alongside Te iwi Māori and against the Government’s confiscation of their customary rights to the marine and coastal environment,” says Steve Abel. 

Source: Green Party

As Te Wiki o te Reo Māori approaches, the Government is considering deprioritising teaching Te Reo Māori in our schools. 

“Te Reo Māori is a taonga unique to Aotearoa we must protect and empower at all costs,” says the Green Party’s Education spokesperson, Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan. 

“Our indigenous language provides us all with an opportunity to connect and engage with the very essence of Aotearoa and deepen our understanding of Te Ao Māori. An Aotearoa that upholds and embraces Te Tiriti is one that allows Te Reo to flourish.

“Currently, a primary objective for schools is to take ‘all reasonable steps to make instruction available in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori’. 

“However, the Government is consulting on the deprioritisation of Te Reo and replacing it with a blanket directive to make achievement the top priority over everything else.

“It is incredibly poor taste for the Government to be consulting on the deprioritisation of Te Reo in schools as we head into the 52nd anniversary of the Māori language petition and this year’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. 

“This change could throw our goal of having 1 million reo speakers by 2040 into jeopardy. It was not too long ago that Te Reo was banned in schools and left on the brink of becoming history. Its revival is something we should be proud of and be looking to build on. 

“We are calling on the public to sign our petition that demands the Government leaves Te Reo in schools alone. We need the public to make its voice heard on this, we must prevent our indigenous language from fading away.

“Te Reo is a taonga that must be preserved for future generations to enjoy,” says Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan.

Source: Green Party

The Government’s directive to the public service to ignore race is nothing more than a dog whistle and distraction from the structural racism we need to address.  

“Racism is real and carries a grave burden, pretending it doesn’t exist will not make it go away,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Public Services Francisco Hernandez. 

“Our public service should be set up in a way that sees all communities supported and nobody left behind. Aotearoa has historically fallen short of this standard, with Māori and Pasifika alongside other minorities consistently showing up as having poorer outcomes in health, education and too many other fields. 

“The Government’s moral compass has quite clearly gone missing, with Aotearoa being driven backwards and away from the inclusive and supportive society we know we all want. 

“The reality is that need and race are intertwined. Failing to acknowledge the structural racism that plagues our communities will see it only get worse while needs remain unmet. 

“Generations of state-sponsored racism does not just disappear, it lingers. The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State Care is one example of how deliberate and discriminatory the state was in its treatment of tamariki. We need a targeted approach to rectify the wrongs of our past and confront the challenges of our present. 

“This is nothing more than a dog whistle and a distraction from the Government’s failure to address the critical issues we are facing as a country. From patients dying in overcrowded ER rooms to bus drivers being bashed in racist attacks, our public service has issues that need to be addressed and racism is quite clearly still a problem for us to face.   

“We need to have a mature conversation about how we build a public service that caters for all our communities and ensures those who have been historically left behind and let down are finally empowered with the support they need. 

“Our communities deserve so much better than the shallow politics and hollow policies this Government is dishing out on an almost daily basis,” says Francisco Hernandez. 

Source: Green Party

Concerns have been raised that our spy arrangements may mean that intelligence is being shared between Aotearoa and Israel. An urgent inquiry must be launched in response to this.

“Any potential connection to Israel’s genocidal regime must be investigated. Aotearoa cannot afford to have any links to the crimes against humanity being committed in Gaza,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Teanau Tuiono. 

“As a nation, we have a proud and enduring history of standing up for peace and fighting for justice where injustices lie. 

“Any possibility of us supporting Israel’s illegal military operations must be investigated. Any connection to the atrocities being committed by Israel would represent a complete betrayal of the values and moral standards this country is grounded in. 

“Associate Professor Treasa Dunworth, Dr Max Harris and Vinod Bal were incredibly clear in their letter to the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security: There is cause for concern that our intelligence is being gathered in a way which may ultimately see it being shared with Israel. 

“We have a duty to ensure that our country does not assist in the perpetration of international crimes.

“Our involvement in this conflict would see us fall onto the wrong side of history and erode any future credibility we have when it comes to advocating for human rights on the international stage. We cannot call for other countries to respect the international rule of law if we are party to breaches of it ourselves. 

“This matter must be urgently investigated. 

“Day after day, the death toll continues to rise. We need to be doing all we can to help build a pathway towards peace while ensuring we are in no way, shape or form contributing to this devastating conflict,” says Teanau Tuiono. 

Source: Green Party

The Greens welcome today’s long-coming announcement by Pharmac of consultation to remove the special authority renewal criteria for methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and modafinil and to fund lisdexamfetamine.

“Today will be celebrated by hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders living with ADHD,” says Green Party Co-leader and Mental Health spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick. 

“Finally, we have achieved concrete steps for more accessible and affordable treatment. 

“This announcement has been years in the making, and is only happening because of the mahi of many behind the scenes, especially ADHD NZ. Darrin and Suzanne have been tireless champions. 

“It has been a personal and political honour to work alongside our neurodivergent community and our advocates, across the House and Governments of different stripes, to secure the most significant steps forward in decades for those living with ADHD. 

“I want to acknowledge the GPs, psychiatrists, paediatricians, psychologists, nurse practitioners, officials and of course those with lived experience who joined our two Parliamentary hui over recent years to push this kaupapa forward.

“The Special Authority process currently requires someone with ADHD to go back to a psychiatrist every two years to confirm they still have ADHD. This has been clearly identified time and again as a major cost and barrier to accessing treatment. Ultimately, many go without, and the real cost of that in people’s lives, whānau, workplaces and negative social statistics can be unbearable – but it is preventable.

“New Zealanders with ADHD have also long been denied treatments funded in comparable jurisdictions like Australia. Today’s consultation on funding for lisdexamfetamine presents a hopeful opportunity for a medication understood to be less open to abuse, and therefore greater, sensible access to appropriate treatment. 

“Everyone should be enabled to live their best lives and be their best selves. Today is a step towards turning this ambition into a reality for more New Zealanders with ADHD.

“Everyone who helped fight for this should be proud, and must remember to submit on the consultation! The mahi, unfortunately, doesn’t stop here,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.

Notes:

Source: Green Party

On one hand, the Prime Minister has assured Aotearoa that his party will not support the Treaty Principles Bill beyond first reading, but on the other, his Government has already sought advice on holding a referendum on our founding document. 

“Seeking advice on holding a Treaty referendum cuts completely against the grain of the assurances Luxon has given the public on the Treaty Principles Bill,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori Development, Hūhana Lyndon.

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the enduring heartbeat of Aotearoa and not something that can be erased by way of referendum. As our founding document, it establishes a blueprint for a relationship between Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti. Te Tiriti binds us together, it should not be used to drive us apart.

“Earlier this year, Luxon stood at Waitangi and said Te Tiriti was our past, present and future. Last week at Tūrangawaewae he spoke about the importance of Kotahitanga. But this week his Cabinet has sought advice on holding a Treaty referendum. None of this makes sense. 

“Once again, Luxon’s rhetoric is failing to match the reality of his actions. This two-faced performance falls far short of the accountability Te Iwi Māori deserve when it comes to Te Tiriti. 

“On the one hand, Luxon has said his party remains committed to shutting down the Bill, but on the other, his Cabinet is allowing this conversation to continue by supporting a six-month select committee process while seeking advice on holding a referendum. A process which officials have said will have a negative effect on social cohesion. 

“The Prime Minister must abandon this Bill that attempts to re-write our history and essentially erase Māori from it. It is not fit for Parliament and would unearth and embolden some incredibly harmful views. 

“It is high time that Luxon stood up for the good of our nation and upheld the dignity, meaning and integrity of our founding agreement,” says Hūhana Lyndon.

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.