Category: Politics

Source: Green Party

The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. 

“This has nothing to do with free speech, this is about polluting our public discourse for political gain,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Tertiary Education, Francisco Hernadez.  

“Universities play a critical role in our society, providing a platform for informed and reasoned debate, the kind of debate that allows us to grow. 

“Our universities should be able to decide who is given a platform on their campuses, not David Seymour. These changes risk turning our universities into hostile environments unsafe for marginalised communities. 

“Misinformation, disinformation, and rhetoric that inflames hatred towards certain groups has no place in our society, let alone our universities. Freedom of speech is fundamental, but it is not a licence to harm. It is imperative universities are trusted to ensure the balance is struck between academic freedom and a duty of care.

“Today’s announcement has also come with a high dose of unintended irony. David Seymour is speaking out of both sides of his mouth by on the one hand claiming to support freedom of speech, but on the other looking to limit the ability universities have to take stances on issues, like the war in Gaza for example. 

“This is an Orwellian attempt to limit discourse to the confines of the Government’s agenda. This is about stoking fear and division for political gain. 

“To provide space for robust academic discussions, universities need to foster a safe, inclusive environment. 

“Universities are already navigating significant challenges under this Government, including chronic underfunding, and stretched resources. Rather than legislative mandates which will divert attention from the essential work of education, we must support universities to help us isolate misinformation from information and absolutism from nuance,” says Francisco Hernandez.

Source: Green Party

The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako.

“The Government is trying to cut corners on the education of our tamariki, setting them up to fail while setting up businesses for boosted profits,” says Green Party spokesperson for Early Childhood Education, Benjamin Doyle.

“Every child in Aotearoa deserves the best start in life. That demands an ECE system that places tamariki at its core, with highly qualified kaiako who are valued and supported.

“The report, released today, recommends what it calls “greater flexibility in workforce qualifications” to support access to ECE. This is a huge concern. Reducing qualification requirements in ECE poses a serious risk to quality, leading to reduced outcomes for children and undermining professionalism of the workforce. 

“David Seymour and his Ministry of Regulation are laser focussed on how to make ECE more profitable for corporate chains, rather than prioritising what we know works: delivering child-centred education that nurtures our youngest learners. This profit-driven lens risks compromising the care and education our tamariki deserve. 

“Further, this obsession with perceived ‘red tape’ will do nothing to address the core challenges faced by ECEs, such as rising fees and chronic underfunding.

“This report neglects the importance of the work being done by ECE kaiako, who are already under immense pressure due to high workloads, poor ratios, and lack of investment into their pay, training, and wellbeing. This report indicates they could be pushed even further.

“Our ECE kaiako are already consistently undermined, undervalued, and underpaid. Yet, this report pits parents against teachers, framing the issue as one of cost, rather than quality. We won’t stand for it. Children deserve the best start in life, and that requires qualified, well-supported, and well-resourced teachers who are empowered to provide high-quality care and education. 

“ECE is not somewhere we can afford to cut corners. This is about the wellbeing of our youngest citizens. Research quite clearly shows that the first 1000 days are foundational to a child’s early development. 

“We need a system that places tamariki at the heart of decision-making, prioritising their needs as well as those of kaiako and whānau.

“The Green Party will continue to back kaiako and fight for a system that invests in tamariki and their whānau from day one–one which supports qualified teachers, fair pay, and teacher-to-child ratios that enable tamariki to thrive,” says Benjamin Doyle. 

The Govt’s full report can be found here: Regulatory Review of Early Childhood Education – full report | Ministry for Regulation

Source: Green Party

The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. 

“The industry is on notice: consents granted under this regime that shortcut our democracy, sidestep environmental protections and degrade te taiao will be revoked by a Green Government,” says the Green Party Spokesperson for the Environment, Lan Pham. 

“This legislation is our out-of-touch Government’s gift to Kiwis to digest while they enjoy their summer in the stunning natural environment, knowing so much of it is now open to private interests to develop it under fast-track for the sake of making a quick buck.

“The environment provides the basis for life itself. We must be responsible stewards of the natural world which sustains us, and ditch the regressive exploitative and extractive approach that benefits an already wealthy few at the expense of all of us.

“Despite numerous democratic and environmental red flags, this legislation looks set to push through a raft of dangerous projects without proper checks and balances. New Zealanders do not want or deserve the environmental destruction this legislation looks set to unleash.

“What’s worse is that Cabinet has approved a raft of projects said to have ‘significant national or regional benefits’ despite companies failing to even bother answering this question in their application. 

“Companies who are meant to disclose their track record of prior compliance or enforcement actions against them, have in numerous cases failed to do so. Despite some having a concerning track record when it comes to compliance and environmental damage, this Government is inexplicably giving them the green light to bulldoze our natural world for private gain all over again. 

“This legislation has been shrouded in smoke and mirrors from the start and covered in controversy from the outset. A Green Government will put people and planet before profit and revoke consents that exploit our environment under the fast track,” says Lan Pham. 

Source: Green Party

The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces.

“Christopher Luxon is choosing to prolong the recession and kneecap productivity through merciless cuts,” says the Green Party Co-Leader and Finance spokesperson, Chlöe Swarbrick.

“Today’s HYEFU shows the Government’s trickle-down decisions come at the cost of the very ‘economic growth’ they crow so much about. It doesn’t add up and it doesn’t make sense, and they clearly don’t care.

“For all the bluster, ‘the economy’ is just all of us, the things we make, and the rules we put in place to create the world we want to live in. Under a Green Government, people and planet would be put before profit, through a fairer tax system and a guaranteed minimum income.

“But right now, the Government is redistributing wealth upwards with their trickle-down tax cuts, while gutting public services and infrastructure spending, and shifting costs onto regular people.

“This is the austerity play book: defund public services to failure, watch them fail, then privatise; take the so-called ‘cost’ off the Government’s books and watch those costs rise for regular people.

“Christopher Luxon’s Government wants to play Monopoly when what we need is a responsible Government. It would pay for them to learn that the game was designed to educate children about the pitfalls of an economy premised on land speculation and luck,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.

Source: Green Party

The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many.

“This adds insult to injury for our workers who have been under constant attack under this Government,” says Green Party spokesperson for Workplace Relations, Teanau Tuiono.

“The Green Party’s Income Guarantee provides a clear alternative, a commitment to every New Zealander that no matter what, you will have enough to put food on the table, a safe place to call home, and live a decent life–all paid for with a fair tax system.  

“While the Government claims this move supports its objective of reducing the number of people claiming the Jobseeker benefit, it fails, miserably, to address the reality for many workers. The assertion that work is the pathway out of poverty rings hollow when minimum wage is no guarantee of the ability to pay rent, feed a family, or pay for essential things like healthcare.

“Shockingly, half of children living in poverty live in households whose primary income comes from work. 

“Further, rents are increasing significantly faster than minimum wage increases, with a massive 4.1 per cent increase in rent costs from November last year. The system is failing those it claims to support. 

“Choosing to raise the minimum wage by less than inflation means more people will face mounting debt and will struggle to cover the basics, let alone afford the unexpected costs of medical care, childcare, or urgent repairs. 

“The Government’s decision today does not reflect what New Zealanders deserve. It’s time for bold action that prioritises the well-being of workers and their families, not more pandering to the rich at the expense of the rest of us,” says Teanau Tuiono.

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