Green Party

AUCKLAND CITY — Any objections to the Waterview motorway connection project are about to be bulldozed just like hundreds of residents’ homes, the Green Party said today after a series of public meetings over the weekend.

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After successive Governments have spent $14 million trying to find policy solutions to New Zealand’s freshwater crisis, it’s time to stop procrastinating and adopt the resulting National Policy Statement without delay, the Green Party said today.

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The Green Party is calling for urgent testing regime at the border, following confirmation that New Zealand does not test imported fruit or vegetables at the border for pesticide residues or other contamination, Green Party food spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

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WELLINGTON — The long awaited arrival of the Matangi trains was welcomed by the Green Party today.

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NZ Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman today congratulated his Australian Green counterparts on their involvement in Australia’s next government.

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Maurice Williamson is wrong to call New Zealander’s who are concerned about the loss of our productive farmland to overseas interests racist, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

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Green Party MPs Metiria Turei and Kennedy Graham challenged Minister Brownlee’s vision with a forward looking submission on the Government’s draft Energy Strategy today.

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ROTORUA — Speech to Rotorua Grey Power, 1st September 2010.  Introduction Thank you very much for coming along this afternoon.

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The Green Party is calling on John Key’s Government to guarantee that none of South Canterbury Finance’s farmland will be sold to foreign owners.

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Whatever the outcome of troubled finance company South Canterbury Finance, the Government must move quickly to stop its prime South Island farmland from falling into foreign ownership, the Green Party said today.

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Women are underrepresented in Government appointments to the boards of Auckland Council’s new council-controlled organisations (CCOs), the Green Party said today.

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SOUTHLAND — Two new lignite plants in New Zealand are two lignite plants too many, said Green Party Energy spokesperson, Dr Kennedy Graham today.

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The New Zealand Superannuation Fund would be worth $3.2 billion more today if it had performed in line with its ethically invested counterpart in Norway, Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman said today.

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The Green Party is once again calling on John Key's Government to open a formal inquiry into the effects of an imminent oil price shock.

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AUCKLAND — The State of our City report demonstrates that Auckland urgently needs a CBD rail loop and other green transport priorities because it is the economic engine of the country, said the Green Party today.

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Free trade deals with countries such as China must not get in the way of New Zealand’s economic sovereignty, said Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman today.

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A bill to restrict the advertising of alcohol on television and radio was today denied the chance to be heard in Parliament, the Green Party said today.

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Whatever the final result of the Australian election, the advantage of New Zealand’s proportional voting system MMP is very clear, said the Green Party today.

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Exempting casinos from the proposed new restrictions on opening hours for bars and clubs is absurd and unjustifiable, the Green Party said today.

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The Government should show some spine over proposed liquor law changes, and adopt a stronger and more comprehensive approach, the Green Party said today.

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The Government’s decision to provide a line of credit to Kiwibank to support its credit rating through a period of expansion is good news for our economy and ensures that we will keep it kiwi, the Green Party said today.

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The slow start whitebaiters are experiencing to the 2010 season shows the impact various environmental challenges are having on the fragile fishery, the Green Party said today.

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Minister of Transport Steven Joyce is pushing through ill-considered policies and projects that benefit the trucking industry at the expense of the economy and the safety of New Zealanders, said the Green Party today.

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In light of flooding worldwide, including here in the Bay of Plenty, the Green Party is calling on the central government to provide greater leadership on adapting to climate change induced weather events through a National Policy Statement on climate change adaptation.

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Extra support for foster parents is the right attitude, and one John Key’s Government could extend to single parents, the Green Party said today.

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The Green Party has launched a member’s bill to set up a pecuniary interest register for judges.

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Todays decision to link tertiary education funding to performance is another big fail from the Minister of Tertiary Education, the Green Party said today.

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MANAWATU-WHANGANUI — The sale of the Crafar farms in the Waikato offer New Zealanders a window of opportunity to reconnect the Pureora forest and create a Tōtara National Park, the Green Party said today.

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The latest Quarterly Employment Survey shows the average pay gap between men and women has widened in the last quarter to 12.81 percent, the Green Party said today.

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The Minister of Agriculture David Carter needs to intervene to halt the practice in the dairy industry of inducing cows to give birth to premature calves, Green Party Animal Welfare spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

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WEST COAST — The Greens are preparing for another environmental win from John Key's Government with the launch of their Save the Mokihinui Wild Rivers campaign, the Green Party said today.

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Changes to a law already before Parliament could protect New Zealanders from spying by private companies, the Green Party said today.

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The Reserve Bank’s reliance on one tool, the Official Cash Rate (OCR), relies on damaging the very sectors we need to prosper if we want a more sustainable and productive economy, the Green Party said today.

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The New Zealand Food Safety Authority and the Environmental Risk Management Authority need to adopt the European Union method of assessing chemicals used on food the Green Party said today.

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OTAGO — The Green Party today welcomed news that the Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has won a High Court case challenging factory-style cubicle dairy farms in the Mackenzie country.

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AUCKLAND — The Government needs to fast-track the CBD Rail Loop project to meet the needs of a 21st century Auckland, said a politically broad range of speakers at the launch of the Green Party’s Rail Loop campaign today.

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Green Party MP Gareth Hughes is touring universities to promote his new member’s bill that will help ensure that everyone has a warm home.

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CHRISTCHURCH — The Green Party today called on the Christchurch City Council to reinforce it’s sinking lid policy on gaming machines in Christchurch.

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John Key is being disingenuous with his bizarre claims of a mandate to mine conservation areas, while at the same time avoiding questions in the House, the Green Party said today.

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After ringing 40 GPs nationwide it appears National’s policy of requiring medical certificates for only one day’s sick leave is simply unworkable, said Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman.

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The National Party’s ongoing confusion on foreign ownership of land has a simple solution says the Green Party - simply keep the privilege of ownership of New Zealand land for New Zealand citizens, permanent residents and companies.

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The Green Party is calling on John Key to stand by his Government’s promises to continue protecting National Parks and other areas of high conservation value from mining, ahead of a Cabinet decision expected Monday.

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New Zealanders could save money and hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions by inflating their car tyres correctly, said the Green Party today.

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Any plan to widen the 90 day fire-at-will law to all businesses during this term will be a clear breach of National's 2008 industrial relations pre-election policy, Green Party Industrial Relations spokesperson Keith Locke said today.

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An inordinate amount of Government time and energy is being misspent on reforming the ‘claim of right’ law after its use in the trial of the Waihopai Three, Green Party Human Rights spokesperson Keith Locke said today In March three men were found not guilty of intentional damage after they deflated a dome at the Waihopai spy station.

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The Government should resist pressure from the Police Association to arm frontline police officers, Green Party Police spokesperson Keith Locke said today.

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Green Party MP David Clendon is ready to bet a night behind bars that the private prison at Wiri will cost more to build than the $300 million claimed by the Minister of Corrections.

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The Green Party is celebrating news that Pete Bethune is to come home.

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The Green Party is calling on Minister Brownlee to apologise to iwi for mismanagement of the oil permitting process.

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New Zealand should reject any role in processing asylum seekers offshore, as proposed yesterday by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Green Party Foreign Affairs spokesperson Keith Locke said today.

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The Minister of Health Tony Ryall's decision to subsidise private health providers with public money will lead to further shortfalls in health funding, the Green Party said today.

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“All offshore oil exploration permits should be suspended until clear title to the resource has been established beyond the 12 nautical mile limit,” David Clendon, the Green Party Maori Affairs Spokesperson said today.

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John Key needs to do two things when he meets with senior Chinese leaders this week - raise human rights concerns and tell China that our productive land is not for sale, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

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Any supermarket code of conduct to ensure growers and consumers get a fair go needs an independent watchdog to oversee it, Green Party Food spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

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New Zealand’s two biggest supermarket chains should reveal the mark-ups they put on fresh food and vegetables, Green Party Consumer Affairs spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

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John Key’s Government is not investing enough to meet its own limited goals for state housing, said the Green Party today.

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Supermarket pricing practices need to be investigated and a Supermarket Code of Conduct drawn up, Green Party Food Spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

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OHAKUNE — The opening of a section of the 200km Cycleway trail from Ohakune to Whanganui gives a hint of what’s to come — a network of cycle trails that will connect some of our most picturesque countryside to our towns and cities, the Green Party said today.

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If the line drawn by the Charities Commission means Plunket just scrapes through as a charity while the National Council of Women (NCWNZ) has been threatened with deregistration, then the law needs to be changed, the Green Party said today.

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The first independent report on the issues around MP expenses is a step in the right direction and needs to be listened to, the Green Party said today.

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AUCKLAND — The backwards-looking Waterview connection will be even more costly than advertised by the Government said the Green Party today.

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Minister of Women’s Affairs Pansy Wong effectively conceded today that her Government has taken no new steps in the last year to reduce the pay gap between men and women, despite telling Parliament in June 2009 that she would “leave no stone unturned” to try to close the gap, the Green Party said.

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Parliament's Finance and Expenditure Committee has failed to support a Green Party proposal for a select committee inquiry into the impact of an oil price shock on New Zealand.

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The John Key Government has failed to provide climate-friendly choices to help households avoid the higher costs that could result from their Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), said the Green Party today.

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WEST COAST — The Minister of Conservation could save an enormous amount of time, effort, and money by ruling out any possible land exchange for the Mokihinui river valley, the Green Party said today.

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The Green Party is calling on climate deniers like the ACT Party to apologise to the New Zealand climate scientists whose reputations they tried to besmirch in light of the grovelling apology by Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers in the UK over AmazonGate, part of the ClimateGate series of allegations.

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GISBORNE — Minister Brownlee thinks he knows what is best for the East Coast and is using his powers to run roughshod over the people, the Green Party said today.

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Existing international law can be upheld at the International Court of Justice to save the whales where diplomatic efforts have failed, the Green Party said today.

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47,371 Kiwis have put their name on the record to save our treasured places, the Green Party said today.

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John Key’s Government has a lot to learn from the 37,000 signature petition presented to Parliament today expressing concern about the Government’s National Standards policy, the Green Party said.

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John Key needs to tell the public whether his Government raised any human rights issues with the Chinese regime during their trade talk-fest, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

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John Key’s Government has the opportunity this week to show courage and defend existing whaling law, the Green Party said today.

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New Zealand food companies are not prepared to tell consumers which products contain palm oil, Green Party Food spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

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Uranium, a radioactive material, should never pass through New Zealand’s nuclear free seas let alone come into port, the Green Party said today.

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WELLINGTON CITY — The mistreatment of Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman on the grounds of Parliament by Chinese security personnel shows how important it is to stand up for democracy and human rights, the Green Party said today.

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Chinese Vice-president Xi Jinping’s visit is likely to see our Overseas Investment Office put under even more pressure over the Crafar farms deal, said Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman.

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New Zealand does not have to resort to using genetic engineering to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Green Party said today.

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The Green Party is concerned the Government’s planned welfare reforms and the Working Group set up to consider them are wrongly focused on beneficiaries as the problem.

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The Government’s decision to borrow for tax cuts is leading to higher interest rates for home owners, a higher New Zealand dollar and a higher current account deficit, the Green Party said today.

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Proposed amendments to the National Environmental Standard (NES) on air quality are another example of the Key Government trading off our health and prosperity for short-term cost cuts and private profits, said the Green Party today.

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Pete Bethune’s chances of a fair trial were harmed because John Key’s Government dragged its feet, said the Green Party today.

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The Greens are calling on Minister Brownlee to follow Norway’s lead and put a moratorium on new oil exploration drilling until such time as the Deepwater Horizon incident has been fully investigated.

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AUCKLAND — A UK company with a troubled history wants to run Auckland’s remand prison.

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Green MPs have been shut out of this week’s Welfare Working Group forum, the Green Party said today.

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The Green Party congratulated former Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons today on her appointment as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

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CHRISTCHURCH — Excerpts On the Green Party's economic challenge Our challenge is this: We must join the economy to the environment in the minds of all New Zealanders.

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An expanded Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would be welcomed if it provided strong independent environmental oversight, but the Green Party is expressing doubts that it will live up to its promise.

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Two major reports released this week highlight the poor state of child health and wellbeing in New Zealand, the Green Party said today.

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The loss of staff from Great Barrier Island is the beginning of a significant reduction of frontline staffing as DOC scrambles to find $54 million in cost savings over four years, the Green Party said today.

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Finance Minister Bill English needs to find out if a corporate lawyer advising the Government on rewriting the Overseas Investment Act is also working for the overseas investors looking to buy Crafar farms, Green Party Co-Leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

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The Green Party is calling on the Government to back Adrian Macey’s nomination to chair the Kyoto Protocol negotiations by reaffirming New Zealand’s ongoing commitment to the UN climate change process.

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AUCKLAND — A major error by the Auckland Transition Agency has left hundreds of skilled council staff unable to apply for positions in the new Auckland Council the Green Party said today.

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Economic research sponsored by Forest & Bird highlights the folly of the Government’s plans to mine in our most precious places, the Green Party said today.

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The Greens are calling on the Government to place on hold the proposed deep water oil drilling program in the Great South Basin until the oil industry identifies the exact cause of the US oil catastrophe, explains how it can be prevented from happening again, and demonstrates that it can plug oil wells in deep water.

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HAWKE'S BAY — Local MPs Anne Tolley (East Coast), Chris Tremain (Napier) and Craig Foss (Tuki Tuki) have united to encourage businsses to support the Gisborne to Napier Rail Link.

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A short-sighted funding policy for public transport quietly released by the New Zealand Transport Agency on Friday afternoon will mean more expensive bus and rail fares throughout the country, said the Green Party today.

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Major international shipping company, Maersk, has refused to ship orange roughy, adding to the rising tide of international rejection of the NZ seafood industry, the Green Party said today.

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Pleas from the mining industry and Government for a compromise on Schedule 4 ignore its history as the hard won compromise of the previous National Government, the Green Party said today.

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The Key Government’s lethargic reaction to whaling in the Southern Ocean is epitomised by its lack of concern for Pete Bethune whose trial begins tomorrow, the Green Party said today.

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Bill English’s casual remarks about privatising Kiwibank are undermining the strength of its “It’s ours” brand, the Green Party said today.

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