Green Party

The Green Party today welcomed Labour's formal adoption of a capital gains tax policy which will deliver a fairer tax system and create a more efficient and productive economy, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said.

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John Key's Government should ensure that workers in the care sector are paid what they are legally entitled to, Green Party disability spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said today.

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John Key's scaremongering about boat people flooding into the country damages New Zealand's race relations, Green Party immigration spokesperson Keith Locke said today.

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Food prices have risen again, and it's not getting any easier for thousands of individuals and families to make ends meet, the Green Party said today.

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The Green Party is advocating for the Government to adopt the Law Commission's recommendation that police shouldn't prosecute people for using cannabis medicinally, after a North Island amputee was arrested on the weekend.

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The Green Party is advocating for the Government to adopt the Law Commission’s recommendation that police shouldn’t prosecute people for using cannabis medicinally, after a North Island amputee was arrested on the weekend.

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The Government today released details on how its controversial “Skynet” file sharing law will be implemented but failed to make changes necessary to protect human rights, the Green Party says.

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Prime Minister John Key’s reaction to the boatload of asylum seekers from Sri Lanka lacks compassion, Green Party immigration spokesperson Keith Locke said today.

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AUCKLAND — The Green Party has discovered the Auckland Council has budgeted $15,000 for a security company to accompany police and twice daily 'sweep' homeless from Queen St in the lead up to the Rugby World Cup.

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The Green Party has called on Auckland Transport and Greater Wellington Regional Council to investigate providing free WiFi internet on trains and at stations in Auckland and Wellington.

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The New Zealand Greens today congratulated the Australian Greens for implementing a carbon price with the Gillard Government, but warned New Zealand is at risk of being left behind.

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Millionaires are the biggest beneficiaries from of the lack of tax on capital gains while the vast majority of New Zealanders would be completely untouched by such a tax, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

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New Zealanders will be shocked and horrified that the Minister of Transport sees increasing the speed and flow of cars as a higher priority than improving safety for people riding bikes, said the Green Party today.

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The Green Party is welcoming the launch this evening of a new business leaders' initiative to promote green economic opportunities for New Zealand.

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AUCKLAND CITY — The Green Party is welcoming the launch this evening of a new business leaders’ initiative to promote green economic opportunities for New Zealand.

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The National Government's tinkering with the rules around investment properties is a job creation scheme for tax accountants and lawyers but it doesn't address the underlying problem of the tax system's preference for investment property, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

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The Environment Court's recent decision to impose court costs on Te Rangatiratanga o Ngati Rangitihi Inc for their appeal against Kawerau pulp mills consent for discharges of waste into the Tarawera River adds insult to injury, the Green Party said today.

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The Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) could support law changes to improve pay equity following the dismissal of northern chief Alasdair Thompson, said the Green Party today.

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A tax on capital gains (excluding the family home) will enable more people to own their own homes, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

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The New Zealand Transport Agency's proposals to put a motorway flyover in front of the Basin Reserve and widen Ruahine St up to 7 lanes in Hataitai would be even worse than a Wellywood sign, said the Green Party today.

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AUCKLAND CITY — The Waterview connection should not be Auckland's transport priority given its high cost and the fact that traffic volumes are falling because of high oil prices, said the Green Party today.

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The Green Party is calling on the New Zealand Government to support Australia over the mandatory labelling of palm oil, Green Party food spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

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The Government's National Infrastructure Plan is full of contradictions, said the Green Party today.

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The Government should take the lead and immediately modernise the Equal Pay Act in the wake of the Alasdair Thompson saga the Green Party says.

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The Annual Report on Drinking-Water in New Zealand 2009/10 shows that 72,000 New Zealanders are drinking faecally contaminated water, said the Green Party today.

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CHRISTCHURCH — Christchurch City Council's proposed earthquake levy is a good way to avoid future debt and the concept should be adopted by the Government to pay its share of the city's rebuild, the Green Party says.

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The Government's proposed changes to the Land Transport Management Act will take decision making away from communities and give it to faceless motorway building officials, said the Green Party today.

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"The fate of the internationally recognised Waituna Lagoon in Southland lies in Nick Smith's hands," said Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman today, in response to the Environment Minister's visit to the lagoon today.

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AUCKLAND — The Green Party today welcomed Auckland Council's decision to proceed with designations and further investigation for the CBD rail loop.

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Phillip Morris’ legal action against the Australian Government’s attempts to introduce plain packaging for tobacco is a timely reminder of the perverse rights granted to foreign companies in our free trade and investment agreements said the Green Party today.

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Latest figures on New Zealanders’ rising diabetes levels expose the folly of the Government’s refusal to promote healthy eating policies, the Green Party says.

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If the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) really did support pay equity, it would support Catherine Delahunty’s members bill, said the Green Party today.

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The credibility of the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) will be in tatters if the mostly male board of the EMA continues to back Alasdair Thompson and his offensive comments that women are less productive than men because they have periods, the Green Party said today.

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CHRISTCHURCH —   The Canterbury earthquake package released by the Government today leaves a number of issues unresolved, says Green Party earthquake recovery spokesperson, Dr Kennedy Graham.

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Attempts by Crown Research Institute Ag Research to stifle a scientific report critical of its practices are disturbing and verge on censorship, the Green Party says.

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The just released Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) report that says New Zealand has a conservative policy on administering antibiotics to food producing farm animals is misleading, Green Party food spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

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Ongoing equal pay issues for women have prompted a push to modernise employment law from the Green Party.

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New Zealand should move to improve mine safety by reinstating check inspectors and a fully funded mine inspectorate, West Coast based Green Party MP Kevin Hague said today.

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A further delay of the Marine Reserves Bill, which has been in select committee for nine years, shows the Government doesn’t care about ocean protection, the Green Party says.

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New Zealand should move to improve mine safety by reinstating check inspectors and a fully funded mine inspectorate, West Coast based Green Party MP Kevin Hague said today.

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OTAGO — Dredging Otago Harbour and disposing of the soil at sea is not the way for Port Otago to move into the 21st Century, said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei today.

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The Green Party is calling on the New Zealand Superannuation Fund to divest from its $2.1 million stake in Larsen & Toubro, a Mumbai-based multinational involved in designing and building a fleet of nuclear-armed submarines for India.

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A Government funding freeze and cuts have left rural communities drinking dirty water, the Green Party said today.

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Moves by the Government that allow a full foreign take-over of Telecom set an ominous precedent for their plans to privatise our state-owned energy companies, the Green Party said today.

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The Green Party and the Government have agreed to set up a new stand-alone New Zealand natural health regulator and plan to introduce legislation before the election.

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Green Co-leader, Dr Russel Norman, last week laid out his plan for a sustainable and prosperous economy at the Party's AGM.

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Rising food prices are continuing to hurt individuals and families, and Government policies are making the problem worse, the Green Party said today.

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The Green Party has launched a campaign and Member’s Bill to establish a publicly accessible register of lobbyists.

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The Police don’t seem to care enough about the safety of cyclists to keep adequate records, the Green Party said today.

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AUCKLAND CITY — John Key is setting up people with gambling addictions, and their families and communities, to foot the bill for the new Auckland Convention Centre, said the Green Party today.

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After spending many months and $70,000 of taxpayer money, the Ministry of Health has finally filed for a hearing date to appeal a High Court decision which upheld the rights of disabled people to pay family carers, the Green Party said today.

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DUNEDIN — Steven Joyce must take the blame for another 41 Kiwis being put out of work by this Government’s policies, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said today.

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The Green Party is celebrating the Government’s decision to tender New Zealand’s biggest banking contract and is calling for a public interest test to be included in the tender process.

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The Green Party welcomes the new report on 1080 released today but remains committed to finding alternatives to the poison.

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The Government needs to front with some clear answers about whether or not Ministers who have been schmoozed by Westpac will be signing off the Government’s master banking contract, Green Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

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The Government’s Environmental Protection Authority won’t live up to its name, the Green Party said today.

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New Zealand needs to get ready for a carbon price in Australia, the leaders of the Green Parties in both countries said today.

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It is disappointing that the Early Childhood Education Taskforce has toed the Government line and only recommended that 80 percent of staff in early childhood centres should be registered teachers, the Green Party said today.

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The Green Party has called for cell phone health warnings after a World Health Organization (WHO) study found they could cause an increase in the risk of a malignant type of brain cancer.

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As the Green Party prepare for their annual conference this weekend, the Electoral Commission has for the first time formally recognised their status as NZ's official third largest party, in a 'medium size' class of their own, granting them more significance than the smaller parties.

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The independent review of the CBD rail loop released by Auckland Council is well-informed by a number of internationally credible transport experts, but clearly the Government is only interested in transport projects supported by big donors like the Road Transport Forum, said the Green Party today.

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A company fined today for importing Chinese powdered royal jell and labelling it as ‘Made in New Zealand’ could be just the tip of the iceberg of more widespread false labelling, Green Party Commerce spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

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New female candidates feature in the Green Party’s list for the 2011 election announced today.

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The Green Party is launching today a Member’s Bill and a tetris-like computer game to further the message that dirty lignite coal should stay in the ground.

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Unless we take decisive action to protect our bees, we could be faced with massive bee deaths, a horticultural industry in crisis, food shortages and escalating food prices.

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Bringing agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) sooner is fair, especially given the strong position of the dairy industry, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

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The Green Party and the Government today announced a plan to better manage toxic sites in New Zealand, including an additional $9.9 million to clean up the Tui Mine site near Te Aroha.

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WHANGAMATA — A peaceful protest to shut down a mining rig in the Coromandel conservation estate will be supported by the Green Party today.

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The Government’s large increase in funding to promote mining and drilling is a 19th century economic strategy that will take New Zealand backwards, said the Green Party today.

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Dr Russel Norman, Green Party Co-leader Opening – A three sided debate The Green Party is the only party that has the courage to say we need to increase Government revenue in order to reduce borrowing and avoid damaging spending cuts.

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The National Government’s refusal to raise revenue has left it with no other options but to cut, borrow, and sell in this year’s Budget, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

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National’s back down over the Ultrafast Broadband Bill is a win for New Zealanders but new public-private partnership provisions could cost taxpayers, says Green Party MP Gareth Hughes.

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The absence of a comprehensive tax on capital gains allows some farmers to make huge untaxed profits while leaving other taxpayers to pay for government services like schools and hospitals, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

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The Security Intelligence Service (SIS) Amendment Bill contains insufficient mechanisms to control the misuse of the extensive surveillance powers it bestows on the SIS, Green Party security services spokesperson Keith Locke said today.

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The legislation set up to roll out ultra-fast broadband throughout New Zealand is likely to deliver broadband that is unaffordable for most people, the Green Party said today The Telecommunications (TSO, Broadband, and Other Matters) Amendment Bill has been reported back from Select Committee today with few significant changes.

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The Government can make smart choices in next week’s Budget that raise hundreds of millions of dollars and deliver significant social benefits, the Green Party said today.

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GORE — Just as foremost climate scientist James Hansen arrived in New Zealand with a dire message about lignite coal, the Gore District Council decided not to notify Solid Energy’s resource consent for a pilot lignite briquetting plant, said the Green Party today.

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QUEENSTOWN — The Green Party today welcomed the appointment of Roger Sutton as the Chief Executive of the Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Authority.

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Workers look set to carry the full cost of changes to Kiwisaver after the Government removed rules requiring employers to share the costs fairly, said Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman today.

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John Key has today signalled that middle and lower-income New Zealanders will be shouldering a disproportionate cost of the Government’s poor economic management, said Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman today.

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The lethal insecticide implicated in the recent Thailand tourist deaths was scheduled for “priority reassessment” in New Zealand before 2008, but is still in widespread use, said the Green Party today.

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The lethal insecticide implicated in recent Thailand tourist deaths is used in New Zealand and should be phased out, said the Green Party today.

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Environment Minister Nick Smith has taken the teeth out of the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management (NPS), said the Green Party today.

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News that bee keepers are experiencing significant losses in bee populations should spur the Government into action on restricting bee killing pesticides, Green Party food spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

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John Key’s Government is forcing accident victims to go to the courts to get ACC support where justice is delayed – often for years, said the Green Party yesterday.

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The aged care sector is fast reaching crisis point, and comprehensive changes are needed, the Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman told the Grey Power AGM yesterday afternoon.

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High rates of youth unemployment are unacceptable and won’t be fixed by sending more young people to army-style boot camps, the Green Party said today.

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Record bank profitability and subsequent dividend payments offshore highlights an on-going structural weakness in our economy, said Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman today.

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The Prime Minister needs to fill in some of the blanks around his helicopter use, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said today.

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The Government confirmed today that New Zealanders will carry full financial liability and responsibility for containment and clean up if there is a catastrophic oil spill in deep water off the Canterbury Coast, said the Green Party.

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TASMAN — New Zealanders and tourists love the wild coast of Abel Tasman and Golden Bay, so the Government should protect it from fossil fuel drilling and mining, said the Green Party today.

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The Law Commission’s report on Controlling and Regulating Drugs will lead to better health and social outcomes, if adopted, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said today.

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The Green Party is seeking clarification over possible US intervention in the run-up to the passing of the controversial Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Act under urgency recently.

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Green MP Keith Locke is pressing the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee, of which he is a member, to hold an inquiry to assess new evidence regarding prisoners our SAS have handed over to United States and Afghan authorities.

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The next leader of the ACT Party Don Brash’s extremist views on race relations should be of concern to the current Government, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said today.

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The leaked Government Policy Statement (GPS) on transport funding has an out-dated focus on motorways and won’t deliver economic prosperity, said the Green Party today.

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The Green Party today expressed its profound sorrow at the death of Father Terry Dibble who passed away on Easter Sunday and whose funeral is today at St Patricks Cathedral in Auckland.

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The OECD has highlighted once again the need for green tax reform to address significant vulnerabilities in our economy and protect New Zealand’s clean green brand, Green Party Co-Leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

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