Yearly Archives: 2009

Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Amendment Bill — First Reading

The Green Party will be voting against this bill, in line with the report to the House of the Attorney-General, Christopher Finlayson, that this measure is not justified under section 21 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, against

Government cannot see the Forest for the Trees

Far from ‘streamlining and simplifying’, the Government’s Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms will mean more bureaucracy and skyrocketing costs for local councils and ratepayers. “The Government wants to eliminate protection for trees by making it too expensive to protect them,” Green Party Auckland MP Keith Locke said today. The proposed law change means that every council will have to individually list each tree it wants to protect in its council plan, rather than protecting them in groups.

Green Party Welcomes End to Spying on MPs

Green Party MP Keith Locke has welcomed the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security’s recommendations to stop the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (SIS) spying on Members of Parliament. The Inspector-General, retired High Court Justice Paul Neazor, today released a report brought about by Mr Locke requesting his own file from the (SIS) by using the Privacy Act.

Don’t short-circuit rail electrification

Auckland Green Party MP Keith Locke has warned against any 'pause' in Auckland's rail electrification project. It was today revealed that Transport Minister Steven Joyce sent a letter to the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) asking it to take 'a short pause' in going ahead with its rail electrification commitments. Mr Joyce wanted the ‘pause’ so that the ARC could digest the ramifications of the, as yet unreleased, report on the Royal Commission on Auckland’s Governance.

Russel Norman: Question on Auckland Transport

What Auckland public transport projects will be delayed as a result of the Government’s transport funding announcements last week?  Russel Norman and Keith Locke question the wisdom of the Government's recent announcements to take away funding certainty for Auckland's planned public transport improvements.

Obama’s charm sinks NZ’s UN human rights bid

The Green Party is concerned that the Government’s withdrawal from its bid for a UN Human Rights Council seat reflects a weakening commitment to human rights issues.

Poor Politics blunts Sex Offender Law

The National-led Government’s poor political process jeopardised a critical law change on sex crimes, the Green Party said today.

Sex Bomb, Sex bomb

Just in case anyone thinks the Greens were letting some hard core sex offenders run riot by voting against yesterday’s sex offender law amendment, here Read More