Tag: Parliament and Politics

KEITH LOCKE (Green): The Green Party is supporting the Governor

KEITH LOCKE (Green): I rise to follow up the speech of Nikki Ka

This week we celebrate our 10th birthday; 10 years of the Green Party in Parliament. Technically it might be an anniversary, but birthday sounds more fun. Green MPs Keith Locke, Sue Kedgley and co-leaders Russel Norman and Metiria Turei tell us about an extraordinary start in 1999, their personal highlights over the last decade plus their sense of what might happen in the next 10 years.

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

Green MP Keith Locke says a police infiltrator’s disruption of an anti-GE protester’s court case against the Police reinforces the case for an independent Commission of Inquiry into the activities of the Police Special Investigation Group.

Green MP Keith Locke says Police Commissioner Howard Broad’s reasons for planting agents in protest groups only makes matters worse. “It is unacceptable for Mr. Broad to treat legitimate protest groups as breeding grounds for dangerous criminals, thereby justifying police infiltration,” said Mr. Locke, the Party’s Police spokesperson.

Green MP Keith Locke is calling for an inquiry into the Police Special Investigation Group following evidence it is planting paid informants in legitimate protest groups.

Winston Peters’ scaremongering about immigration won’t work this time around, Green Party Immigration Spokesperson Keith Locke says. “It’s silly to talk about cutting immigration when net migration is at a very low level, only 4900 migrants in the August 2008 year - down from 8,700 from 2007 - and employers are still screaming out for skilled workers,” Mr Locke says.

Reports that Colombian Green Party politician Ingrid Betancourt, along with three American citizens, has been rescued from FARC militia after six years in captivity have been greeted with enthusiasm by the New Zealand Green Party. Ms Betancourt was the presidential candidate for the Colombian Green Party in 2002.