The Green Party's Ricardo Menéndez March

Earlier this week, ACT leader David Seymour announced that the basic outline of the treaty principles bill, which would be introduced to parliament in November later this year, would include acknowledgements saying that iwi and hapū had specific rights to their lands. 

This comes after more than 400 Christian leaders in Aotearoa signed a joint letter condemning the bill and asking MPs to strike it down, as well as Prime Minister Christopher Luxon making an official statement saying that he wouldn't support the bill beyond its first reading.

For our weekly catch up, News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March to discuss the recent changes to the treaty principles bill and whether or not it guaranteed protections for Iwi and Māori.

We also talked about government cutting pay parity agreements for relief teachers at Early Childhood Education Centres, as well as Concerns over Nicole McKee's efforts to reform gun laws

For our weekly catch-up, News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Green Party Co-leader James Shaw about New Zealand’s response to recent Israel and Hamas attacks and whether the Green Party believes the international community should do more to support Palestine. 

And with election day approaching, they also discussed the importance of voting, and why the Green Party believes you should give their vote to them. 

Last week Prime Minister Chris Hipkins firmly ruled out implementing a wealth and capital gains tax if they were re-elected, despite current polls showing that Labour will need the support of the Green Party if they wish to form government. 

To discuss this decision by the Prime Minister, as well as a discussion about the ruling out of the High Court last week that found that the government must reconsider the decisions they have made on the settings of the Emissions Trading Scheme, producer Emilia Sullivan spoke to the co-leader of the Green Party, James Shaw.

Last week the Green Party announced their ‘Pledge to Renters’, a housing policy that would implement rent controls, a landlord register and a rental warrant of fitness, among other things.

Announcing the policy, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson said that in the first 100 days of a new government, the Green Party would implement this housing policy to ensure that “everyone who rents always has a safe, healthy and affordable place to call home".

To discuss the policy, Emilia Sullivan spoke to Green Party co-leader James Shaw