The Green Party's Ricardo Menéndez March

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

The Green Party of Aotearoa announced a range of policies over the weekend, particularly focusing on tax reform. Co-leader of the Greens James Shaw spoke with Simon about these announcements, and also discussed the news that Labour is allowing an Australian mining billionaire to prospect on conservation land. Simon began by asking what the income guarantee is.