The Green Party policy on Animal Welfare, launched today, calls for an independent Commissioner of Animal Welfare to help end animal suffering in New Zealand.

Today's launch of their Animal Welfare Policy, coincides with World Animal Week.

6 October 2008 - National Party Finance spokesman Bill English says the pre-election opening of the Government's books has confirmed that New Zealand can no longer afford Michael Cullen and Labour's big-spending low-growth policies.

6 October 2008 - The Treasury's Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update report, published today, highlights the benefits of maintaining strong Crown accounts during the good times in order to help us through the hard times, Finance Minister Michael Cullen said today.

6 October 2008 - The Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the financial year that ended on June 30 show the Crown in a strong financial position ahead of the challenging international economic times ahead, says Finance Minister Michael Cullen.

6 October 2008 - Prime Minister Helen Clark and Justice Minister Annette king have broken promises they made this year to victims of crime, says National's Justice & Corrections spokesman, Simon Power.

6 OCTOBER 2008 - The Green Party has pledged in its Forestry Policy today to protect New Zealand's timber industry from cheap, illegally logged rainforest timber, and reduce New Zealand's part in the global trade in priceless rainforests.

There's a critical shortage of beds available for our most vulnerable newborns, says National Party MP Katrina Shanks.

National's controversial plan to focus on New Zealand's worst criminals ignores our victims of crime, says the Green Party.

The Labour Government has still not delivered on promises to cut youth offending, says National's Justice & Corrections spokesman, Simon Power.

Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman is supporting calls by Ngati Tara for the Far North District Council to rethink plans to increase the amount of treated human sewerage going into Doubtless Bay via the Parapara Stream.