The Green Party have unveiled their election manifesto to a packed-out annual general meeting at an auditorium in south Auckland.The 43-page document - which is developed by party members - sets out the party's priorities for the 2026 general election, and includes policies on climate action, democracy, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, incomes and digital technology.Co-leader Marama Davidson said manifesto contains issues that needed attention "now and over the next three years"."We're going to make sure that people have affordable lives, that we protect nature to be healthy, [and] that we return politics to being honest to make decisions for all of us.""We will tax the super-rich and address corporate greed so that we can invest that back into the services that people rely on."Davidson said the manifesto showed the party's position on "broad issues" and signalled some longer-term ambitions too.The party also unveiled their campaign slogan: "For All of Us".Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said the slogan was for both supporters and people the party "don't know and even those we don't like"."What we believe, very fundamentally, is that we are not just here to fight for the basic human rights to access food and healthcare and shelter and education and job opportunities for the people that we know and like, but also for the people we don't know and even those we don't like."The manifesto launch followed a call from the party for a one-year pause on new AI data centre consents until stricter national rules are in place.In March, Singapore-based company Datagrid was given resource consent to develop a new $3.5 billion data centre in Southland.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called the Green Party "alarmist" and said data centres were critical to adding value to the country's economy.But Swarbrick told the AGM at Auckland University of Technology's Manukau campus that AI data centres did not offer long term employment."Experience overseas has shown AI data centres extract local water supplies and give back sludge. They extract an enormous toll on the power grid, driving up electricity prices for regular people and local industry.""They extract power, they extract water, and they extract profit." she saidSwarbrick took aim at "powerful men" who she said made decision to increase profits for the few."They tell us it's inevitable, that we have to suck it up. We're told this is 'growth'.""They promise that if those companies can just extract a bit more, we'll surely get something back."Swarbrick said she could not think of a "better metaphor" for the "current economic insanity" than AI data centres.
Greens unveil election manifesto at packed AGM in Auckland
The Green Party have unveiled their election manifesto to a packed-out annual general meeting at an auditorium in south Auckland.









