SENATOR SARAH HANSON-YOUNG - SA
The election is just around the corner and the Greens’ campaign in South Australia is in full swing! We have volunteers working away in the office while others are helping to spread the word throughout the state. South Australia is going to play a crucial role in the outcome of this election because we know that Tony Abbott is coming after my seat. South Australians have to decide whether they want to have a strong alternative voice standing up for them in the Senate or a Cory Bernardi look-alike, pushing Tony Abbott’s extreme agenda. Since the last issue of Green Party News, we have had many wins in parliament. We saw the support for marriage equality continue to grow as the Senate voted on a Greens’ bill in June. In the vote 28 Senators, including one member of the Coalition, voted to recognise same-sex marriages entered into overseas. The legislation was ultimately voted down, but we saw an increase in support compared to previous votes. It’s clear that marriage equality has found its time; we just need the parliament to catch up.
I also hosted His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Adelaide recently. Attending multiple events with His Holiness, I was able to see the amazing and uplifting effect his presence had. A truly inspirational orator, he spoke movingly of the need for compassion and fairer treatment of refugees. Election Day looms as a potential turning point for our nation. For us, it’s all shoulders to the wheel with our eyes firmly set on defending the Senate in South Australia. If we work together we can make sure the Greens remain as a strong alternative voice that stands up for all Australians, now and for a long time into the future.
SENATOR LEE RHIANNON - NSW
With the announcement that Labor will cut $2.3 billion out of university funding and the Coalition falling neatly behind these cuts, it is clear that the Greens can be trusted to stand up for our university sector. Australia lags far behind the OECD average for public investment in universities and we’ve been going backwards since 1995. Defunding and deregulating our universities is a threat to quality student learning, staff conditions and education outcomes. The Greens have launched a national Uni Cuts Hurt campaign, working with university staff and students across the country to reverse Labor’s cuts, retain student start-up scholarships, boost Youth Allowance by $50 a week and ensure greater job security on campuses. Australia can afford to prioritise investment in our education system from early childhood through to university. Visit www.unicutshurt.org.au to get involved in the campaign. Together with Greens leader Senator Christine Milne, I launched a new Greens bill setting out a clear timeline to ensure Australia stops chipping away at the aid budget and meets the UN target to spend 0.7% of gross national income on foreign aid. Over the past nine months, federal Labor has confirmed that over $700 million from the aid budget will be diverted to pay for onshore detention and the Greens-initiated Senate Inquiry revealed that the Department of Defence wrongly classified $190 million in defence spending as foreign aid. The Greens bill makes it clear that it is not acceptable to divert aid funds to spending on onshore detention and military objectives. Costings from the Parliamentary Budget Office show that meeting this goal would cost just $2.6 billion over the next four years – this is money that could be easily raised if Labor included gold in the mining tax. senator.rhiannon@aph.gov.au
senator.hanson-young@aph.gov.au LEE, CHRISTINE AND ADAM LAUNCHING THE GREENS UNI CUTS HURT CAMPAIGN
SENATOR RICHARD DI NATALE - VIC
It’s been an extremely busy year for the Greens and while politicians from the old parties continue to fight amongst themselves, my Green colleagues and I have been working hard in Parliament to stand up for the things that really matter. Senate Inquiries are one way that politicians can move away from parliamentary posturing favoured by the old parties and into a real discussion about things that matter. Your support in putting Green voices in the Senate has given us the chance to tackle these issues, and to hear the voices of people from all over Australia. I have moved a number of Senate Inquiries in the past few months to deal with some of the tough questions that the old parties don’t want to hear about. My Inquiry into the impact of air pollution on health held hearings all over the country and heard the stories of everyday Australians whose lives and health have been impacted by coal mining pollution and open coal trains. We’re now working on a series of initiatives to give everyone access to clean air. My inquiry into the threat of antibiotic-resistant superbugs produced a scathing report which broke the decades-long deadlock of inaction on antibiotic resistance and provided a bipartisan framework for real action. It may not be on the front pages of the papers but it’s a critically important issue. Many Australians are deeply disturbed by the recent explosion of gambling ads in sports broadcasts and my Inquiry into gambling advertising has placed these concerns firmly at the centre of public debate. Our campaign was so successful that it resulted in an announcement from the Prime Minister and while it’s a good start we need to do more. Concerning allegations about doping in sport have brought the integrity of some of our major codes into question and my Inquiry into sports science looked at how we stop cowboys from experimenting on young athletes and ensure that their health is protected. Finally, my Bill that stands up for the right of patients to know what relationship their treating doctors have with drug companies and the resulting inquiry has pressured the industry into taking the first steps towards improvement. Millions of Australians voted Green last election, and with your continued support we will keep standing up in parliament against powerful special interest groups to create a more caring Australia. senator.dinatale@aph.gov.au
SENATOR LARISSA WATERS - QLD
In good news, thanks to community campaigning, pressure from Greens MPs and the help of Tony Windsor MP, the Parliament has finally passed laws to protect water resources from coal seam gas and coal mining. The new laws give the Federal Environment Minister the power to stop coal seam gas and large coal mines where the project would have a significant impact on water; mirroring a bill I introduced 18 months ago. This is a big win for communities across the country! Unfortunately, the good news ends there. I moved in the Senate to strengthen these new laws to protect farmers and the environment from the big mining companies. Each amendment was voted down by the old parties, including one to give landholders the right to say no to coal and coal seam gas mining on their land. Labor voted down my amendment to give national parks national protection, even though the Environment Minister promised to do this two years ago and state governments are pushing ahead with plans for logging, shooting and grazing in national parks. I also moved to remove the section that allows the Federal Environment Minister to hand their responsibilities to the states. State governments have a terrible track record of environmental protection, and Tony Abbott has committed to hand all federal environmental responsibilities to state premiers. By voting against my amendment, Labor failed to Abbottproof our national environmental laws. This will have devastating impacts on our national environment when federal governments are no longer able to stop dams or mines in World Heritage Areas or clearing of the last habitat of nationally endangered species. In mid-June, the World Heritage Committee made a decision on the Great Barrier Reef and gave the Australian and Queensland governments a strong warning: stop the destruction of the Reef in the next year, or see the Great Barrier Reef on the World Heritage In-Danger list. The biggest threat to the Reef is the dredging and dumping to build and expand coal and gas ports, which in turn make climate change worse. We will continue to stand alongside coastal communities to protect our national treasure and the 54,000 jobs in tourism and sustainable fishing that rely on the Reef. The Reef will be an election issue in Queensland, and The Greens are the only party standing up for what matters. senator.waters@aph.gov.au
SENATOR PENNY WRIGHT - SA
It has been a hectic few months in the lead up to the election and one of the major issues for voters come Election Day is funding for public education. It has been hugely disappointing to see Labor leaving education reform to the last gasp. It was equally disheartening to hear from the Coalition that no reform is needed. Also in the area of schools and education, I secured a Senate Inquiry looking at the way NAPLAN testing is affecting our children. The stories coming through just confirm what many parents and teachers have been telling me; the tests are causing high stress and anxiety for our kids and detracting from genuine learning. I have also been keeping up the fight to improve access to the justice system. I chaired an inquiry into increased federal court fees, which heard from a number of community and legal organisations about how these increases are preventing entire sections of the community from being able to afford access to the justice system. The Coalition back flipped from their original position, leaving the Greens as the only party standing up for equal access to our justice system - a basic human right. The courts should never be used for revenue raising. My inquiry into Justice Reinvestment, looking at ways to stop spiralling imprisonment rates and deal with crime more effectively in our communities, recommended a leadership role for the Commonwealth government. Justice Reinvestment involves redirecting funds from prisons to communities, to prevent crime and strengthen the most disadvantaged communities. In the mental health sphere, I released my draft report on the Rural, Regional and Remote Mental Health consultation tour I undertook in 2012/early 2013. The tour took in towns and centres across the country and enabled me to see firsthand the importance of improving access to mental health services in regional areas. We invited submissions from stakeholders, consumers, carers and the general community through our online consultation system and will now develop a comprehensive policy for country Australia to take to the election. senator.wright@aph.gov.au
SENATOR PETER WHISH-WILSON - TAS
The Greens have long held a clear and consistent economic vision for Tasmania, and have consistently advocated plans to build on our state’s competitive advantages, diversify our economy, empower people and build communities. Whilst some may not agree with our long standing economic vision, or the philosophies which underpin this, many of its central components are now mainstream. The Greens have been quiet achievers in helping build Tasmania’s economy and caring for people. In 1992 the Green Independents outlined their vision for the Tasmanian economy and plans necessary to achieve this. Senator Christine Milne was an integral part of this first vision report titled ‘The Green Independents’ Business & Industry Strategy’. Now 20 years later we have launched “Tasmania 2030” - a vision for a green, dynamic, and prosperous Tasmanian economy. “Tasmania 2030” reviews the economy in light of the 1992 report recommendations, and outlines our broad vision and plans for the socio economic development of Tasmania over the next 20 years. The report outlines dozens of current and proposed Greens policy proposals across many sectors of the Tasmanian economy and introduces 4 key policy initiatives the Greens will be costing and releasing prior to the federal and state elections. All these policies are centred on the “collaborative economy,” targeting commercial and social enterprise development in areas such as creative industries and emerging technology, agriculture and food, tourism and waste management. These proposals, built on the existing work of many social and economic commentators in Tasmania, target government funding into new ways of facilitating business and community development, and will help build the resilience and flexibility required to capitalise on emerging opportunities for the future of Tasmania. We hope this document stimulates discussion and debate on the future directions of the Tasmanian economy, and we look forward to being part of any future economic conversation. You can download the report or a summary at www.GreensVision2030. com and I welcome specific feedback via greensvision2030@gmail.com senator.whish-wilson@aph.gov.au
ADAM BANDT - MEMBER FOR MELBOURNE DEPUTY LEADER
As we reach the end of the 43rd Parliament and the race to the election begins in earnest, the stakes have never been higher. Labor continues to disappoint, with the factional warfare between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd giving a final boost to Tony Abbott’s ambitions. Now more than ever it is critical for the country that we maintain a strong Greens voice in Parliament to take up the fight to Tony Abbott and his extreme agenda for the country. We will continue to put forward a positive alternative agenda for the country, including on jobs, protecting our land from coal seam gas and investing in science and research. Here in Melbourne our campaign has really cranked up with over two thousand volunteers signed up for action and 300 active people leading the charge. Last month we had the first of our Days of Action. 122 committed volunteers braved the wettest June day on record and spent their Saturday reaching out to thousands of Melbourne voters. With 15 events across the electorate, we had hundreds of meaningful conversations and volunteers contributed more than 369 hours - over 10% of our total volunteer hours target. An amazing effort. We know the old parties have deep pockets and will outspend us in this campaign. But we have something they don’t have – people power. I am confident that if we continue our work we can prevent Tony Abbott from gaining total control of the Parliament and continue standing up for what matters. adam.bandt.mp@aph.gov.au
FROM THE STATES & TERRITORIES AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
It is proving to be a busy year for the party, with ACT Greens Minister Shane Rattenbury playing an active role in the delivery of the government’s recent Budget. There were several big wins for the Greens in the Budget this year – we are particularly excited about the $18.7million investment in light rail, which includes funding for design studies and a Canberra wide network master plan. Light rail will be a major milestone for Canberra; signalling a major shift in the way we use and plan our city, and helping to insulate us from the future risks of climate change and oil shortages. While not all of the items in the ACT Greens/Labor Parliamentary Agreement were funded this year, a number were progressed. We are looking forward to seeing the Parliamentary Agreement fully funded over the four year term.
Our federal election campaign is also well under way, with ACT Greens Senate candidate Simon Sheikh campaigning aggressively throughout Canberra. His efforts have included recruiting a strong base of volunteers, maintaining a Greens presence at major community events, speaking at a range of forums, and encouraging young people to enrol to vote in the ACT. Simon and his team have also spent much of their time doorknocking and speaking with Canberra voters about the issues that matter to them. With any luck, we will be able to celebrate a victory for Simon in the next edition of Green magazine.
NEW SOUTH WALES
In NSW the news has been bleak. The Liberal Government, with the assistance of the Shooters and Fishers Party, has passed legislation to allow shooting in National Parks. Shortly after the legislation passed one of the senior staff of the NSW Game Council (which oversees shooting permits in State Forests and National Parks) was charged by Police with hunting without permission. The Government announced an inquiry into the ‘governance’ of the Game Council. Even though the results of that inquiry have not yet been handed down, the Game Council still received a massive increase to funding in the just announced NSW State Budget. Meanwhile public consultation is under way for a new planning Act.The Government says we need more houses, and faster. To achieve faster development approvals they are proposing to remove the principle of ecologically sustainable development from the Act and are proposing that residents will not have the opportunity to comment on 80% of development. And to add to it all the Liberal Government has just announced a review of the Native Vegetation Act and the Threatened Species Act. And this is not even mentioning the conservative social agenda of the O’Farrell Government which has wound back workers compensation coverage as well as reducing victims compensation payments and the window of time in which a claim must be made. What NSW most definitely doesn’t want at this time is a conservative Liberal National Government in Canberra accentuating the conservative agenda of the NSW Liberals. However the likelihood of an Abbot Government should make us ponder two things. Firstly, the importance of an election funding system which offers a real and practical opportunity for independents and minority parties to make their message heard by the electorate. Secondly in these bleak and conservative times we should remember our roots as an activist organisation. We should not forget that it is social and environmental activism that creates the basis of real change.
JAMES RYAN NSW CONVENOR
MAIY AZIZE ACT CONVENOR SIMON SHEIKH AND SHANE RATTENBURY AT THE VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT, 20 JUNE 2013
ACT GREENS GPO Box 2019 Canberra ACT 2601 Ph: 02 6140 3220 office@act.greens.org.au www.act.greens.org.au
NSW GREENS 19 Eve St Erskineville NSW 2043 Ph: 02 9045 6999 office@nsw.greens.org.au www.nsw.greens.org.au