The Greens aren't to blame for the failed ETS (it was bad policy) and the Wild Rivers Bill

"Why you shouldn't vote for The Greens" (Q&A Discussion Board)

A follow on from Monday night's Q&A with Sarah Hanson-Young, this

discussion board has some positive but largely negative views about the

Greens. It would be great if you could post a comment on here in support

of Greens messages and policies. Some points to consider:

- Sarah did not seem to be given adequate opportunity to answer the

question posed to her without the heckling of other panel members, which

was a bit un-sportsman like!

- Was this heckling part of an ongoing attempt by the government to blame

the Greens rather than take responsibility for its flawed and failed ETS?

- The reality is people in the community want real action against climate

change not "just something" (which is what both ALP and Liberal reps on

the panel were saying was good enough) and the Greens have been

championing a real carbon tax for a very long time.

Plus there's all the ETS points from the topic below.

http://www2b.abc.net.au/tmb/Client/Message.aspx?b=114&t=1&a=0&ps=50&m=92694&dm=1&am=92694

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A renewable reality: don't let politics get in the way (Drum)

"In April, the Rudd Government abandoned the severely flawed Carbon

Pollution Reduction Scheme, the centrepiece of its national climate policy

agenda. After two defeats in the Senate, and unwilling to risk a double

dissolution election on the issue, Labor backflipped and deferred its plan

to establish a domestic emissions-trading scheme to 2013. At a time when

decisive action is needed to avoid dangerous climate change our national

climate policy is at a standstill. Australia desperately needs a new

approach. We need a policy agenda that acknowledges the urgency of the

situation and accepts the requirement of evidence-based emissions cuts

identified by climate science. We need a circuit breaker to reinvigorate

the debate and spur action. Today at Parliament House in Canberra, Beyond

Zero Emissions will outline such an approach with the launch the Zero

Carbon Australia - Stationary Energy report—a detailed blueprint for

transitioning Australia's stationary energy sector to 100 per cent

renewable sources by 2020. The report, published in collaboration with the

University of Melbourne Energy Institute, is set to spark a debate about

Australia's energy present and future, and more broadly, what constitutes

credible climate policy."

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2932909.htm

You might wish to comment on this story. Some points:

- Australia is ready and does need a response to climate change

- The ETS failed because it was bad policy, it was not science based, and

would not have any real positive impact on the environment

- The Greens have long campaigned for an ETS or carbon tax that would put

a price on pollution

- If the government had consulted with the Greens in preparing their ETS

instead of stonewalling them, the outcome may have been very different for

the government, the environment, and all Australians.

***

Greens snub miners as commodity surge predicted (SMH)

"THE mining tycoon Andrew Forrest got no joy from the Greens yesterday

when he tried to persuade Bob Brown to reconsider his party's support for

the Rudd government's resources super-profits tax. Armed with an

assessment that said the tax would ruin the minerals industry, Mr Forrest,

the chief executive of Fortescue Metals Group, also addressed a meeting of

Coalition MPs and senators where he received a more sympathetic hearing.

Mr Forrest is one of the most vocal industry critics of the government's

proposed 40 per cent tax. On Monday he declared it ''officially dead''.

However, if the Rudd government wins the coming election and the Greens

hold the balance of power in the Senate, the planned tax would be

implemented in full. Senator Brown said Mr Forrest was surprised the

Greens had committed to supporting the tax without hearing all the

arguments first. The Greens support a 50 per cent super-profits tax and

want some of the proceeds of Labor's tax put into a sovereign wealth fund.

Senator Brown told Mr Forrest yesterday the Greens would support Labor's

proposal. "We explained that we are a social justice party as well as an

environmental party,'' he said. ''The country's wealth needs to be

shared.".

http://www.smh.com.au/business/greens-snub-miners-as-commodity-surge-predicted-20100622-yvvc.html

***

Greens lament national income management laws (Greens MPs)

"The Australian Greens have expressed their extreme disappointment that

legislation extending income quarantining across the Northern Territory

and the rest of Australia has been passed by the Senate. The Social

Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform and Reinstatement

of Racial Discrimination Act) Bill 2009 gives the Commonwealth the power

to extend income management measures across the country. Senator Rachel

Siewert, Greens spokesperson for Community Services says the expansion of

the income management will begin immediately in the Northern Territory,

with most Australians still unaware that the measures can be applied

nationally. “There is nothing in the legislation to prevent the laws being

rolled out across the nation," Senator Rachel Siewert said today. “A

change of Government, or a change of heart by this Government could see

compulsory income quarantining applied anywhere in the country at any

time,” said Senator Siewert. “The Minister’s claim that the introduction

of indiscriminate mandatory income management is ‘all about human dignity’

is nothing short of hypocrisy, a look at the on-the-ground impacts of the

policies on Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory show that this is

anything but the case. “There is no dignity in being subject to compulsory

income management and having control of your day to day finances

micromanaged by Centrelink,” Senator Siewert concluded.

http://greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/greens-lament-national-income-management-laws

***

Big swings against Kevin Rudd in key marginals (Australian)

"Labor losing more support in heartlands; Seats won in 2007 show swings to

Libs; Voters increasingly dissatisfied with Rudd. SUPPORT for Labor has

crashed so far in marginal seats in Queensland and western Sydney that the

government would lose an election now. In Labor-held seats where the

Greens' vote is low, support is dramatically shifting from sitting Labor

MPs to the Coalition, removing hopes of Labor surviving on preferences and

boosting Tony Abbott as the prospective prime minister. Julia Gillard is

the preferred Labor leader in Lindsay, although Mr Rudd is ahead as

preferred prime minister and Labor leader in the three marginal seats

polled in his home state of Queensland. According to a special Newspoll

survey of three marginal Labor-held seats in Queensland and two Labor-held

marginals in NSW, Labor could lose 10 Queensland seats held by margins of

less than 6 per cent and at least four or five seats in NSW. Senior Labor

MPs fear the dispute with the mining industry over the resources

super-profits tax, community concerns about asylum seekers and

disenchantment with Mr Rudd as Prime Minister mean the ALP will lose the

election. Yesterday, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young indicated it would

be a mistake for the government to assume Greens preferences would flow to

Labor with the same generosity as at the last election, when 80 per cent

of Greens preferences went to Labor. She said some recent polling put the

ratio at 60:40. "Who (voters) put as their second preference, that's

totally up to them. And I wouldn't be surprised if the distribution

changes at this next poll."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/big-swings-against-kevin-rudd-in-key-marginals/story-e6frf7l6-1225882519345

***

The Wild Rivers Bill (Liberals Bill)

The Liberals bill on wild rivers was debated in the Senate last night. The

Bill states it seeks to protect the interests of Aboriginal traditional

owners in the management, development and use of native title land

situated in wild river areas. If you see/hear any discussion on this

issue, you may like to note the following points for any response.

- The Greens do not believe this bill will address broader issues with the

Native Title Act, Indigenous consultation and community development. The

Greens believe the Native Title Act should be strengthened so that

indigenous communities are consulted and their consent is required for law

changes which affect their land uses and rights.

- The Greens support the existing wild river declarations because most of

the traditional owners do as well.

***

Supervised injecting rooms (Stateline)

This is a YouTube video of a Stateline story on supervised injecting rooms

in Victoria. Its a difficult subject to think about and not an easy story

to watch. Its important though to remember that Greens policy on this

issue is harm minimisation and evidence-based action. The video is open

for comment if you choose.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOmcJcwGwno

***

McDonald runs for election (Noosa News)

"Our prime minister has assured us there will be no early election. Voting

time is next year and it is the elected government’s duty to fulfill their

term. Well, that’s his view – for now. Yet, last Friday’s full page

advertisment in Noosa News featuring opposition leader Tony Abbot and his

refugee/boat policy hints at his party’s take on an early election. A tad

closer to home, Sunshine Beach resident, Jim McDonald has signalled he’s

gearing up for a early election by running as the Green candidate in the

federal electorate of Wide Bay. “What impressed me reading through The

Green policies was a concern for the condition of all Australians and the

sustainability of how we live in this country. Mr McDonald said he decided

to stand for for election because he believed that individuals can make a

difference. “It’s what democracy is all about. That’s why I spent so much

of my life working for a fair go. I would also like to give something back

to the community.”

http://www.noosanews.com.au/story/2010/06/22/mcdonald-runs-for-election-to-give-back/

If this is your constituency, you may wish to write to the Editor of Noosa

News in support of Mr McDonald and Greens policies. noosa@scnews.com.au