East Timor, Climate Fix, Afghanistan & more. Opportunities to participate in online discussion.

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Australia dumps on East Timor again (The Age/National Times)

Greens Victorian senate candidate Richard Di Natale has an article posted

at The Age on East Timor. This story is open for comment. The Greens

Refugee Policy is detailed further down for your reference.

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The Climate Fix (SMH/National Times)

Victorian Energy Minister Peter Batchelor says, ''the single, most

effective way to drive changes in how we use energy is the introduction of

a carbon price at a national level. ''A clear signal on a carbon price has

been lacking for the last decade, and has been further complicated by

domestic politics and ever-changing international expectations.

The Energy Minister and the Greens agree that real action is long overdue

and needed right now. This article has on online poll and is open for

comment. Senator Brown says the Greens' policy of a carbon tax will save

households and businesses money as power costs soar. More info detailed

below for your reference.

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Greens pledge to increase refugee intake (Yahoo 7)

The Greens have released their election policy on refugees which provides

for an increase in the annual refugee intake to 20,000. The Greens would

also end off-shore processing and ensure no children were held in

detention. They say Australia's refugee intake has dropped to 6.6 per cent

of total migration, the lowest in 35 years.

This story open for comment, more policy information is available below.

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Greens Wide Bay candidate urges Federal Minister to intervene on Colton Coal Mine (Wide Bay Greens)

Dear Minister, Northern Energy Corporation plans to develop a 200 metre

deep open-cut coal mine adjacent to the Great Sandy Strait Ramsar wetland

in Hervey Bay. It is 3 km from the Susan River that flows into the Mary

River and forms the Ramsar boundary. It is 3 km from the town of Aldershot

and 7 km from Maryborough. The Corporation plans to pump excess water from

a coalwash plant that is capable of processing 1.5 million tons of coal a

year to Saltwater Creek that also flows into the Mary River estuary. This

represents a major environmental threat as well as a health threat to

nearby communities.

You can leave a comment online in support.

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Counting the cost of war in Afghanistan (Herald Sun)

Just hours after Australia learned of the death of Pte Bewes, Greens

senator Bob Brown reiterated his call to bring Australia's troops home. He

said a growing number of Australians agreed the war was being bungled, and

he would campaign strongly on the issue during the impending federal

election. But Felix Sher, the father of Pte Gregory Sher, who was killed

by the Taliban last year, said a withdrawal would destroy the sacrifice of

the slain soldiers. "If you are going to cut and run, you must be in

favour of the Taliban," he said. "The Greens seem to be ready to cut and

run." He pleaded with voters to consider the work done by Diggers before

handing the Greens more power at an election.

This story is open for comment.

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Push for Afghanistan exit amid warnings (Canberra Times)

The Greens are renewing calls for an exit strategy from the war in

Afghanistan as the Federal Government warns more Australian soldiers will

die in the troubled nation. Last night he said the Greens were not putting

a timetable on the withdrawal. "Parliament can not make the decision [to

withdraw] under the Constitution but we really owe it to those troops to

have a full parliamentary debate with every member contributing his or her

view," he told The Canberra Times.

You can leave a comment online.

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Senator Scott Ludlam on Q&A tonight, ABC 9.30. Other panelists: Chris

Evans - Minister for Immigration, Christopher Pyne - Opposition education

spokesman, John Elliott - Businessman and former Liberal President, Lenore

Taylor - writer and journalist.

You can post a question here: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/

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OTHER NEWS:

Late August election tipped by Greens (SMH)

Greens leader Bob Brown is tipping an August 21 or 28 election. The

election date would be the top priority on Prime Minister Julia Gillard's

agenda at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Senator Brown said. "I think

either this week or next week she's likely to go to the Governor-General's

office asking for an election," he told the Nine network on Sunday.

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Record number of whales sighted near desal plant (ABC)

A group campaigning against Victoria's desalination plant claims there has

been a record number of whale sightings near the site of the plant. Group

secretary and the Greens candidate for the seat of Bass, Neil Rankine,

says there have been 21 sightings, of mainly humpback whales, in the last

two weeks alone. He says that contradicts Government estimates made during

the project's official environmental effects statement (EES).

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Brown tells Gillard to turn green - video (Courier Mail)

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Greens want mining tax increased (ABC Rural)

The Australian Greens plan to push hard for an increase in the 30 per cent

mineral resource rent tax that will be levied on miners. The MRRT will

have to pass the Senate, where the Greens are widely tipped to hold the

balance of power after the next election.

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GREENS POLICIES AND RELEASES

Greens Refugee Policy The Practical Humane Alternative (Greens MPs)

The Greens would:

* Close Christmas Island and use a portion of the money already earmarked

for use on the island - $973 million over four years - to set up Community

Reception Centres in mainland cities.

* Set up a grants-based Asylum-Seeker Support Fund of $8 million over four

years to assist community organisations to provide essential services for

refugees and asylum-seekers. Organisations would apply for a grant of up

to $100,000 to assist in the delivery of case management, health care,

emergency relief, social support and housing support. The fund would be

administered by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

* Push Australia to take a leading role in the region by hosting any

regional processing centre.

* Increase Australia's humanitarian intake to 20,000 refugees - focusing

on those already waiting in detention camps in the region.

* Move to end the detention of children in Australia.

* Champion the Greens' bill to establish a Commonwealth Commissioner for

Children and Young People to protect young non-citizens who have arrived

in Australia without support.

* Move to introduce judicial review for detention decisions.

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Greens policy will save Australians $2 billion (Greens MPs)

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says that today's Climate Institute

report shows the Greens' policy of a carbon tax will save households and

businesses money as power costs soar, helped by federal government and

opposition inaction. "The old parties' inaction is locking in more

expensive electricity production which, this report says, means an extra

$60 per year per household by 2020. This does not factor in the much

greater costs to the economy of worsening climate change."

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Greens clash in estimates hearings - video (ABC Western QLD)

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Greens to try for new deal on mining tax (The Australian)

GREENS leader Bob Brown will not support Tony Abbott's bid to defeat the

revamped mining tax. This is despite his concern that Julia Gillard's

compromise with mine companies will cost taxpayers $4 billion a year.

However, Senator Brown said he would try to get a better deal for

Australians by clawing back more money from the miners.