The Federal Government has ordered two mining companies to submit revised
environmental impact statements (EIS) for multi-billion-dollar coal seam
gas projects in Queensland. Santos and BG want to convert coal seam gas in
the Surat Basin in southern Queensland to liquefied natural gas (LNG) for
export from Gladstone in the state's central region.
This story doesn't mention the Greens, but kudos to the Greens for pushing
the issue and seeking the direct involvement of the Minister. You could
write a Letter to the Editor of the Courier Mail and The Australian. Whilst the
Minister's action to intervene is commended, the Greens believe
Minister's action to intervene is commended, the Greens believe
the current laws are inadequate to have the impacts comprehensively
assessed, and are calling on Minister Garrett to visit the farmers in the
Darling Downs, like Senator Brown and Lead Senate Candidate for Queensland
Larissa Waters did last week.
Larissa Waters said: “Minister Garrett's assessment is limited to impacts on
threatened species. Without a trigger in our federal environment laws, the full
impacts of CSG mining on farmland, groundwater and climate change cannot
be assessed. If Minister Garrett is not considering the impacts of CSG mining
on prime food producing land, then who is?" The full media release from QLD Greens is here.
Please consider writing a letter calling for the Minister to meet with farmers and/or The Greens to
get a full understanding of this important issue for QLD.
RELATED STORIES
Can Greens direct preferences? (The Australian)
When Labor “moves to the right” on asylum-seekers, the expectation is that
they will bleed votes from their left to the Greens. And then comes the
question: will Greens preferences make much difference to the 2010
election? You bet they will. Greens preferences decided the last one. In
2007, Greens got 7.8 percent of the total House of Representatives vote,
and around eight in ten of those votes flowed to Labor in preferences
while the other two ended up with the Coalition. If, instead, every single
Greens voter had preferenced the Howard government, the Coalition’s two
party preferred vote would have been about 53.5 instead of 47.3 and they
would have retained government with an increased majority. And with Greens
likely to get around nine or ten percent in 2010, their preferences will
be even more influential.
This story is open for comment and is a good opportunity to express your
opinion on why its worthwhile and important to vote for The Greens.
Reasons to include are Greens commitment to social equity, economic
sustainability and environmental and global responsibility; Greens
reputation for negotiating and compromising in the interests of the
Australian community in the Senate (e.g stimulus package, raising the
pension & childcare rebates); the 55% approval of performance rating in
the latest Galaxy poll; and that the Greens offer a constructive and
responsible alternative to the old parties and a commitment to outcomes to
the community, not opposition for opposition’s sake. Amongst other things!
***
Greens' hopes of winning Victorian Senate seat boosted by Galaxy poll (Herald Sun)
GREENS' hopes of winning a Victorian Senate seat have been boosted by a
Galaxy poll showing 55 per cent of voters approve of their role in Federal
Parliament. The party has five senators and appears likely to hold the
balance of power after the election. It has no federal MP from Victoria
but the poll of 1009 people taken last weekend is good news for Senate
candidate Richard Di Natale. Galaxy found only 28 per cent disapproved of
the Greens' role in the Senate.
You can post a comment online in support.
***
Greens plan to unplug the city (The Age)
The Greens ''Repower Melbourne'' plan, to be launched today by the federal
seat of Melbourne candidate Adam Bandt, also includes a $15 million fund
to develop community solar farms. People living in apartments could apply
for funding to develop a shared photovoltaic solar panel farm on vacant
public land and be paid for energy fed into the power grid. Mr Bandt said
the policies would not be possible without a national carbon price. But he
said Melbourne should follow the example of the British borough of Woking,
which moved off the power grid 14 years ago under a plan developed by
sustainability expert Allan Jones.
***
Curtin detainees bewildered: Greens (AAP/SMH/7 News QLD)
Afghan asylum seekers in Curtin detention centre are distressed and
bewildered because the federal government has suspended processing of
their claims, a Greens senator says Senator Sarah Hanson-Young on Tuesday
visited the centre, which was reopened last month. It took her a day and a
half to travel from Adelaide to the centre in the remote West Kimberley
region of Western Australia, which was closed in 2002 due to riots and
incidents of self-harm.
This story is open for comment (at 7 News QLD only, not SMH).
***
Queensland's 390,000 lost voters have power to swing federal election (Courier Mail)
THE outcome of the imminent federal election could turn on 390,000
"missing" Queensland voters. A record number of people in the state have
so far failed to register to vote – the equivalent of four entire
electorates – the highest in the nation. Nationally, about 1.4 million
Australians are estimated to be invisible to election officials.
Again, this story doesn't specifically mention The Greens, but maybe
worthwhile posting a comment online in support of our right to vote and
the fact that discontent with the 2 major parties should not be a reason
not to be involved. There are other (dare I say, green) options and we
should be part of the solution not part of the problem!
*** OTHER NEWS ***
Burnside endorses Greens, on principles (The Age)
HUMAN rights lawyer Julian Burnside, QC, has thrown his weight behind the
Greens to gain the balance of power in the Senate, accusing Labor and the
Coalition of being driven by polls rather than principles. A week after
being singled out by Prime Minister Julia Gillard over his comments about
''rednecks'' in the asylum seekers debate, the prominent refugee advocate
last night helped launch the campaign of Geelong-based doctor Richard Di
Natale. Dr Di Natale is tipped to oust Family First's Steve Fielding and
become the Greens' first Victorian senator when voters head to the ballot
box within weeks. Declaring his support for the Greens' asylum seekers
policy - which includes increasing refugee intakes to 20,000 a year, a ban
on mandatory detention centres and a new Commonwealth fund for refugee
support - Mr Burnside said the party deserved to hold the balance of power
in the Senate in its own right because its policies were based on
principles, rather than populism. The Greens share the balance of power in
the Senate but have a chance of holding it in their own right.
***
How can Labor win? (The Drum)
...This election will be very close. John Howard won with 48.8 per cent of
the vote in 1997 and Tony Abbott has this, probably, now. Belinda Neal's
seat, Bob Debus's, Mike Kelly's and Maxine McKew's are gone, I suspect.
Duncan Kerr's in Tasmania. Three more in Queensland, two in Victoria (one
to the Greens), one in South Australia, which leaves Western Australia
deciding it, a state where Liberals are these days very popular. Some
polls show Labor unendangered now in the West, but you never know. There
could be a coalition, with Bob Brown as deputy prime minister when Albo,
also, loses his seat to a Green, in inner Sydney...
***
Greens take a stand (Bendigo Advertiser)
BENDIGO woman Kymberlie Dimozantos has been chosen as the Australian
Greens candidate for the federal seat of Bendigo in the election later
this year. Ms Dimozantos will take on Liberal candidate Craig Hunter and
Member for Bendigo Steve Gibbons. Her campaign will be launched on
Saturday by Greens leader Bob Brown.
*** GREENS RELEASES ***
Australians approve of Greens' Senate role: new poll (Greens MPs)
A two-to-one majority of Australians approve of the role the Australian
Greens play in the Senate according to a Galaxy research poll. The
national poll of 1009 voters taken last weekend found 55% approved of the
role the Greens played and only 28% disapproved. Ahead of an address to
the National Press Club in Canberra today, Australian Greens Leader
Senator Bob Brown said the Greens had shown the judgment and ability to
negotiate and compromise in the interests of the Australian community.
"Without the Greens there would be oppositional deadlock in Parliament.
"Unlike the Coalition, the Greens negotiated with the Government to pass
the economic stimulus package last year which saved Australia from
recession. "Raising the pension, fortnightly childcare rebates and fixing
the renewable energy target are all results delivered by the Greens. "We
will continue to represent Australians on issues we know are important to
them - For example, a carbon prices, getting our troops safely out of
Afghanistan, decent treatment for asylum seekers and an end to native
forest logging."
***
Federal Election: Greens Candidates QLD
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