The Prime Minister’s appointment of a new Population Minister to investigate population strategy must be matched by action said Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown.
“After so many years of government failure on this issue I welcome the Prime Minister’s move to take up Australian Greens’ call for a comprehensive national investigation into population strategy,” said Senator Brown.
“But the announcement today means any action to address urgent population issues will now be put off until after the federal election, at the earliest.
“In 2008 I called on the Government to establish a population policy and the Greens currently have a proposal for a national population inquiry before the Senate.
“The work by the Greens follows 15 years of failure by successive federal governments to implement the results of the last national population inquiry delivered in 1994 by Barry Jones.
“Australia cannot support a population of 35 million by 2050 as discussed by both the Prime Minister and the Opposition.
“The major parties population growth plan is outstripping Australia’s infrastructure and environmental capacity and affecting quality of life.
“We cannot wait until after the election for action.
“The Greens have already proposed immediate action the Government can take to manage population, including:
Increasing Australia’s overseas aid budget by 0.7 percent of our GDP with more funding for literacy and reproductive health
Reducing skilled migration while increasing our humanitarian and investing in skills and training.”
It is Japanese whalers who should be facing charges under Australian law for endangering lives, not Sea Shepherd captain Pete Bethune said Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown.
“It is absolutely unjust that Captain Pete Bethune is facing up to 15 years in prison in Japan,” said Senator Brown.
“Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith cannot remain silent on this case any longer.
“The Australian Federal Police are investigating an official complaint by Sea Shepherd regarding the ramming and sinking of the Ady Gil by Japanese whaling vessel Shonan Maru 2.
“Under Australian law the captain of the Shonan Maru 2 should be tried and face life imprisonment for his actions, which endangered the lives of six people.
“New Zealand police are investigating a similar complaint under New Zealand law.
Senator Brown wrote again to Foreign Minister Stephen Smith yesterday calling for the Australian Government to do all it can to assist the investigations of the Australian Federal Police.
Responding to news that the New Zealand’s whaling commissioner has decided to support a compromise deal at the International Whaling Commission that will allow whales to be killed, Senator Brown said New Zealand were completely out of touch with public sentiment.
“Like Japan, the New Zealand Government now has whale blood on their hands.”
Dr Jim McDonald is your Greens candidate for Wide Bay.
Jim has lived in Noosa for 14 years . He was married for almost 34 years and is now widowed. He has a son and two granddaughters who live in Europe. Jim is involved in a number of community organisations, and is also active in the cultural life of the Sunshine Coast, singing in local choirs, writing plays, and acting in theatre companies.
Jim spent much of his working life representing employees on two Victorian teachers’ union councils, working as a full-time union official in the 1980s, and elected by academic staff to his university’s Council. At university, he taught industrial relations and negotiation. His area of specialisation was research on management in small and medium sized businesses. After retiring he ran a free industrial relations policy website, used throughout Australia by students, academics, unions and business.
In 2003 Jim stood for Noosa Council on an environmental platform, supporting the population cap.
Jim is especially interested in Federal policies about our health and education for our children, industrial relations, climate change, the protection of prime food production areas such as the Mary Valley and South Burnett, regional arts and culture policy, seniors’ issues, and the provision of efficient local public transport and rapid transit rail to Brisbane.
Jim decided to stand for Wide Bay because “My strongest political belief is that individuals can make a difference. It’s what democracy is 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 my community.”
Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown has backed in calls for a modernisation of the Australian flag today.
“I congratulate Ray Martin for raising this issue on Australia Day eve, and agree wholeheartedly that it is high time we replaced the union jack with a dinkum Australian symbol on our flag,” said Senator Brown.
“I call on Kevin Rudd to give Australians the opportunity at the next federal election to vote for a new symbol for our flag that properly reflects the country we are today.
“Australia has not been a British colony since federation in 1901 and the union jack does not represent Australians.
“It should be replaced with another symbol that conveys Australia’s ancient Indigenous or natural heritage. “Instead of delaying, Kevin Rudd should use this year’s federal election as an opportunity for Australians to vote on becoming a Republic and a new flag for our country.”
Greens Senator Scott Ludlam is supporting over 500 websites that will mark this Australia Day by fading to black in protest against theFederal Government’s proposed internet filter.
“I am proud to be part of this week-long national action – The Great Australian Internet Blackout,” said Australian Greens spokesperson for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator Scott Ludlam.
“The government’s plan will not protect children, will do nothing to crack down on criminal activity online, and sets a dangerous precedent of centralised net censorship,” Senator Ludlam said. “Communications Minister Stephen Conroy should start paying attention to the almost universal condemnation of this scheme and pursue alternatives rather than pushing ahead with the mandatory filter.”
The Australian Greens have welcomed the arrival of the Sea Shepherd vessel ‘Steve Irwin’ on a brief stopover in Hobart this morning.
“The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has again shown up the timidity of the Government, seeking to enforce international law while the Australian Government stands on the sidelines,” said Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam.
“These campaigners have inspired Australians with their courage and willingness to act while notionally anti-whaling states like Australia stand by and do nothing.
“The Australian Government has a range of options, starting with official condemnation of Japanese deployment of military personnel to protect illegal whaling in the Southern Ocean and deployment of vessels to at least monitor the situation.
“We should make any future Japanese free trade agreement conditional on an end to the slaughter, and we should commence immediate legal action to enforce the law of the sea. Instead, the Australian Government has gone silent and left it to the Sea Shepherd to uphold international law,” he concluded.
Australia’s government is absent as the SS Sea Shepherd faces up against the odds in the nastiest confrontation ever between whalers and whale protectors in the Southern Ocean.
“This is a whaling war with Kevin Rudd missing from action,” Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Hobart today.
“Japan has two naval vessels involved. Rudd should at least send surveillance planes or vessels to record this David-and-Goliath war over whales.”
“The news that part of Japan’s fleet refuelled in Australia en route to killing whales in Australian waters is revolting. The Rudd government must show some spine,” Senator Brown said.
The Noosa Greens invites Queensland Greens’ branches groups and members to participate in an information gathering exercise prior to a seminar to be held on the Sunshine Coast in early February 2010.
The theme of the seminar is consider how regional and rural members of the Queensland Greens can continue to contribute actively to our party’s structure and management practices. This discussion would include such topics as equitable and effective distribution of electoral public funding to regions, regional administration, and training and support for candidates.
This seminar will also provide an opportunity for members to consider effective electoral strategies for regional and rural branches as we prepare for the next federal election in 2010.
Please forward any submissions, agenda items,or comments to be included in this seminar to Bob Borsellino, Secretary, Noosa Greens or to Steve Haines, Convenor, Noosa Greens on 0421 00 1956.
Notification of venue and date will be forwarded as finalised.
All members of the Queensland Greens are invited to consider the opportunity to nominate as Queensland Greens Candidate for the Federal Electorate of Wide Bay. This electorate covers most of the State Seat of Noosa and the old Noosa Shire.
Expressions of Interest may be forwarded to:
Bob Borsellino, Campaign Committee Coordinator, Noosa and Hinterland Branch bob@noosagreens.org
or
Kent Hutton, Campaign Committee Coordinator, Noosa and Hinterland Branch, kent@noosagreens.org
Nominations to be received no later than close of business Monday 4 January 2010
This call for Expressions of Interest has been authorised by Bob Borsellino, Campaign Committee Coordinator, Noosa and Hinterland Branch
If you would like any further information or would like to discuss any issues related to submitting an expression of interest please feel welcome to contact Bob, Kent or Steve Haines, Convenor, Noosa Greens directly.
“The report clearly validates many of the concerns raised by Darling Downs and Surat Basin communities at the epicentre of the conflict between resource extraction and farming.
“The inquiry learned that tightening the regulations on a case by case basis – while essential – does not address the question of whether the short term benefits of coal mining on productive farmland outweigh the long-term costs.
“These costs can be great indeed: compromised land, damaged aquifers and reduced food security.
“The Australian Greens believe that leaving this for State Governments to determine is unacceptable and will inevitably lead to the irreversible destruction of some of Australia’s prime farming country.
“The Commonwealth reserves the right to assess and, if necessary, block development projects if they breach matters of national environmental significance.
“We think similar tests should apply in the case of irreversible damage to water resources or destruction of prime farmland.
“We want to see the Water Act 2007 amended to ban mining and extractive industries where they will have adverse impacts on groundwater resources and the environment,” Senator Ludlam concluded.
We would love to hear from you, what you consider our priorities should be to ensure our community remains special and sustainable. Please feel welcome to contact our Convenor Steve Haines directly at steve@noosagreens.org or mobile 0421 00 1956.
We acknowledge and respect the traditional owners of this country and the land on which we stand