The besieged Western Australian Government has approved more damage to the Burrup Peninsula rock art province, even as confidence in the integrity of the approvals process in WA has sunk to an all time low.

“The Traditional Owners opposed development in this area. The Indigenous Affairs Minister’s expert body, the Aboriginal Cultural Materials Committee, opposed development in this area,” said Senator Rachel Siewert.

“But through sheer bloody-mindedness and refusal to consider alternate locations, Woodside has been given approvals to destroy the area.”

“It is ironic that Woodside will have to ‘provide a comprehensive cultural management plan’ for the areas that have been spared from the bulldozers,” said Senator Siewert. “This kind of Orwellian language would not be necessary if the Government was properly upholding its responsibilities to look after cultural heritage.”

“The Western Australian Government is treating Aboriginal heritage with contempt,” concluded Senator Siewert.

Greens Education Spokesperson Senator Kerry Nettle has called on The Labor Party to include teachers on their proposed National Curriculum board to ensure representation of professionals working in schools.

“The Greens are concerned that if Mr Rudd’s proposal goes ahead then the hundreds of thousands of teachers who will be asked to implement a national curriculum will the cut out of the process of creating and managing that curriculum,” Senator Nettle said. (more…)

“Large corporate players could seriously undermine the PM’s multi-billion dollar water plan,” said Senator Rachel Siewert today.

“Financial institutions like Macquarie Bank and Timbercorp are apparently holding large amounts of water allocations they bought up under the now-defunct MIS managed investment schemes,” she said.

“There is a real risk that these institutions may see the $3 Billion the Prime Minister has put on the table to addressing over-allocation as their saviour.” (more…)

With the Prime Minister’s push for nuclear reactors and his relationship with reactor proponents Ron Walker, Hugh Morgan and Robert Champion de Crespigny the subject of intense scrutiny, Labor’s hypocrisy on nuclear power also deserves to be put under the microscope, the Australian Greens said today.

Greens’ nuclear spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne, said Prime Minister Howard and Opposition leader Kevin Rudd need to be straight with the community about uranium mining, exports, nuclear reactors and waste dumps and the discussions they are having with party backers, pollsters, the mining industry and nuclear proponents. (more…)

Ian Macdonald’s much vaunted satellite imagery on land clearing in NSW uses flawed technology that is unable to account for more than half the land clearing in the state, according to NSW Greens MP Ian Cohen.

“The government has been using this outdated technology as a defence against a damning WWF report that outlines the disastrous consequences that land clearing is having for native animals in NSW,” said Mr Cohen. (more…)

The operating rules of the Upper House have been opened up in a non-Government motion in the Victorian Legislative Council.

“The changes will increase accountability, improve the diversity of debate and views represented”, said Sue Pennicuik, MLC for Southern Metropolitan Region. (more…)

Greens candidate for Monaro Catherine Moore is reminding young people that time is running out if they are to make sure they are on the electoral roll to vote in the upcoming NSW election.

“The electoral rolls will close at the end of this week, so people need to register to vote before it is too late.

“AEC data shows that only half of all 18 year olds are enrolled to vote,” she said.

“Anyone else who may have recently moved to the electorate and still hasn’t enrolled will also need to do so in order to be able to take advantage of their democratic right on March 24.”

For more information: Catherine Moore 0411 288057

If Premier Rann doesn’t follow through with his pledge to introduce legislation to stop a nuclear power station in South Australia then the Greens will, says Greens MLC Mark Parnell.

The issue has zoomed back into prominence with the revelation that three of Australia’s richest men: former EDB chairman Robert Champion de Crespigny, Ron Walker, and former head of the Roxby Downs uranium mine owner WMC Hugh Morgan have set up a private company to push for a nuclear power plant in SA or Victoria. (more…)

“More than double the number of Aboriginal Australians are now being breached by Centrelink as a result of Welfare to Work,” said Senator Rachel Siewert today.

“When questioned in the Senate this afternoon the new Minister for Human Services, Ian Campbell was obviously unaware of the impact of the breaching regime on Aboriginal Australians,” she said.

“It is clearly not on the Government’s radar, despite warnings of the potential adverse impact of Welfare to Work on Aboriginal communities.” (more…)

Greens Immigration and Multiculturalism Spokesperson, Senator Kerry Nettle, today warned the government that if they attempted to return the Sri Lankan asylum seekers on Christmas Island to Sri Lanka they would be threatening the integrity of the worldwide refugee protection system.

“The world is watching what Australia is doing on this issue,” Senator Nettle said.

“If the government negotiates with the government of Sri Lanka and has these asylum seekers returned, they will send a message to the rest of the world that refugee conventions can be ignored. (more…)