The Rudd Government is swiftly squandering any credibility it had on climate change, Australian Greens climate change spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne, said today.

Senator Milne said, “How extraordinary that, on World Environment Day, with a global focus on climate change, our Environment Minister ducks, weaves and dances as if he were still on stage, while his colleague, the Minister for Coal, spruiks turning his favourite resource into a horrendously polluting transport fuel.

“At heart, the problem is that the Rudd Government is no more willing to challenge itself and ask the right questions than the Howard Government was. If this Government has not even got the courage to introduce strict mandatory labelling and minimum performance standards for all appliances, what hope is there for any rigour in the emissions trading scheme? (more…)

NSW Treasurer Michael Costa’s budget hides underspending on the environment and education.  Forward estimates show that power privatisation will increase future taxes and slash front line services, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: “The Treasurer’s third budget is a statement of his disdain for teachers, public transport, and climate change.

“He has clearly won the cabinet battles to keep expenditure on services down. (more…)

Tuesday’s state budget will leave public school classrooms $86.5 million short of the money needed to bring them up to an acceptable standard while wealthy private schools will continue to be heavily subsidised, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Commenting on the pre-budget announcement in today’s Sunday Telegraph (p.2, “Schools falling apart at seams”), Dr Kaye said: “The Iemma government failed to increase public school maintenance funding in real terms to address the $86.5 million backlog.

“The supposed $11 million boost will only hold total spending at standstill after accounting for rising costs. (more…)

Sylvia Hale MLC, the NSW Greens spokesperson on housing, has commended the Prime Minister for promising to improve services for the homeless and for ordering a White Paper on the problem.

“It has been a long time since a senior Federal politician has taken any genuine interest in the plight of homeless people - the forgotten people. However, actions speak louder than words.

“The Greens want to see - and all those who work in the frontline homelessness services want to see - a properly-funded Supported Accommodation and Assistance Program and adequate and affordable long-term housing,” said Ms Hale. (more…)

Privatisation of the NSW electricity industry would deprive this state of more than $1 billion a year in revenue payments. Commonwealth underwriting assistance to the states to build public transport, health and education infrastructure would make the sell off unnecessary, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: “Treasurer Costa is using privatisation to create the illusion that he is solving the infrastructure deficit cause by the Carr/Iemma government’s failure to invest in public transport, education and health. (more…)

After a record Senate vote of more than 10 per cent in Victoria, the Greens will battle it out with the Liberals for the final Senate seat.

Lead Senate candidate Dr Richard Di Natale said the Victorian result would be vital to the composition of the new Senate.

“A win to us in Victoria will be crucial to the balance of power in the Senate because a Greens victory is most likely to be at the expense of the Liberals,” Dr Di Natale said.

“Throughout the country, the Greens have achieved a remarkable result to emerge as the clear third force in Australian politics.”

“Our Senate vote in Victoria and nationally has grown by 1.3 per cent over the 2004 result at a time when the focus was overwhelmingly on Kevin Rudd and John Howard.” (more…)

Greens policies have received strong feedback from third parties across a variety of issues in the federal election campaign.

Releasing a list of policy scorecards today, lead Senate candidate for Victoria Dr Richard Di Natale said the Greens had received widespread support from industry and lobby groups.

“Whether it be climate change, health, education or WorkChoices, our policies have met with the approval of the experts and those working in the field,” Dr Di Natale said. (more…)

I just want to make sure everyone understands how fortunate we are in having Senator Kerry Nettle with us today.

More to the point, how fortunate Australia has been and we, as Greens have been, in having Kerry in the Senate.

And how important it is that we have her re-elected to the Senate on 24th November. (more…)

(councillor contribution for October 25 edition of Bungendore Bulletin)

The pre-election, highly predictable vote-buying announcement of tax cuts is old news now, and many including myself will be hoping that it will not be enough to seduce people on November 24.  The announcement was accompanied by the Government’s campaign slogan, “Go for Growth” which, in a climate of climate change caused by over-consumption and an obsession with growth as the answer to all our problems, I find quite repugnant.  (more…)

The Greens have never been better prepared and will run the strongest election campaign ever as Australia’s third political party, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

“Environmental security - climate change and water - will be big vote changers this time around. Besides genuinely tackling climate change and saving the forests from the Gunns pulp mill, we challenge the old parties to raise aged pensions by $30 per week, take the GST off public transport, abolish HECS fees and tear up the unfair WorkChoices legislation. We would reallocate the $3.5 billion of health funds going to private insurance companies to public health and hospitals. And we will work to reduce the 17-year gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians,” Senator Brown said. (more…)