NSW Greens MPs are supporting a call for a parliamentary inquiry into Frank Sartor’s new planning Bill, describing the Bill as having potentially devastating consequences for the state’s environment and heritage and being an open invitation for corruption of the planning system.

“This Bill will affect billions of dollars of developments. It will affect the rights and the amenity of every citizen in this state,”
said Greens MP and planning spokesperson Sylvia Hale.

The government today refused a Greens motion to release the submissions that had been received about the planning changes.

Ms Hale referred to a report of the cross-party Legislative Review Committee that raised significant concerns with the planning Bill including that it would trespass on individual rights to have views heard and represented, procedural fairness, access to justice and may erode the rule of law and individual property rights. (more…)

ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey said that the ACT majority Government is not using its generous budget, handed down today, to provide the leadership needed to address the challenges of climate change and growing inequity in the ACT.

“Of course the Greens are pleased to see a few of our climate change and environment ideas picked up in this budget, but we still lag behind other cities of our size and income across the western world,” Dr Foskey said today.

“The challenge of climate change should see this government commit to a sustainable rapid transit scheme that will allow people across Canberra to enjoy life without a car, and energy efficient buildings - whether they are old or new - which will be good for our planet and cheaper to run.”

“This is an infrastructure-rich budget that will provide a boon to the development industry for years to come. Given the expected drop in Federal Government activity in the ACT, that might be a deliberate strategy. It looks like there are going to be new buildings and refurbishments and roads all over the town. With the exception of Woden and Weston Creek.” (more…)

For the first time, the Federal seat of Melbourne has become a marginal seat, and the country’s only Labor/Greens electorate, after the Greens outpolled the Liberals to finish second.

Today the Australian Electoral Commission will declare the result in the seat of Melbourne. On a two candidate preferred basis, the result is Labor 54.7 per cent, Greens 45.3 per cent.

Labor MP Lindsay Tanner’s primary vote fell below 50 per cent and he was forced to rely on preferences from Australian Democrats voters to get elected. (more…)

By pushing ahead with plans to privatise the NSW electricity industry and build a new coal-fired power station at Monday’s special caucus meeting, the NSW Labor government will be undermining its chances of being re-elected in 2011, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said “Premier Iemma needs to get out and see just how unpopular privatisation is.

“If NSW Treasurer Michael Costa does get his way and the retailers and state-owned generators are sold in the next 12 months, then the full impacts of privatisation will be apparent to the voters as they go to the polls in March 2011. (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…)

The Greens are celebrating an historic Senate seat win with 18% of the vote in Tasmania.

“This is the first time the Greens have won a quota (14.2%) and our preferences - setting aside the long shot chance of Andrew Wilkie taking the sixth seat - will win Labor the third Senate seat in Tasmania,” Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

“Our Scott Ludlam is strongly placed to win a Senate seat in Western Australia and we have very real possibilities for the sixth seat in South Australia and Victoria. My colleague Senator Kerry Nettle will need a little miracle to hold on, and Queensland is not beyond possibility.” (more…)

Federal Election Day, 2007

Don’t forget to vote!  You only have till 6pm to get this country back on the right course

Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne today said that http://GreensBlog.org, the official blog of the Australian Greens Senators and their staff, has become a huge success, gaining great momentum throughout the election campaign.

Senator Milne said “GreensBlog has become a tremendously successful way for the Greens to get our message out and hold conversations with people across Australia, and indeed the whole world. (more…)

(councillor column for November 22 edition of Bungendore Bulletin; shorter version sent to local papers in Eden-Monaro and the Canberra Times)

The election is only days away and like most campaigns before it, this one has been dominated by the major parties, as if there were only two voting options. It would be good if we could release ourselves from the ALP/Coalition stronghold and let them know that their policies are not good enough for a just and environmentally sustainable future. Every time there’s an election, The Greens are vilified by one group or another, including the major parties. (more…)