in this, the year of women in local government.

Mr Ian Cohen, a Greens MP, who strongly opposed the now defunct Mogo Charcoal Factory proposal, and who is a long-term opponent of the woodchipping industry, has been ordered to pay $15,000 in defamation damages as well as massive legal costs, after a developer won a High Court challenge late last year.

The politician who said too much will be in Moruya on Saturday March 13 at the Waterfront Hotel for a fund-raiser for his legal costs. The night is aptly called ‘Bite Your Tongue’.  Fabulous local artists Matt Southon, Jeff Aschmann and Lisa & Tony have donated their time but the big news is that on his way to a tour of Japan, world renowned didgeridoo player Charlie McMahon is taking a detour to play on the night. Charlie is well known for his work in the seminal Australian band Gondwanaland but lesser known is that he featured, with the London Symphony Orchestra, on Mad Max - Beyond the Thunderdome. (more…)

Australia Day. What does it mean?

For the First Australians, it represents the take-over of their land with the arrival of the first governor and the subsequent events which led to dispossession, disease, genocide and prejudice, not to mention mismanagement and destruction of the land and water systems that had provided for them for so long.

It re-emphasises the failure to acknowledge that Indigenous people were here for tens of thousands of years before the British flag was planted on the soil of what was conveniently called “Terra Nullius” - land belonging to no-one.

This in turn is further emphasised by the flying, draping, parading and wearing of the Australian flag, featuring the colonisers’ Union Jack in the left hand corner. And if that wasn’t enough, the notion of Terra Nullius is rammed home even more by the singing of the National Anthem with its first lines - “Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free.”

What’s to celebrate? (more…)

Despite plenty of hype and grand promises approaching $2 billion, the Rudd Government has not spent one cent on baseload solar power since it
election, and existing plans look increasingly like “Hollow Men” stunts.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, is detailing the Rudd Government’s grand deception on large scale solar power at the
annual conference of the Australia and New Zealand Solar Energy Society (ANZSES) in Townsville today.

“Prime Minister Rudd’s reputation for making grand announcements and failing to back them up with anything substantial is nowhere more brazen
than in relation to you - Australia’s clean, green and clever solar sector,” Senator Milne told the conference.

“The $1.6 billion Solar Flagships scheme is a prize ‘Hollow Men’ creation. (more…)

The Australian Greens today called on the Federal Government to vigorously pursue negotiations with the incoming Japanese Government over continued whaling operations in the Southern Ocean.

“Although diplomatic efforts undertaken by Minister Peter Garrett have thus far been rather unproductive, we now have a fresh opportunity with
a new Japanese Government in place,” said Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert.

“While the Democratic Party of Japan’s policy on whaling is not dissimilar to the previous government, they have made some policy commitments to stamp out corruption and taxpayer money waste in the whaling industry. This is an opportunity to effect real change. (more…)

Scott Ludlam, Western Australia’s most recently elected Greens Senator, will put forth his parliamentary agenda on Tuesday in an inaugural speech that will both inspire and confront.

“It is time for determined, intelligent, coordinated action,” Senator Ludlam said.

“An energy-efficient Australia can be renewably powered within a generation.

“With determination and foresight, we can step past the desperate handful of fossil advocates who are scaremongering about the end of the economy as they know it and demanding that Australia not get too far in front of the rest of the world. The most damaging myth of all is the one which says this can’t be done.

“People who say it can’t be done need to get out of the way of those who are doing it.” (more…)

A meeting at NSW Parliament House will discuss the Iemma government’s plan to dam the Williams River near Dungog.

A likely blow-out in the cost of Tillegra Dam will be picked up by unsuspecting NSW households. The proposal will flood an area the size of Sydney Harbour and is completely unnecessary, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: “Tillegra Dam is not needed, it will be expensive and it will devastate the local environment. It is time for Water Minister Nathan Rees to admit his government’s mistake and cancel the project. (more…)

What: Greens MPs Sue Pennicuik (Vic), Lee Rhiannon (NSW) and Deb Foskey (ACT) visit Eden Chipmill and the South East forests area.
When: Monday 1 September 2008
Where: Eden Chipmill at 11.30am, Gnupa area logged site at 2pm

Greens MPs from Victoria, NSW and the ACT will converge on South East NSW to step up the Greens campaign to end the logging of native forests.

The MPs will:
· meet with local campaigners and Greens activists
· tour the Eden Chipmill
· visit a recently logged area of native forest at Gnupa. (more…)

On Thursday morning Senator Scott Ludlam will be presented with a message from Fremantle Mayor Peter Tagliaferri - Western Australia’s only Mayor for Peace - to deliver to the Mayor of Hiroshima next week.

8.45am Thursday, 31 July 2008

Foyer area of Pavilion Three,
Perth Exhibition and Convention Centre
Mounts Bay Road, Perth.

“I am proud to take a message of peace to Mayor Akiba on behalf of Mayor Tagliaferri, who is the only Western Australian member of Mayors for Peace - a global network of 2,300 mayors and their cities working towards the total abolition of nuclear weapons,” Senator Ludlam said. (more…)