NSW Greens MP and transport spokesperson Lee Rhiannon says Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese will only succeed in transforming Sydney into a more liveable city if he directs Infrastructure Australia to shift its funding preference from road construction to public transport and rail freight infrastructure.

“The key to liveable cities is public transport. Anthony Albanese must allocate funding from Infrastructure Australia to large scale public transport projects, reversing the current preoccupation with roads,” Ms Rhiannon said.

“It’s time for a funding switch from the current situation where the Federal government is allocating $28 billion to road projects over six years, while rail gets a mere $7.9 billion. (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…)

The Labor Government’s announcement overnight that it would in effect sell significant Sydney Harbour properties by leasing them for 99 years to private owners will frustrate any ability to strategically plan for Sydney Cove, The Rocks and Darling Harbour, says The Greens NSW.

“Auctioning off publicly owned assets on 99 year leases conditions the public to forget that the land and buildings around our harbour were ever owned by the people of NSW,” said Sylvia Hale MLC, Greens spokesperson for Planning and Lands.

“It also frustrates any attempt to use these places in the public interest in years to come. (more…)

The dramatic rise in gun theft has serious public safety implications that requires immediate action to be taken by both the NSW and federal governments Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said today. (SMH page 2, http://bit.ly/7Ryjzh)

The Australian Institute of Criminology has found that during 2007-08 there was an 11 per cent rise in gun theft with nearly a quarter of these crimes in NSW. (http://bit.ly/5K8zQt)

“Firearm crimes are traumatising more people and lives are being lost unnecessarily because Australian political leaders have not had the courage to stand up to the gun lobby,” Ms Rhiannon said. (more…)

Greens MP and avid surfer Ian Cohen believes increased use of surfing helmets could prevent horrendous accidents similar to that of 10 year
old Pascal Dattler in Byron Bay last week. Pascal’s skull was shattered in a surfing accident where the board of another surfer hit Pascal in the head.

Ian, an experienced surfer of 40 years has been wearing a surfing helmet for the last decade.

“When we have accidents similar to Pascal’s we are reminded of the importance of protective helmets for surfers. Statistics show that 80% of injuries in surfing are head injuries. Helmets do not get in the way and are a distinct safety advantage with sunnies attached and a shell to protect the head,” says Mr Cohen.   (more…)

In response to scientific testing commissioned by Friends of the Earth and released today, revealing that nanotechnology is used in beauty products sold by eight leading cosmetic brands, Greens MP and health spokesperson Lee Rhiannon is calling for new laws around safety testing and the mandatory labelling of products containing nanotechnology. (Sydney Morning Herald, 24 November 2009, page 5)

Testing showed nanoparticles in concealers and foundations sold by Clinique, Clarins, L’Oreal, Revlon, The Body Shop, Max Factor, Lancome Paris and By Terry.

“These new test results reveal that the big cosmetic companies are enthusiastically embracing the use of nanotechnology in their products, despite the significant potential health risks to the millions of women who use them on a daily basis,” Ms Rhiannon said. (more…)

Food Labelling Review Secretariat
Department of Health and Ageing
MDP 150
GPO Box 9848
Canberra ACT 2601

Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission on this important issue.

If this review of food labelling law and policy is genuine about considering options to (1) reduce the regulatory burden in food labelling (2) without compromising public health and safety, the Braidwood Greens believe that full and accurate labelling is essential.

In the same way that people have a right to choose whether or not they eat food containing any animal products, so should they have a right to choose whether or not they eat food containing GM organisms, or irradiated or novel foods. (more…)

Greens MP and health spokesperson Lee Rhiannon has called on Premier Nathan Rees and Opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell to support abortion law reform and work together to ensure women and doctors can access abortion services without the risk of criminal prosecution, (’Labor MPs support new calls to legalise abortion”, p. 8, SMH).”Modernising NSW’s abortion laws should be beyond party politics, with all parties working together,” Ms Rhiannon said.

“Premier Nathan Rees and Opposition Barry O’Farrell could refresh politics by joining forces and working co-operatively to bring forward progressive laws.

“NSW is dragging the chain on abortion law reform in Australia, with Victoria and the ACT modernising their laws to treat abortion as a health not a criminal matter. (more…)

The Rees government is creating a public health risk by backing the food industry and voting against a bill that would ban the use of artificial trans fatty acids in the state’s foods, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: “There is no doubt that the continued use of artificial trans fatty acids in foods poses a massive risk to the future health of New South Wales consumers. Trans fats increase the risk of heart disease.”

“The Rees government by rejecting The Greens trans fats eradication bill is thumbing its nose at the concerns of health professionals, including the Australian Medical Association New South Wales Branch, and the consumer organisation Choice. (more…)

By Jimmy Carter
Thursday, January 8, 2009

I know from personal involvement that the devastating invasion of Gaza by Israel could easily have been avoided.
After visiting Sderot last April and seeing the serious psychological damage caused by the rockets that had fallen in that area, my wife, Rosalynn, and I declared their launching from Gaza to be inexcusable and an act of terrorism. Although casualties were rare (three deaths in seven years), the town was traumatized by the unpredictable explosions. About 3,000 residents had moved to other communities, and the streets, playgrounds and shopping centers were almost empty. Mayor Eli Moyal assembled a group of citizens in his office to meet us and complained that the government of Israel was not stopping the rockets, either through diplomacy or military action. (more…)