NSW Premier Morris Iemma could have avoided today’s industrial action at the state’s 2,300 public schools, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: “Threatening a pay cut at a time of looming teacher shortages is not only irrational.

“It also compromises the future of public education.

“Balancing the budget by reducing teachers’ salaries might appeal to Treasurer Michael Costa but it will rob future students of the right to a quality education. (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…)

Greens NSW MP John Kaye today unveiled his party’s posters, badges, web site and other materials as part of their campaign to stop the NSW government’s privatisation of the electricity industry.

Dr Kaye said: “Premier Morris Iemma has badly underestimated community opposition to electricity industry privatisation.

“We will be working along side unions and community groups to turn that opposition into action. (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…)

(councillor contribution 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…)

The Greens have today warned voters not to be fooled by the major parties’ silence over uranium exports.

“Nuclear is the elephant in the room. Despite the notable silence on uranium from both major parties, voters ought to be worried about Australia’s rapidly growing involvement in the global nuclear industry,” Greens Senate candidate Sarah Hanson-Young said today.

“Just like his evasion over his WorkChoices laws at the last election, Prime Minister Howard’s nuclear agenda of reactors, enrichment and waste dumps is ready to go on November 25. (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…)

The Greens are the only party fully committed to scrapping the Howard Government’s WorkChoices legislation.

There are good reasons for this across all regions and in most occupations, but they are especially strong in rural and regional areas.

We also believe Work Choices will damage regional economies.

Rural and regional workers are often hardest hit as they have fewer jobs available and so often feel forced to accept worse conditions, including casual and part time work. (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…)