Following the ballot draw last week and the absence of any progressive small party or independent candidates, The Greens in Monaro, comprising the Braidwood and Queanbeyan-Monaro Greens local groups, have determined that, after a recommendation for voters to vote 1 Green in the March 28 State Election, voters number the ballot paper 2 ALP, 3 Nationals, 4 No Land Tax and 5 CDP.

This decision has been made independently by The Greens in Monaro, following the distribution of a questionnaire to John Barilaro, sitting National Party member, and Steve Whan, ALP candidate.

Unfortunately and despite follow-up attempts, no response was received from the office of John Barilaro, but even so, it has not been an entirely straightforward decision, as some of the ALP responses continue to differ widely from the policies and priorities of The Greens and Green voters. (more…)

Releasing a list of the Abbott government’s top failures, the Australian Greens say the first 100 days have been a secretive, cruel and chaotic preview of what is to come.

“During the election campaign the Abbott government’s true agenda was hidden behind cheap rhetoric, but you can’t run a country with a slogan,” said Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne.

“The Abbott government has tried to claim a so-called mandate to take Australia back to the last century, but he doesn’t have one. The longer Prime Minister Abbott and his big business mates run the show, the less the public knows about what’s going on behind the scenes. The Abbott government is a secretive, cruel and chaotic government.

“The Australian people didn’t sign up to this, and the Greens will stand against it. (more…)

Voters face a serious choice on September 7 and the choice they make will determine the direction this country follows, not just for the next three years but for a long time after, says Greens candidate for Eden-Monaro Catherine Moore.

“On the one hand we have an Opposition that has set itself up to take control, but whose policies are largely unknown and whose actions are all about making the rich richer. It is an Opposition that denies the need to act decisively on climate change and perpetuates fear and loathing of some of the most vulnerable people, including asylum seekers,” says Catherine.

“On the other hand we have  government that seems to be trying to match the Opposition’s position in a number of areas, including refugees, and that also lacks the courage to ask the wealthiest to pay a fairer share.

“Both are determined to hold onto power at any cost, and have lost sight of the need to make decisions for the greater good of the whole community, into the future.

“But it doesn’t have to be simply an “either… or” situation. (more…)

Our comprehensive election platform “Standing up for what matters” has been fully costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office and makes The Greens the obvious choice for all who want to see a change of focus in politics. If implemented, it would ensure a healthy, just and sustainable future for the people of Eden-Monaro.

Simple measures like a 0.2% levy on bank assets above $100 billion, the abolition of fossil fuel subsidies, an effective mining tax and 50% tax on all incomes in excess of $1,000,000 would raise $42.7 billion.

There is an urgent need to act on climate change. If we don’t, there is every likelihood we will see an end to snow this century, and farming will be even more difficult than it is now. The Greens want a swift transition to renewable energy, for which there is huge potential here, and which would create thousands of jobs. Imagine if Eden-Monaro became home to Australia’s first solar thermal energy plant!

Farmers are essential to our country’s future prosperity and a sustainable economy. We propose actions to strengthen the viability of farming and farming communities, and increase support for small business and local employment in general. (more…)

In the wake of the launch of The Australian Greens’ policy platform “Standing up for what matters”, Greens candidate for Eden-Monaro Catherine Moore says that The Greens are the obvious party of choice for all those who want to see a change of focus in politics, and positive and meaningful proposals to take us into the future.

“If they were implemented, the policy initiatives that we have released for this election would ensure a healthy, just and sustainable future for the people of Eden-Monaro.

“By introducing simple measures like a 0.2% levy on bank assets in excess of $100 billion, the abolition of tax-payer funded fossil fuel subsidies, an effective mining tax and 50% tax on incomes in excess of $1,000,000, we could raise $42.7 billion over three years.

“These funds could then be directed into social and environmental policy actions that benefited all Australians. (more…)

The National Disability Insurance Scheme be will be of great assistance to rural and regional people with disabilities, who frequently have fewer choices than people from more highly populated areas. Increased school funding is also welcome as again, rural and regional areas are often struggling to provide the programs and facilities that are available in the city. Redirecting the baby bonus to family payment is also an improvement, as is a fairer superannuation payment system, with those on $37,000 or less now paying no tax.

However, despite these positives, The Greens believe that the Government has missed some golden opportunities to build a safer, cleaner, more just and compassionate society.

The Government is only implementing 39% of the reforms proposed by Gonski, which has led to the labelling “Gonski Lite”. While the welcome boost to schools education is the biggest for years, generous funding of private schools continues while the cuts to tertiary education will force students further into debt and impact on universities’ vital research. Tertiary students in Eden-Monaro will suffer greater impact as they often have to leave home or travel long distances to study.

Labor will spend $10 billion in this year’s Budget subsidising the biggest mining companies to look for and burn fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. This is equivalent to $66 million for every electorate in the country – money that could have been spent in the community. The subsidy for fuel use by the mining industry is projected to increase by $352 million in the next financial year. (more…)

Without the efforts of community groups and sustainable industry groups, there would be nothing to celebrate today, World Environment Day, according to  Greens candidate for Eden-Monaro, Catherine Moore.

“Politicians are failing the community when it comes to looking after the environment, but people working in their communities – in environment groups and industries committed to sustainability – are another story altogether,” says Catherine.

“Right now in this country, we have a number of state governments including in NSW looking at opening up National Parks to logging, mining, grazing and shooting.

“To his credit, Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke is at least recognising that the Federal Government may need to step in to protect National Parks from inappropriate activities like these. He needs all the encouragement we can give him.

“But the Federal Government still has on the table plans to hand over environmental powers to the states, and plans by Tony Abbott go even further. (more…)

Despite including some positive initiatives in this year’s Budget, the Government has missed some golden opportunities to build a safer, cleaner, more just and compassionate society, says Greens candidate for Eden-Monaro Catherine Moore.

“The National Disability Insurance Scheme be will be of great assistance to rural and regional people with disabilities, who frequently have fewer choices than people from more highly populated areas.

“Increased school funding is also welcome as again, rural and regional areas are often struggling to provide the programs and facilities that are available in the city. Redirecting the baby bonus to family payment is an improvement, as is a fairer superannuation payment system, with those on $37,000 or less now paying no tax.

“But while generous funding of private schools continues, the cuts to tertiary education will force students further into debt and impact on universities’ vital research. People living on Newstart need an extra $50 per week but instead they will be able to earn just an extra $19 per week (effectively, one hour of work) before their income support payment is affected. (more…)

The Greens in Eden-Monaro have welcomed Australia’s Oyster Coast’s adoption of and commitment to Environmental Management Systems (EMS), highlighting the importance of EMS as an integral part of all industries in Eden-Monaro.

After attending the launch of Australia’s Oyster Coast at the Narooma Oyster Festival on the weekend, Greens candidate for Eden-Monaro Catherine Moore said that the EMS adopted by the group with the support of Southern Rivers Catchment was a positive and proactive step towards ensuring the healthy future of an industry based on an oyster native to the area, the Sydney Rock Oyster.

“But a holistic view across the whole region is needed, and the industry will be threatened unless other industries also meet the most stringent environmental criteria in their own practices.

“Time and time again, the ALP and Coalition have failed to recognise the importance of environmental protection which ensures the viability of small producers working for sustainability. Instead, they have preferred to kowtow to and subsidise large destructive and unsustainable industries like mining and woodchipping. (more…)