GreensBlog

Huge public response - over $240,000 raised

TimNorton — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 11:18:12 +1000

Donations from more than 1000 members of the public have poured in to help pay the $240,000 legal costs bill for Forestry Tasmania.

Most of the donations are modest but they range from $7.20 to $20,000 (for the purchase of a Wedge-tail eagle painting). Bob would like to pass on that he is extremely grateful and sends his heartfelt thanks to everyone who offered support.

It shows how strongly people feel about the fate of Tasmania's wild forests and their wildlife. There were many more offers to raise money.

If we get extra money, we will put it into the campaign to save Australia's forests. Some of the other legal battles to protect our forests are still on foot, including the Gunns 20 and the Triabunna 13 (whose case continues in the Tasmanian Supreme Court today).

You can donate on their site: http://www.gunns20.org

A survey last week, by a Wilderness Society consultant, showed that Forestry Tasmania has been given $630 million in public subsidies over the past 11 years. Perhaps the $240,000 payment could be put to a good public conservation cause by Forestry Tasmania.

Climate Change Rally

TimNorton — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:21:16 +1000

On Saturday 13th June, a national rally is being held in most capital cities around Australia. All five Greens Senators will be speaking at or attending rallies across Australia tomorrow calling for the CPRS to be scrapped and replaced with swift action to reduce emissions, drive renewable energy and create green jobs.

Bob will address the Melbourne Rally, 1pm, State Library
Christine will address the Hobart Rally, 12 noon, Parliament Lawns
Rachel will address the Perth Rally, with Scott also attending, 12.30 pm, Forrest Place, Perth
Sarah will address the Adelaide Rally, 11am, Victoria Square

We're also expecting large numbers of Greens members to be in attendance. Full details of the rallies can be found at www.climaterally.org and resources and details about the Greens' involvement can be found at www. greens.org.au/resources

Bob has also done a short video piece:

Hope to see many of you there!

Protecting the climate is a job for everyone

TimNorton — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:15:10 +1000

We've just launched our new TV ad, pushing the Government to see sense on emissions trading. Australia needs real domestic action on climate change. Unfortunately, the Rudd government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is deeply flawed.

The Government has announced that it will delay the scheme by one year and deliver another $2.2 billion in compensation to Australia's biggest polluters-in addition to $7.4 billion the polluters are already getting.

The Greens are prepared to support a minimum unconditional 25% target - the bare minimum required by science and the global community - to end 12 years of climate inaction. And Treasury modelling shows it is affordable; by 2020 Australia's GDP will be roughly three times the size it is today whether we have a ‘worse than useless' 5% target or the minimum effective 25% target.

Now the Prime Minister faces a climate test. Will Kevin Rudd brown-down the CPRS by negotiating with the Coalition, or will he green up the CPRS by negotiating with the Greens?

You can support the Greens by writing to the newspapers in your state to show the Prime Minister that Australians support an emissions trading scheme that protects the environment, not polluters.

The Coen brothers’ take on ‘clean coal’

EbonyBennett — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:38:58 +1000

‘Clean coal', like a healthy cigarette, does not exist.

I recently came across this stellar little ad for ‘clean coal' by Oscar-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen and thought it was worth sharing.

A few years ago I travelled with Bob to Blackwater QLD, the coal capital of Australia, where he spoke to the local council and community on the urgent need to move from coal-fired power to clean renewable energy sources.

On the way to Blackwater, we stopped by the site of what was touted at the time as Australia's foremost ‘clean coal' project ZeroGen - it turned out to be an empty paddock.

The fact is there is no coal fired power plant anywhere in Australia which can capture its pollution and/or store it underground.

According to Marian Wilkinson, "CSIRO's chief of energy technology, David Brockway, explained bluntly that we are unlikely to see a commercial-scale clean coal plant operating within 15 years - or at least 2024."

Carbon capture and storage - or ‘clean coal' - doesn't exist.

But there are plenty of renewable technologies that are powering homes all over the world this very second.

p.s I'm Bob's media advisor and I'm hopefully going be blogging a little more than I have been (which is not at all) about politics in Parliament House, where I'm based, and other things that catch my attention.

Hack TV on teenagers in rehab

TimNorton — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:17:13 +1000

The latest episode of Hack TV looks into the issue of teenagers struggling with addiction, and the need for targetted rehabilitation programs. They spoke to Bob for a Greens persepctive, who alongside years in politics, is a trained and once-practising GP.

Nation's heart goes out to fire victims

BobBrown — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:38:33 +1100

The Greens Senators join with all Australians in reaching out to all those who have lost so much and so many loved ones in the weekend's bushfires.

The nation's heart is with the victims of this bushfire horror.

I join with all Australians in expressing sheer heartfelt sorrow and empathy with the people who have lost so much, so cruelly, in this inferno.

Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund - 1800 811 700

We thank and pay the highest tribute to the thousands of professionals and volunteers fighting the fires and helping the victims, often at great risk to themselves.

The Greens will be backing efforts by federal, state and local government to bring urgent aid and assistance to everyone involved.

The Greens are encouraging anyone who can afford to, to help out with donations for those who have lost everything, as well as to fire services across Australia.If you can give blood, supplies will be desperately needed.

Online donations via the Red Cross can be made here.

Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund - 1800 811 700

Truth Casualty of Gaza Conflict

BobBrown — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:53:34 +1100

The world has been shocked by the conflict in Gaza over the last few weeks. As always, truth has been one of the early casualties of the war, so the full extent of the blood-shed is not yet known. A central element of this is the Israeli government's continued ban on foreign media entering the Gaza strip.

The borders of Gaza were initially closed to the media in November of last year. The Israeli government claimed this was in response to unbalanced news coverage and continues to defy an order of Israel's own Supreme Court to allow a small group of foreign journalists into the area. It seems just as the people of Palestine are under siege, so too is the democratic principle of freedom of the press.

Unfortunately, the response of the Australian government and opposition has been disappointing to say the least. In the last Senate sitting, I moved a motion calling on the Australian government to pressure the Israeli government to grant proper access for the media into Gaza. The motion was voted down by the Labor and Liberal parties.

My Green colleagues and I have continued to support the calls of the Foreign Press Association to allow journalists to enter the Gaza strip. Despite the escalation of violence in the region, both major parties have remained tight-lipped on the freedom of the press.

I remain staggered that Labor and the Liberals have chosen to flagrantly deny the rights of Australian journalists to report on the conflict first hand. Journalists have a key responsibility to report the facts as they see them. This often attracts the ire of governments, but should never be used as justification for muzzling the media. Freedom of the press is fundamental to democracy and both the Australian government and opposition should stand up in support of this.

Conflicts such as this can only ever be solved by raising awareness and promoting greater understanding across borders, and there are so many on both sides of this conflict working hard towards this end. Journalists are uniquely placed to facilitate this understanding. By denying journalists access and allowing misinformation to spread, the Israeli government runs the risk of creating the very conditions that allows terrorism to fester.

It is often said that truth is the first casualty of war. Unfortunately, with a media black-out in Gaza, that first casualty could tragically lead to many more.

Violence and extinction in Tasmania's forests

TimHollo — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:54:35 +1000

The last three days have been quite a revelation of exactly what's going on in Tasmania's forests. Regardless of the rhetoric of sensitive management of the forests, the real story is one of wantonly sending species towards extinction and viciously attacking those brave souls who stand up for protection.

On Monday, Bob Brown launched a new report by Margaret Blakers and Isobel Crawford into the state of the Swift Parrot (pictured). This amazing parrot, named in honour of its ability to cross Bass Strait in 3 hours (the ferry takes all night!), is listed as endangered, but, as the paper argues, should be upgraded to critically endangered as its population has recently crashed below 1000 pairs thanks to the logging of its only breeding grounds - the forests of south-eastern Tasmania.

Last Friday, Forestry Tasmania proudly announced that they would halt logging in the Wielangta coupes where the birds are nesting this season. Once the birds are gone, of course, Forestry will continue the slash and burn, destroying forever one of the last remaining nurseries for this beautiful little bird.

Bob made the point to Fran Kelly on Radio National breakfast on Monday that, with a species on the brink of extinction and the State Government doing nothing to protect its long-term future, the Federal Government has the right and the responsibility to step in and terminate the Regional Forests Agreement that covers the area preventing the Federal Government from taking any action to save thebird.

When challenged on the issue by Fran Kelly on this morning's breakfast, Peter Garrett ducked the issue, passing the buck to the Tasmanian Government:

"Under the RFA Act, it is the responsibility of the Tasmanian government to ensure that those management prescriptions that have been identified as necessary are undertaken and it's our expectation that that would be the case... The EPBC [Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation] Act does not apply, and hasn't for some time, to override or to provide ... any necessary or additional actions over the RFA. Now that's always been the case."

A bold move by one of my former heroes.

Meanwhile, the Tasmanian Government, in whose trust Minister Garrett places the fate of the Swift Parrot, is led by a man crassly and wilfully ignorant of science. A recent study by the ANU has backed up what many of us have been arguing for years - that standing forests are far more valuable as carbon stores than they are as woodchips.

Premier Bartlett, on the other hand, told The Australian newspaper that "I don't think the logging of old-growth forests is necessarily related to climate change" and called the clear global position that standing forests are more valuable than logged forests "bullshit". You can read what Christine Milne has to say about that here.

But just to confirm one of the worst weeks for Tasmania's forests in years, we were notified last night of a horrific attack on protesters in the Florentine Valley yesterday, brave people from Still Wild, Still Threatened, trying to protect forests on the eastern edge of the World Heritage Area. They had locked onto a car in the middle of a forestry access road, peacefully but effectively blocking the ability of loggers to gain access and chop down the trees. They were attacked in their car, with loggers bashing the vehicle with a sledgehammer, eventually dragging one protester out and kicking him in the head. One particularly brave protester caught it on a phone camera and the footage is now making its way around the globe.

A warning. This footage is not for the faint-hearted, or for those who dislike coarse language.

Footage currently unavailable - apologies. We will try to fix this asap.

First Greens MP in QLD

BobBrown — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 22:36:12 +1000

I'd like to introduce you to our new Greens MP in Queensland - Ronan Lee, the Member for Indooroopilly.

Ronan became Queensland's first Greens MP hours ago when he resigned from the Labor Party, and joined the Queensland Greens.

Ronan has joined the Greens because he feels, as I do, that so much more can be achieved for a greener way of life in Queensland.

I have just finished a press conference at the Mt Coot-tha Lookout in Brisbane with Ronan and it was really great to see that he put Queensland's natural advantages and need to reverse climate change at the forefront of his decision.

I'm really excited by today's events because Ronan will give the Queensland Parliament a strong and intelligent Greens advocate.

Now there will be a responsible voice free to challenge those old Labor and National-Liberal policies which, for example, threaten the death of the Great Barrier Reef and tens of thousands of jobs dependent on it.

Here's what Ronan said:

"The type of old-fashioned thinking that got our society in this climate change mess is not the type of thinking that can get us out of trouble - we need a major shift in policy focus with a genuine commitment to renewable energy, public transport, protecting our state's wilderness areas and a smarter water policy that reduces the need for major dams."

It's great to see so much momentum building in Queensland. If Queensland had the electoral systems used in other states, Greens would have been in Parliament decades ago. Now Ronan has made the big step so many Queenslanders have wanted.

Now with Ronan becoming our first Greens member, hundreds of thousands of Greens supporters in Queensland have a real say on the floor of Parliament.

You can listen to Ronan's statement via the Courier Mail website.

UPDATE - you can now watch the press conference.

Please let Ronan know that you're happy he's joined the Greens. Send us your personal welcome note to senator.bob.brown@aph.gov.au and we'll make sure he gets it.

Pic credit: Sarah Marshall, Courier Mail

Government continues to fail pensioners

AdamBurling — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:10:52 +1000

The Rudd government has continued this week to fail the 1.2 million Australian aged pensioners, as well as those on disability and veterans benefits.

On Monday, the Greens moved an amendment to the Coalition's bill to increase the aged and veteran pension. The amendment would have seen the $30 a week income boost go to disability pensioners as well, but this was not supported by either the Government or the Coalition.

The Relief for Single Age Pensioners Bill 2008 passed with only Government senators opposing it. After the Senate's endrosement of the $30 increase, the Government then claimed that the bill was unconstitional even with advice from the Clerk of the Senate to the contrary. This claim only served as a distraction from the real issue of the plight of those on pensions.

For more than twelve months the Greens have been campaigning for some sort of monetary relief for Australia's pensioners. The Rudd government can help some of the lowest income Australians, by immediately providing a $30 increase to aged, veteran and disability pensioners. In the longer term, an Entitlements Commission, which would act as an independent tribunal to determine increases to all welfare allowances, has been suggested by the Catholic Services Australia.

The Greens have welcomed the idea of such a commission. Already wage earners, including politicians and public servants have access to such a body in determining their wage increases. It is vital that those people living on government allowances, often below the poverty line, should have access to a similar tribunal. An Entitlements Commission would go along way to remove the political bickering that has occurred during the past couple of weeks, over an increase to the pension.

Pensioners

AdamBurling — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:08:01 +1000

The momentum to gain an increase for Australia's 1.2 million pensioners seems to be at a peak, with all political parties, except Labor, now supporting at least a $30 rise.

Dr Brendan Nelson this week will introduce to Parliament, a private members bill that will seek to raise the single aged pension by $30 a week.

While the Greens have stated that they will support such a motion, we believe that it has no chance of succeeding given the Opposition's numbers in the House of Representatives. It also appears a little hypocritical of the Coalition to suddenly support the plight of pensioners given that their struggle was ignored in 11 of the Howard Government's budgets. Peter Costello, in his new book, describes how just a year ago this was not a priority for the Coalition when their party room knocked back the idea of an increase.

The Greens have for a number of years now called for an increase in pension, we believe that the 2007-08 Federal Budget provided tax cuts to those earning more than $75,000, at a cost of $3.5 billion per year, should have been used to instead boost the income of Australia's pensioners.

This week Senator Brown will move in the Senate, that the Government legislate to increase pensions and, in particular, for an immediate rise of $30 per week for single aged pensioners. Senator Brown will also be asking the Prime Minister and senior ministers, who said that they could not live on the pension, what steps they will take to help these Australian battlers.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

EbonyBennett — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:30:38 +1000

Today Bob gave notice that he will re-introduce the Protecting Children from Junk Food Advertising (Broadcasting Amendment) Bill 2008, to ban junk food advertising during children's TV viewing hours. The bill was first introduced by Democrats Senator Lyn Allison.

Despite recent alarming reports that obesity costs the Australian community an estimated $58 billion a year, the government communications regulator ACMA has decided not to impose further restrictions on advertising during children's television hours.

The move has understanbly outraged a number of health, consumer and parent groups who have been lobbying for change for years.

Only 1 per cent of food advertising promotes healthy food. The other 99 per cent promotes fast food, soft drinks, ice cream and other junk food.

Everyone knows that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and a national ban on junk food advertising during kids' TV viewing hours, an idea overwhelmingly supported by parents, is a sensible first step towards tackling childhood obesity.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

BobBrown — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:11:36 +1000

American psychiatrists have confirmed the existence of SAD – seasonal affective disorder. They get SAD in winter. A bright light by the desk helps offset this malady. I suffer WOW – winter-only wellbeing.

Winter – snow on the mountain, ice on the ponds, a fireside book and hot Tamar Valley wine – sets off the whole celebratory year. My anxiety is triggered by the idea of NOT having four seasons set off each year by winter. I thought of this when visiting an old friend in Launceston General Hospital’s psychiatric ward 1E.

Contrary to the theory of sunshine cheer, there is no view outside at all, nor natural light, and all doors need be locked. How can we get undepressed in such an environment? The staff need medals.

A signpost to the new Senate - Greens, Heffernan and Joyce stand together

TimHollo — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:42:23 +1000

As we say a sad farewell to Kerry Nettle and the Democrats (you can read Bob's valedictory speech to the Dems here and we'll post Kerry's soon - here), we saw a fascinating signpost today to the interesting place that the new Senate will be when we come back from winter recess in late August.

Christine has been working on amendments to legislation establishing a massive tax rorts for plantation investors - another Managed Investment Scheme mess - in the guise of establishing 'carbon sink forests'. You can read more about the whole messy saga in this release from today, and I will post the Hansard transcripts as soon as I can - I promise you they make for very interesting reading. It's been one of the best debates the Senate has seen since I've arrived.

But in the mean time, check out the video of the joint press conference we called today with Christine, Bob, Barnaby Joyce and Bill Heffernan. Ron Boswell was supposed to come, but didn't make it.

Sad to say, when push came to shove, the Nationals and Heffo decided to quietly leave the room and abstain from the vote altogether instead of standing up with us to be counted. More on that in the morning, but enjoy the vid - sorry about the quality...

UPDATE - Transcripts

The Senate debate is so big it's best to go straight to source. For the initial debate on Tuesday night, go to Tuesday's Hansard here and see Christine's speech starting at page 64 and then the full debate from page 75 to 89.

Wednesday's Hansard is here, and the debate runs from page 40 to 51.

Thursday's Hansard is here, and the debate - featuring Ron Boswell tremulously saying that he agrees with everything the greens have said, runs from page 43 to 49, page 59 to 61, and, finally, page 77 to 85. Page numbers refer to the pdf doc page numbers, not the Hansard ones.

Brown and Milne speak on Tibet

TimHollo — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:07:47 +1000

Catching up on videos that I have meant to post here for some time, putting firmly the Greens' position on Tibet.

Bob Brown speaking at the rally coinciding with the Olympic torch relay in Canberra here and here, and Christine Milne's speech to the Senate on the question of suspending standing orders to even allow discussion of the issue.

You can also read Bob's urgency motion on Tibet and several of his press releases for more information.

Convergence on Canberra

RachelSiewert — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:35:22 +1100

Australian Greens Senators Bob Brown & Rachel Siewert speak at the Convergence on Canberra rally.

On Tuesday 12th February 2008, people from all around Australia came together for "Convergence on Canberra", calling for an immediate review of the NT Intervention, restoration of the Racial Discrimination Act, Aboriginal control of Aboriginal affairs, and implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples.

Greens will move to abolish preference deals

BobBrown — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:14:37 +1100

When parliament resumes I will move to abolish preference deals. Under my plan, voters would be able to number the parties to their own preference ABOVE THE LINE.

At present voters wanting their own choice face the complex job of preferencing candidates, rather than parties, below the line.
It is much better to have all voters choose their own line up of parties. This is a beautiful option empowering voters over parties.
But at the moment, parties are required by law to lodge a preference ticket with the AEC.

The Greens have an agreement to swap perferences with the Democrats in the Senate ahead of the major parties and the non-progressive minor parties. And we have an agreement to preference Labor in marginal lower house seats on the mainland, in return for Labor's 2nd preferences in the Senate going to the Greens in every state.

Across the mainland the Greens will direct preferences to Labor in marginal seats because we think it is time for fresh blood in government in this country.
But in Tasmania we are not preferencing either of the parties because of the pulp mill.

To view all the parties lodged preference tickets for each state visit the AEC website:
www.aec.gov.au

Bob's speech at Walk Against Warming in Sydney

MaxPhillips — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:03:00 +1100

A short video containing Bob Brown's speech at Walk Against Warming is now on YouTube.

I personally lost about 5 kilograms doing the walk dressed in a furry penguin suit on a 30+ degree day.

Ban Junk Food Advertising

BobBrown — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:48:55 +1100

Today's cartoon is brought to you by the very serious issue of childhood obesity and junk food advertising.

The incidence of overweight and obesity among Australian children has increased rapidly in recent years and, at present, shows no sign of abating. (Approximately 1 in 6 children are overweight and 1.20 obese) It is linked to an increase in food consumption in general, an increase in junk food consumption in particular, and a decline in physical activity.

Childhood overweight and obesity leads to higher incidence of diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease. This is a multifaceted problem, but there is no doubt that increased consumption of junk foods, that is foods that are high in sugar, fat, or salt, is a substantial contributing factor.
In a recent survey of over 1600 Australians, 86 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement that there should be more limits on advertising to children.

Despite the widespread support for restrictions of junk food advertising from peak medical bodies, and the overwhelming public support for such restrictions, there has been no indication that the Howard Government is willing to address this problem. And Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has ruled out a ban on junk food advertising during children's television viewing hours.

Obesity among Australian children has been rising steadily for the last two decades, with around 7 per cent of children now facing significant life long health problems due to their weight.
The ban on junk food advertising during children's television viewing hours would cost the government nothing and save billions of dollars related to the costs of obesity.

Sign the petition to ban junk food advertising during children's television viewing hours at Sarah Hanson-Young's website.

National Press Club Speech and Bob's leader's debate

AdamBurling — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:04:23 +1000

Senator Bob Brown yesterday addressed the National Press Club in the first of a Federal Election series with each of the leaders of the political parties. In his speech, Senator Brown outlines The Greens future plans for Australia.

This policy vision includes raising the old age pension, action on climate change, rights for Indigenous Australians and establishing dental care for all low income Australians.

Here is a ten minute outtake from the speech:

Watch the full video
Read the full transcript
Watch the ABC's 7:30 report interview about Senator Brown's press club speech.

In his address to the National Press Club, Greens Leader Bob Brown announced that the Greens will hold an event on Sunday night to respond to the leaders' debate on Sky News.

"I haven't had an invitation to the Leaders Debate as Leader of the Greens party. So unlike the debate John Howard has proposed, I extend an invitation to the public to attend the Greens ‘People's Forum' on Sunday night," Senator Brown said.

The Greens have booked the Theatrette in Parliament House and plan to screen the Leaders Debate for a live audience, after which Senator Brown will give a short address and respond to questions.

"We love the worm," Senator Brown said. "We will attempt to provide the audience with ‘the worm' for the debate."

The Theatrette holds 280 places. To book a place call: (02) 6277 3170 or
email: forum07bookings@hotmail.com