Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown today released a 12 point plan to stimulate ideas for the 2020 summit.

1. 2009 Referendum – YES or NO – to Australia becoming a republic. 2010 Referendum on mode of appointing President. 2011 First Australian President elected
2. 2009 Australia moves in the United Nations for the establishment of a bicameral global parliament; lower house based on 'one person, one vote, one value'; upper house based on nation state representation. Aim for 2020 implementation. Offer Australian site for Global Parliament.
3. 2008 $7.1 billion tax rebate idea dumped. Budget ploughs $5 billion into public education and skills promotion.  Universal pre-school education. HECS abolished. Australia back in top 10 nations in per capita education spending.
4. 2008 Government adopts Greens' EASI plan to retrofit all 8 million Australian homes with insulation and other energy-saving measures by 2020, the cost recouped through reduced power bills.
5. Overtake California and Spain in building baseload solar power stations and geothermal power ruling out ever building another coal-fired power station in Australia – or nuclear.
6. 2008 Peter Garrett announces end to logging and clearfelling of Australia's native forests – nation's greenhouse gas output falls by 10%
7. $3.6 billion annually spent on the private health insurance rebate scrapped. Money establishes rural and remote area health centres and national dental care system
8. Kimberly, Arnhem Land and Cape York regional autonomy returns Aboriginal sovereignty. Australia follows Canadian lead in remote areas with dominant indigenous population.
9. Roads funding swapped for investment in fast, efficient public transport. GST removed dropping ticket prices 10% overnight. Rail transport follows existing road traffic routes. One per cent of budget (as in Holland) goes to bikeways.
10. Global bushfire and emergency centre established in Australia to coordinate technological response to unprecedented fire threats due to global warming.
11. A 10% ($2billion) cut in Australia's defence spending to stimulate a 'Marshall Plan' to eradicate global poverty. If 10% of world armament spending (now at $1trillion per annum) was re-allocated to poverty, all the world's children would have food, clean water and a school to attend.
12. Federal government guarantees 3 gigalitres or 25% environmental flows to the Murray Darling Basin saving the Murray Cod, the River Red Gum and bird-breeding marshes.

 
Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603