GreensMPs

More Action needed to prevent Extinctions: Brown

RussellKelly — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:23:38 +1000

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says Australia must do much more itself, and to convince world leaders, to take action to reverse the trend towards ever-increasing wildlife extinctions.
"The release today by the United Nations of the detailed analysis of its Red List of Threatened Species reveals that numerous species on Earth are under serious threat."
"Not since the demise of the dinosaurs have we witnessed such an extinction crisis, with a third of amphibians, a quarter of mammals and one-in-eight birds threatened with extinction."
"In 2009, a new breed of dinosaurs is in charge," Senator Brown said.

Burke should explain to Parliament his copycat of Gunns' Pulp Mill Propaganda

RussellKelly — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:59:55 +1000

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown has called on Forests Minister Tony Burke to explain to Parliament why he copied Gunns' propaganda in his major ministerial statement in the House of Representatives last week.
Analysis of Mr Burke's ministerial statement made in the House of Representatives revealed the extent to which the Federal Minister was repeating highly questionable claims about the pulp mill project.
"It appears he has simply parroted inflated Gunns' jobs propaganda – when in fact the proper independent role of a Minister is to carefully assess such claims, particularly when burning and pulping forests is a net jobs destroyer."
Senator Brown said that the closeness between the Minister's statements and those of Gunns called for a re-assessment of the suitability of the appointment of Gunns' chairman Mr John Gay to the Pulp and Paper Industry Strategy Group, announced recently.
"Minister Burke needs to get an independent, scientifically rigorous view of the value of Australia's forests – not one from vested interests who gain from their destruction."
Comparison of statements:
1. “At around $1.5 billion in capital expenditure, the proposed mill will be the largest ever investment by the private sector in Tasmania, and the largest ever by the forestry sector in Australia” (Gunns LTD) http://www.gunnspulpmill.com.au/factsheets/Facts_Update_Sep.pdf)

“At up to $2 billion in capital expenditure, the mill would be the largest ever private
sector investment in Tasmania, and the largest ever by Australia’s forest industry”. (The Hon Tony Burke, MP Wednesday, 24 June 2009)

2. “The project will add around $6.7 billion, or 2.5 per cent to the Tasmanian economy”.(Gunns LTD) http://www.gunnspulpmill.com.au/factsheets/Facts_Update_Sep.pdf)

“The mill will add an estimated $6.7 billion to Tasmania’s economy”. (The Hon Tony Burke, MP Wednesday, 24 June 2009)

3. “Construction of the Pulp Mill and flow-on investment will create some 8000 direct and
indirect jobs spread across the trades and other areas. A further 1500 to 1600 additional direct and indirect jobs will be created during the Pulp Mill’s operation”. (Gunns LTD) http://www.gunnspulpmill.com.au/factsheets/Facts_Update_Sep.pdf)

“Construction of the mill and flow-on investment would create some 8,000 direct and indirect jobs spread across the trades and other areas. Another 1,500 jobs would be created during operation.”. (The Hon Tony Burke, MP Wednesday, 24 June 2009)

Ex politicians' travel expenses

TimNorton — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:30:07 +1000

Bob talks to ABC's The World Today about retired politicians' travel expenses, and the need for an independent auditor.

Free flight ex-MPs need grounding: Brown

TimNorton — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:25:29 +1000

MPs' Gold Passes need Independent Arbiter

RussellKelly — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:11:45 +1000

The Australian Greens say that the free 'Gold Pass' travel scheme for former MPs should be reviewed by an independent arbiter.
Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said that many Australians would be surprised to learn that long-serving Federal MPs were given free travel for life and this could be used solely for personal purposes.
"Since 1994 there have been limits, but the scheme should be subject to independent assessment to ensure paid travel is only for legitimate community benefit."
Senator Brown said that an independent arbiter should be established with guidelines so that MPs and the public were protected.

Hospitals and schools should get ETS help instead of polluters: Greens

TimHollo — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:02:12 +1000

The States should use today's COAG meeting to urge the Federal Government to both lift its carbon pollution reduction targets and compensate the States ahead of polluters, otherwise front-line jobs in health, education and essential services are at risk, according to the Australian Greens.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said new research from the Australia Institute showed that State Governments had been ignored by Canberra in drawing up the CPRS in favour of big polluters.

"The CPRS will give big polluters a massive $16 billion in compensation. Health and education should get precedence."

"Instead of handing out billions of dollars to help polluters, we should be investing in making our hospitals, schools and police stations more energy efficient, reducing carbon costs by reducing carbon emissions."

"The CPRS legislation means that State Governments will be faced with a $2.2 billion increase in budget costs for hospitals, schools and emergency services by 2013-2014, rising to $5.5 billion by 2020."

Senator Brown said that the Government's climate legislation was fundamentally flawed because its targets were too low to stop the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef and the Murray Darling Basin, but at the same time gave huge amounts of compensation to polluting industries.

"The CPRS locks in failure."

Further information: Russell Kelly 0438376082 ends

NB: Interview available online at http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2008/s2614286.htm

Greens will move for tax cut rethink

RussellKelly — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:25:33 +1000

Greens will move for tax cut rethink

The Australian Greens will move in the Senate for the Rudd Government to wind back tax cuts for the rich – and has invited the Coalition to support it.
Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said he welcomed comments by Coalition Treasury Spokesperson Joe Hockey who told a Centre for Economic Development Australia business lunch yesterday that the Rudd Government had a case not to proceed with the cuts which come into effect today.
Joe Hockey said:
"... there would have been a legitimate justification for the Government to say our debt, you know, our recovery, our economic recovery will be slower if we are running a big deficit and I think it [not proceeding with tax cuts] should have been considered as part of the mix."
"The Greens will be moving in the Senate for the tax cuts to be revisited at the next opportunity –it simply doesn't make sense for the rich to be getting generous tax cuts which amount to some $42 per week for those who earn more than $180,000 per year," Senator Brown said

"Yet pension increases have been pegged at $32 per week for singles, $10 per week for couples and zero for single parents."

"It is an opportunity for Joe Hockey's Coalition and the Rudd Government to rethink the tax cuts."

Burke continues pulp mill support

TimHollo — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:21:27 +1000

The Rudd government is continuing to support Gunns' proposed pulp mill through direct and indirect subsidies, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"The Minister for Forests, Tony Burke, quite clearly outlined one subsidy in last week's Ministerial Statement on forests:

‘The government is assisting this process through the $9 million Forest Industries Development Fund to support industry initiatives which add value to forest resources. The most significant value-adding investment proposed for Australia's forest industry is the Gunns Bell Bay Pulp Mill.'

"In the past few weeks the government has also announced it will fund industry lobbyists, including Gunns Chairman John Gay, through the Pulp and Paper Industry Strategy Group and Forest Industry Leaders Ministerial Roundtable.

"The government is using taxpayers' money to pay lobbyists to come to Canberra and ask for more money. I look forward to them footing the travel and accommodation bills for environmental, tourism and small business lobbyists to present their arguments," Senator Brown said.

Further information: Russell Kelly 0438376082

Flannery can’t count – Brown

EbonyBennett — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1000

The call by scientist Tim Flannery for the Australian Greens to support the Rudd government's 4% emissions trading scheme legislation and ‘get it through' lacked maths and logic, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"Professor Flannery should respect our politics as much as we respect his science," Senator Brown said today.

"He has invented a new Senate maths which makes 32 plus 5 equal 39. That is, he calculates 32 Labor plus 5 Greens equals a Senate majority, but it doesn't. You also need Senators Xenophon and Fielding and I wish him luck with the latter.

"I would like to see Tim get behind the Greens' efforts to get the Rudd government to improve its ETS legislation so that the Great Barrier Reef and the Murray Darling Basin are protected.

"Professor Flannery also said on Lateline that the arrest of climate change protesters was ‘utterly immoral and despicable'. However, his call to the Greens would demoralise those same people," Senator Brown said.

Hawke's Environmental Review must be heeded by Rudd

TimHollo — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:08:19 +1000

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says today's review of the nation's environmental laws, which flags Commonwealth supervision of logging in Australia's forests, should be heeded.

"This review is badly needed," Senator Brown said.

"It echoes the findings of Justice Marshall in the Federal Court, that logging of native forests is helping drive rare and endangered species towards extinction.

"The Regional Forest Agreements are a licence to slaughter endangered species which would see other operators put in gaol," Senator Brown said.

"This is a direct challenge to the Rudd Government to assume its rightful authority to protect Australia's forests and native wildlife."

The interim report of the Hawke Review offers three options for greater oversight of RFAs by the Commonwealth. Paraphrased, these are:
• establish an independent expert-based scientific committee to assess compliance and initiate audits;
• provide for Commonwealth power to issue 'stop work' orders; or
• ensure that the RFA exemption does not apply to incomplete or lapsed RFAs.