Cutting public service jobs might make for good politics for the big parties but it makes for worse public policy for Australia, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today in Canberra, campaigning with ACT Greens lead senate candidate Kerrie Tucker.
 
"The term 'razor gang' implies a violent slashing of public servants' jobs. Kevin Rudd chose the term, he obviously meant it. John Howard showed how it's done," Senator Brown said.
 

Greens leader Bob Brown and party health spokesperson, Dr Richard di Natale have launched a health and aged care workers package in Melbourne today.
Dr di Natale, the Greens lead Senate candidate for Victoria, called for an 8 point 'primary health care revolution' from the next government. Instead of tax cuts, it would:
1. Establish an independent National Health Reform Commission to develop a National Health Plan
2. Pool federal, state, and local government funds into a National Health Fund administered by the National Health Reform Commission

Brown asks PM - what about dental care?
 
Health Minister Tony Abbott's announcement that the handover of the Mersey Hospital to the Commonwealth will not go ahead as planned shows the Howard government is putting politics ahead of policy, Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Adelaide today.
 
"It' a pre-election plan which is rapidly unravelling because it was not thought through," Senator Brown said.
 

Greens Leader Bob Brown today launched the Greens' policy to ban junk food advertising during children's television viewing hours.
 
"There is only one reason that hundreds of millions of dollars is spent advertising junk food to kids: because it works," Senator Brown said in Adelaide today with SA Greens senate candidate Sarah Hanson-Young.
 
An international consumer conference in Sydney has heard that one in five children now either overweight or obese and that by 2020, only 35 per cent of young Australians will be categorised as "normal" or "underweight".

The National Rural Heath Alliance has issues its updated election scorecard, placing the Australian Greens ahead of all other political parties, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"Unlike Labor and the Coalition, The Greens prioritise investing in health, education and tackling climate change above giving out billions of dollars in tax cuts," Senator Brown said.

"The Greens are committed to delivering better health services for Australians living in rural and remote areas, including for Indigenous Australians."

The drought and climate change will hit food prices and bring greater hardship to Australia's pensioners and low income earners – Mr Howard's forgotten battlers, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.
 
"Neither Howard nor Rudd mentioned the Murray-Darling Basin's plight in the Leaders' Debate but as October shapes up as the hottest and driest October on record, the impact will be national," Senator Brown said.
 

In Launceston today, Greens Leader Bob Brown called for the $3.5 billion of taxpayers' money going to prop up private health insurance to be redirected to public health and hospitals.
"For starters, this would return $100million to Tasmania's under-funded public health and hospital systems, with a huge new injection of funds for the Launceston General Hospital," Senator Brown said,

Greens leader Bob Brown says that the $3.5 billion now spent on propping up private health insurance should go instead to public health and hospitals.
 
"This is a huge amount of taxpayers' money being used ineffectively. It should go to benefit all Australians, not just those who can afford private insurance. This $3.5 billion is being taken out of health expenditure and therefore out of our public health and hospital system. It should be restored," Senator Brown said.
 
In May a university study found that the private health rebate is not working.