Greens Leader Bob Brown today renewed the Greens' call for a $30 a week increase in the single aged pension. A Galaxy poll in today's Courier Mail found that 84% of Queenslanders support an increase in the aged pension.
 
"There hasn't been a substantial increase in the aged pension since 1993," Senator Brown said.
 

Greens Leader Bob Brown says childhood obesity, raising the aged pension, stronger workplace rights and ending logging as a first step to tackling climate change are priorities for the Greens in the new Parliament.
At today's declaration of the Senate election in Hobart, Senator Brown said the Greens' Senate vote had soared from 917,000 in 2004 to 1,100,000 in 2007. The party won official party status and will have five Senate seats from July 1, 2007.
"Rudd Labor will be conservative socially, fiscally and ecologically," Senator Brown said.

Greens Leader Bob Brown today said National Seniors Association Chairperson, Everald Compton, is right to call for more action from Labor and the Coalition on the environment and pensions.
 
"The Greens vote has been climbing in the polls, driven by growing concern about climate change and the pulp mill. Polling shows climate change and the environment are of huge concern to Australians and seniors are no exception," Senator Brown said.
 

Greens leader Bob Brown today backed the Prime Minister's call for nationally consistent drug laws, but said plans to quarantine welfare payments for people convicted of offences involving hard drugs were problematic.

"Presumably the welfare quarantine will apply to people convicted of offences involving drink driving, prescription drugs and cannabis as well. What about for people convicted of other serious crimes like theft and assault?" Senator Brown asked.

Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown has labelled the tax cuts and spending programs of the Coalition and the ALP as inflationary.
 
"Both John Howard and Kevin Rudd are spending to win the election, not to secure the nation's future," Senator Brown said.
 
"If you inject money in the form of tax cuts into an overheated economy you get inflationary pressure. It is far better to put that money into infrastructure and services such as health, education and public transport instead of tax cuts."
 

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

Greens leader Bob Brown, campaigning in Perth today, renewed calls for a $30 a week increase in the aged pension.
"Kevin Rudd has missed the opportunity to genuinely help the 1.2 million Australians who rely solely on the aged pension to meet the rising cost of living," Senator Brown said.

Tax cuts 'double trouble' for low income earners - Brown
 
The rise in food, clothing, bank fees and housing prices in today's CPI figures will hit Australia's 2 million pensioners hard, Greens leader Bob Brown said in Sydney today.
 
"Today's CPI figures are bad news for home owners and bad news for aged pensioners," said Senator Brown.
 

Pensioners need a $30 a week increase in their pension now, Greens Leader Bob Brown said, responding to the Prime Minister's $4 billion announcement.
 
"Australia's pensioners deserve a decent income. So far, the Prime Minister has announced $10 billion a year in tax cuts and $1 billion a year to help poorer Australians with power bills, but he still can't find $3 billion a year to increase the aged pension by $30 a week to give Australia's 2 million pensioners a better income," Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

Pensioners are John Howard's forgotten battlers, Greens Leader Bob Brown said, joining ACT lead Senate candidate Kerrie Tucker in front of Parliament House today.