Blog by Lee Rhiannon

Last Friday in Newcastle, two members of local community group Rising Tide climbed onto the coal conveyor belt at the coal port and hung a banner saying “We’re sorry Somalia. Coal = climate change and starvation.”

I put out a media release that afternoon congratulating Rising Tide for their peaceful direct action and echoing the community’s message that coal expansion in Australia is directly contributing to worsening impacts of climate change around the world.

Enter The Australian, again putting into practice their editorial stance that the Greens should be destroyed at the ballot box.

Today’s edition of The Australian ran an article criticising me for supporting the action and for linking the drought in the horn of Africa and the famine in Somalia to climate change.

A blog post by Senator Lee Rhiannon

Simone Morrissey died last night, just 24 years old. Our personal and collective sadness is enormous – for Simone, for her family, for all of us.

On Monday Simone suffered an aneurysm that resulted in extensive brain damage. The doctors and nurses at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital made every effort to save Simone. Sadly her partner and family had to make the decision to have her life support turned off.

I still find it so hard to believe that we will not see Simone again.

In many conversations with friends and her family in recent days our thoughts have turned to Simone’s courage, her humanity and her passion. Her sense of justice framed her life.

Federal Greens Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon today congratulated Rising Tide activists who scaled a coal conveyor belt at the Port of Newcastle to highlight the link between coal, climate change and famine in Somalia.

“Non-violent actions are a courageous way to underline the urgent need to combat the global impacts of climate change by constraining the growth of NSW’s coal industry,” Senator Rhiannon said.

“Ship after ship leaving Newcastle Port, heaped with coal, are contributing to the greatest threat we face in human history.
 

Greens Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon has called on the Federal government to resist industry demands for foreign aid money to be spent on improving and building new abattoirs in Indonesia, saying such a move will divert funding from the key task of overcoming poverty (“Human costs of export ban hitting hard says NT chief, The Age today).

 “While there is a pressing need to stop the inhumane treatment of cattle in Indonesia, it would be wrong to redirect precious foreign aid dollars to this task,” said animal welfare and foreign aid spokesperson Senator Rhiannon.

“The Greens will not be backing away from our bill to ban live cattle exports.

WHAT: Greens Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon and Andre Lariviere of the large French organisation Réseau Sortir du Nucleaire, a French NGO representing over 900 anti nuclear organisations, are keynote speakers at the Hiroshima Day rally tomorrow Saturday August 6 (details below).
WHEN: 11am Friday 5 August 2011
WHERE: Pollies tree, back of NSW Parliament.

Senator Rhiannon and Mr Lariviere are keynote speakers at the rally being held on Saturday marking the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.

It is 66 years since the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and five months since the nuclear crisis began at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.

Elected Greens at the Federal, State and Local Government level are urging Federal Transport Minister and MP for Marrickville Anthony Albanese to go beyond a feasibility study and make a clear commitment to build High Speed Rail to ease aircraft noise and pollution in Sydney’s Inner West.

Greens Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon said, “Sydney to Melbourne is the fourth busiest aircraft route in the world and high speed rail will help alleviate noise suffered by Inner West residents.

“Minister Albanese’s enthusiasm for high speed rail needs to be more than just words.

 “The high speed rail implementation study shows it to be a viable option and Minister Albanese should now commit to it going ahead.

“Easing demand by creating a rail option to flying will help address climate change and the expected impact of peak oil on petrol prices.

Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon and spokesperson on women commenting on today’s SMH article detailing the high rates of sexual and domestic violence said the journal report is deeply troubling and requires an urgent government response.

“The study reveals a widespread link between violence against women and their mental health,” Senator Rhiannon said.

“Details that one in four women have been victims of sexual or domestic violence are shocking.

“This report puts all political parties on notice that far reaching policy change is needed.

Blog by Lee Rhiannon

On Saturday I joined members of the Sydney Tamil community and their supporters at their annual Black July vigil.

WHAT: Free public meeting about the Climate Action Package and what it means for NSW.  Afternoon tea provided.
WHO:  Federal Greens Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon, NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann and Parramatta Climate Action Network (ParraCan) executive members Annie Nielsen and Phil Bradley.
WHEN: 3pm – 4:30pm Sunday 7 August 2011
WHERE: Charles Byrne Room, Parramatta Town Hall, 182 Church Street Mall, Parramatta.