Greens can work with government on economics: Swan
Blog Post
Wednesday 11th May 2011, 3:32pm
Mr Swan said in his traditional post-budget address to the National Press Club that the Greens had proved they could work with the government on economic matters.
"When we were staring the global financial crisis in the face and we had to get the stimulus package through the parliament the wreckers weren't the Greens, it was the Liberals," he said.
Busting the asylum seeker myths
Blog Post | Blog of Sarah Hanson-Young
Wednesday 11th May 2011, 3:26pm
by ParisLord in
It's time we confronted some of the myths about asylum seekers.
Brown warns on cuts - David Crowe
Blog Post | Blog of Bob Brown
Friday 6th May 2011, 1:30pm
The following is an article by Australian Financial Review Chief Political Correspondent David Crowe that first appeared in the paper on Friday May 6 2011
Greens leader Bob Brown has warned against a "punitive" federal budget that forces people off welfare, declaring yesterday he and his colleagues would amend reforms if necessary to offer rewards instead of penalties for those who get jobs.
Federal Greens MPs held a conference call last night to finalise their budget strategy, opening the discussion to senators-elect who are to join the upper house from July 1 and will vote on budget bills.
Temporary protection visas are not the answer
Blog Post | Blog of Sarah Hanson-Young
Thursday 28th April 2011, 10:11am
by RobertSimms in
I don't for a moment condone violence or the torching of buildings at detention centres. I am not interested in excusing the behaviour of those involved in recent weeks inside the Villawood or Christmas Island facilities. I believe people must understand the consequences of their actions. Where they have broken the law, our criminal justice system should be able to respond.
Australia is an 'embarassment' on climate change
Blog Post | Blog of Sarah Hanson-Young
Tuesday 19th April 2011, 10:55am
by RobertSimms in
Were you to arrive in Australia and read the front pages of our newspapers you would be forgiven for thinking that we are living in some type of black hole, devoid of information, news and expert opinion from the rest the world.
What other possible explanation could there be for the ignorance of those who warn of the end of civilisation were a carbon tax to established than by claiming Australia would be out on a limb, leading the world.
Leading the world? You've got to be joking. Many other countries have already put a price on carbon and introduced realistic pollution reduction targets. And while they are spending significant public and private dollars firming up investment in the technologies and energy sources for the future, Australia is still locked in a debate over whether big polluters should even pay for their pollution.
Statement acknowledging 20 years since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
Blog Post | Blog of Rachel Siewert
Monday 18th April 2011, 1:10pm
by ChrisRedman in
I start by acknowledging that this statement is being made on the land (boodja) of the Wadjuk Nyoongar people. I pay my respects to the traditional owners of this land and the elders past and present. It always was and always will be Aboriginal land.
Greens won't get much further if we repeat poll blunders
Unpublished
Blog Post | Blog of Bob Brown
Thursday 14th April 2011, 2:46pm
by DavidParis in
The following piece is by NSW Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann.
The election of the first Greens MP to the NSW Legislative Assembly is a historic breakthrough for the party, but if success for the Greens in NSW is to continue, we need a reality check and some soul searching.
The nail-biting win in Balmain, with an almost certain increase in our upper house numbers from four to five, means the Greens have come close to achieving the objectives we set at the start of the election campaign.
But if truth be told, more than a few of us are feeling a little flat about the overall result. That is because the success in Balmain was not repeated in Marrickville and our statewide vote was expected to be significantly higher.
Kevin Rudd's real mistake was refusing to talk to the Greens
Blog Post | Blog of Christine Milne
Wednesday 6th April 2011, 9:04am
by TimHollo in
Kevin Rudd has won deserved praise for admitting that he made a mistake in ditching his plans to put a price on carbon before the last election. But his real mistake ran far deeper and started much earlier.
In Bali at the UNFCCC meeting in December 2007, Mr Rudd received a standing ovation as the world welcomed Australia's decision to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. With that applause still ringing in his ears, he came home and decided to work with the Coalition to deliver policy and not the Greens, the only political party in the parliament who had consistently argued for strong action on climate change. His failure to leave all his options open was the beginning of the end.
Setting straight the facts on forest principles process and the pulp mill debate
Blog Post | Blog of Christine Milne
Tuesday 5th April 2011, 9:37am
by JeffDonne in
It is time to get the facts straight with regard to the forest principles process and the Gunns pulp mill debate. Senator Abetz may be nostalgic for this glory days as Federal Minister promoting clear fell logging of high conservation value native forests and plantation establishment on our farms but he is completely out of touch.
The logging industry approached the conservation movement to seek assistance to exit native forests in Tasmania because native forest logging is unprofitable.
So Senator Abetz, it was the logging industry which approached the green groups, not the other way around. The Forest Principles process was the result.
Dear PM, these are the issues dear to Australians
Blog Post | Blog of Sarah Hanson-Young
Friday 1st April 2011, 3:04pm
by RobertSimms in
There is a growing number of Australian mums, dads, grandparents, brothers and sisters who are disillusioned with the Prime Minister's old, tired and unjustified objection to same-sex marriage. These Australians want their loved ones to have the same rights as everyone else to marry the person they love regardless of whether they are gay.
These Australians are everyday people, parents and children, friends and workmates. They live dignified lives and their belief in equality is driven by love of family and nation. They are every day Australians, of all ages and circumstance who support the Greens and our push for marriage equality. These are the people the Prime Minister insulted with her comments last night while delivering her Gough Whitlam Oration.
