Resource Use

Sarah addresses the national water leadership summit in Canberra

Greencast | Spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young
Thursday 3rd November 2011, 11:53am
in

Sarah was a guest speaker at the Australian Water Assocation's 2nd annual national water leadership summit in Canberra this morning, 03/11/11.

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Barnett must take a clear stand on foreign ownership of Western Australian mines

Media Release | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Thursday 29th September 2011, 3:22pm
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Premier Colin Barnett is speaking with a forked tongue on Chinese investment in Western Australia, WA Greens said today.


Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam said Mr Barnett's expression of concern about the proposed sale of the Wesfarmers Premier Coal mine in Collie clashed with his enthusiastic support of Chinese exploitation of WA resources.


"Last week the Premier happily announced a deal that rolls out the red carpet for Chinese mining companies, and this week he expresses concern about the kind of activity he is encouraging."

WA is more than a foreign-owned quarry: China deal needs review

Media Release | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Wednesday 21st September 2011, 11:53am
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The Barnett Government's secretive new deal with China will boost exploitation by foreign mining companies at a time when the resources boom is suffocating the rest of the Australian economy, the Greens said today.


Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam said a number of provisions in the Memorandum of Understanding set off alarm bells, chiefly the demand for total confidentiality.


"The deal states that all information exchanged must be treated as confidential, whether designated as such or not. It sets secrecy as the default setting. The deal says information cannot be disclosed to a third party - a third party such as the Western Australian public."


Senator Ludlam said the deal was designed to be "entrenched for at least ten years" and potentially opened Western Australia up to an unprecedented level of exploitation.


"The deal will encourage Chinese companies to plunder mineral resources - and no doubt massive profits - from our State. Most disturbingly it specifically mentions uranium, as though we want to encourage a nuclear weapons state to expand their nuclear sector."


Greens WA MLC Robin Chapple said the deal raised serious questions around control of Western Australian mining operations, resources and infrastructure.


"The deal mentions ‘exchanges of views with respect to laws and regulations'. Will China exercise influence over our regulations to suit the interests of Chinese companies? Will the State Government bend environmental and industrial regulations to suit Chinese companies?


"The M.O.U states the WA Government will support and encourage Chinese companies to participate in the construction of railroad, port and other infrastructure, but does not say who will control that infrastructure when it is completed. These questions need to be answered," said Mr Chapple.



Media Contact: Giovanni Torre - 0417 174 302


 


 

Mining myths shattered - time to collect the rent

Media Release | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Thursday 8th September 2011, 2:28pm
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Watershed research from the Australia Institute released today once again illustrates the need for Australia to manage the mining boom properly, say the Australian Greens.


Greens Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam said the paper ‘Mining the Truth' makes it clear the mining industry is dodging its social responsibilities while causing damage to other sectors of the economy.


"The average rate of corporate tax paid by the mining industry in 2008-09 was 13.9 per cent. The average rate of corporate tax across the economy was 21 per cent. The industry only employs 1.8 per cent of workers in Australia, but the boom is pushing up the cost of living for everyone else - especially in Western Australia - and suffocating other sectors like manufacturing, farming and hospitality," said Senator Ludlam.


"83 per cent of the mining industry is foreign owned. While the mining industry pays less than 14 per cent corporate tax, over the next five years it will send $50 billion in dividends out of this country. Are the majority of Western Australians happy with that equation? I know I'm not."


"Labor's proposed watered-down mining tax is weak and gutless, and the Coalition doesn't have the integrity or the sense to support even that mild measure.


"The original version proposed by Treasury would have been economically responsible and ensure all Australians benefit from this boom. Putting the revenue into a sovereign fund would be sound policy and a safeguard against the inevitable bursting of the resources bubble, but the Government and particularly the Opposition act like there is no tomorrow - it is wildly irresponsible."


"The Australian Greens want to see the original super profits tax model in place - with the super-rich mining companies paying their fair share while small businesses get a significant tax cut. That model would see a huge number Western Australian businesses better off."


 



Contact: Giovanni Torre - 0417 174 302


 

Report justifies Kimberley development concerns

Media Release | Spokesperson Rachel Siewert
Thursday 8th September 2011, 10:14am
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A report released by The Australia Institute report has shown that community concerns about the social and economic impact around the James Price Point development are justified, the Australian Greens said today.

Government giving away billions with compromised mining tax: Greens

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown
Thursday 25th August 2011, 11:16am
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Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown today released a report that confirms the compromise reached between the Government and the three biggest mining companies will see everyday Australians forgo tens of billions of dollars in revenue.

"The Mineral Resource Rent Tax will generate between $73 billion and $115 billion less revenue over 9 years than the original Resources Super Profits Tax recommended by Treasury", said Senator Brown.

Asylum seeker debate out of proportion

Blog Post | Blog of Sarah Hanson-Young
Tuesday 23rd August 2011, 10:00am
by ParisLord in

Yesterday the full bench of the High Court began hearing a challenge to the Malaysian solution.


The Greens hope David Manne and Debbie Mortimer, SC, and their legal team succeeds, not least because we do not want unaccompanied children to be expelled to a country where their rights cannot be guaranteed. It's not yet clear when the court will issue its ruling, but it could permanently derail the Gillard government's plans to export Australia's international obligations to give protection to countries including Malaysia and, possibly, Papua New Guinea.


The Greens and others, such as human rights groups, have for years lobbied against mandatory detention. We think there's a better way, one that's humane and compassionate, in handling some of the world's most vulnerable people. We do not support the policy of locking fragile people up as a first resort, when it clearly should the last thing we should do. Indeed, Australia is the only country in the world as signatory to the Refugee Convention that arbitrarily detains asylum seekers, contrary to what the convention suggests.


Whenever the major parties, or shock jocks for that matter, seek to attack asylum seekers and others who lack a voice, myself and the Greens will be there to stand up for them. We refuse to follow the ALP and Coalition in a race to the bottom.


I think the Australian electorate is sick of that competition. They're tired of both sides repeating the same mantras, using the same language - indeed the same policies - to confront what is a relatively small problem, compared with the volumes of people arriving on the EU's shores. The major parties' responses cost billions of dollars and damage lives unnecessarily.


Australians want alternatives to a policy of mandatory detention because it has failed to be a deterrent for people seeking our protection since it took effect in the early 1990s. They want their government to explore other paths, such as those outlined in the Centre for Policy Development's report A New Approach, Breaking the Stalemate on Refugees and Asylum Seekers released yesterday.


They want their elected representatives to show results for policies to deal with Australia's ageing population, how to provide more affordable child care options, and a national dental health scheme. In addition to finally ensuring the future of a healthy Murray Darling Basin, they'd also like to see their parliament amend the Marriage Act, so same-sex couples can get married and formally celebrate their commitment to each other.


Everyday Australians are eager to see their government deliver a mining tax that fairly redistributes the wealth from the present boom so it is invested here and not sent overseas. They fear the proceeds risk being squandered instead of funding essential public transport and other infrastructure. And what about a sovereign wealth fund, which Treasury has supported, to invest in future generations?


The major parties have created these problems with immigration and asylum seeker policy, which serve their interests. But we can solve them all with practical measures and confront other challenges that the community would prefer we concentrate on.


First published in The National Times on August 23, 2011.

Greens Leader’s statement on the Canberra convoy

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown
Sunday 21st August 2011, 3:52pm
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"Some might call the predicted thousands of trucks descending on Canberra ending up as hundreds (ABC, 21/8/11) a ‘flop', but these Australians have every right to a peaceful presence on the parliamentary lawns," Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.


"It seems like the prime qualification to be there is to be angry about something - these are Abbott's angry people," Senator Brown said.


"But it seems their views on some issues are fairly shorted sighted, very ‘me-now'."


"The number of angry people in Canberra tomorrow will increase much more than the numbers of truckers arriving in town," Senator Brown predicted.


 


 

We're back in town

Blog Post | Blog of Sarah Hanson-Young
Tuesday 16th August 2011, 8:23am
by ParisLord in

We politicians are back in Canberra this morning after a five-week winter recess.