LETTER: Thwaites playing possum with our water

Environment Minister Thwaites encouraging us all to reduce our water consumption by 30 percent (The Age 21/04) with the Government’s new draft water strategy is a commendable initiative.

Unfortunately, he is taking no action to prevent the serious water losses caused by logging in our water catchments.

Prevention is better than cure, but in this case we can have both.

Leadbeater’s possum lives in these catchment forests too. The last one in captivity at Healesville has just died. Protecting our catchment forests will help the survival of this threatened species – which is also Victoria’s faunal emblem.

Thwaites should stop playing politics and take real action to protect our forests, our threatened species and our water resources.

LETTER: Bolt's rant on West Papua shows ignorance and malice

Andrew Bolt’s recent diatribe (HeraldSun 12/4) supporting Indonesia’s mistreatment of West Papuans flies in the face of clear evidence that serious human rights abuses are occurring there. These abuses have been validated by the Immigration Department when they granted temporary protection visas to 42 of the West Papuans who arrived recently, and by numerous other exiled West Papuans, such as Jacob Rumbiak, who have suffered at the hands of the Indonesians.

Bolt’s intemperate attack on several academics, activists, churchmen, unionists and politicians (Bob Brown in particular) who have voiced concerns about human rights abuses in West Papua is ill informed and quite inappropriate.

Church groups have estimated that over 100,000 people have died under Indonesian rule. According to Amnesty International Australia, "reports include extrajudicial executions, disappearances, torture and ill-treatment and arbitrary detentions in Papua Province, where there is an ongoing struggle for independence from Indonesia."

It is unacceptable that the Howard Government has recently decided to start locking up children behind razor wire again and resurrected the so-called “Pacific solution” for asylum seekers who reach our shores in response to Indonesia’s recent protestations.

Encouraging and supporting democracy Indonesia doesn't preclude us from drawing attention to human rights abuses or giving safe harbour to those who flee from it.

Standing up for human rights is not always easy or politically expedient. It is simply the right thing to do.

Bolt's rant

Howard and Costello squander opportunity for genuine tax reform

So John Howard thinks that doing tax returns is popular (Age 20/4). Well they aren’t for me, or the other 80 per cent of Australians that find them too onerous and confusing to do themselves.

Paying tax agents over $1 billion annually to do our tax returns is a monumental waste of our money – which would be better spent improving health or education.

Instead, Howard and Costello support a complex and inefficient income tax system that constantly raises our tax via bracket creep so they can hand out tax cuts during election years. An honest government would index the brackets.

With a big surplus this year, Howard and Costello are squandering a great opportunity for genuine tax reform that could simplify our lives and address the creeping poverty trap that affects many lower income people.

Minister Campbell uses the Orange Bellied parrot as an excuse to block wind farms

Environment Minister Ian Campbell’s blocking of the Bald Hills windfarm is ill considered on a number of counts.

Campbell omits to mention that the Orange-bellied Parrot report states that “analyses suggest that such action will have extremely limited beneficial value to conservation of the parrot without addressing very much greater adverse effects that are currently operating against it”.

The parrot migrates to Cape Otway then spreads along the coast West to South Australia and East to Wilsons Promontary. Following Campbell’s dubious rationale, all windfarms in these areas must also close, which would shut down Victoria’s entire wind energy industry.

In addition, Minister Campbell is doing nothing to protect the habitat of other endangered species such as the Powerful Owl and Leadbeater’s possum, whose habitat is being destroyed by the clearfell logging of our remaining native forests.

The parrot is critically endangered, with only 200 thought to remain in the wild. A coordinated program addressing all factors impacting its survival is required.

Minister Campbell should take genuine action to protect the habitat of all our endangered species, rather than use them as an excuse for politically motivated policy decisions in marginal seats. He needs to take his portfolio more seriously.

Bracks must act to protect Leadbeater's possum habitat

It is sad news indeed that only one Leadbeater's possum, Victoria’s state faunal emblem, remains in captivity after its mate died in a Melbourne sanctuary.

The possum’s survival is under threat because clearfell logging of the Central Highlands, including Melbourne’s water catchments, is destroying its habitat. It needs old trees with hollows for its nests.

Steve Bracks should act immediately to protect these forests and prevent the possum's extinction in its natural habitat. He should also protect the remaining forest habit of Karak, the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo which was the Commonwealth Games mascot, to assist its survival in the wild too.

LETTER: RU486, ministerial accountability and democracy

It is encouraging that the RU-486 private members bill passed through the House of Representatives, putting the decision on the availability of the drug in the capable hands of the TGA.

However, after all the debates and impassioned speeches, there was final vote taken on the Bill was not counted, so we don’t know how our MPs have voted, which is a convenient abrogation of democratic accountability to the electorate.

As Minister Abbott and Prime Minister John Howard have been calling this a 'vote of no confidence' in Abbot as Health minister, will he now resign?

And will Danna Vale’s extremist views on Muslims go unchecked? She and Tony Abbot provided perfect examples of why the decision to approve RU-486 should NOT be in the hands of parliamentarians.

This bill was a victory for women and democracy. Without the overwhelming support of women parliamentarians it would not have passed. It is quite clear that we need more women in parliament, and that conscience votes improve democratic process.

Logging breaches are unnacceptable - the Bracks government should act

It is simply unacceptable that the Bracks’ government has taken no action when recent Environment Protection Agency audits found serious logging breaches where protected trees in National Parks were felled and endangered species where threatened (Age 9/2).

I was recently fined for traveling on the train with an unvalidated ticket, despite attempting to validate it and clearly communicating this to the Minister for Transport and the Premier. Why is zero tolerance and the full weight of the law exercised against so-called fare evaders on public transport, yet loggers who clearly break the law go unpunished?

It is apparent that the mismanagement of our forests extends past clear felling of our old growth forests for low value export woodchips to a lack of compliance with the law.

Acting Environment Minister Candy Broad should take immediate steps to ensure prosecutions rather than make excuses for Government inaction and a logging industry that is out of control and destroying our old growth forests.

RU486, the conscience vote and the seperation of powers

Australia's federal MPs should exercise their conscience votes in favour of the use and availability of RU486.

RU486 is safe and effective. The World Health Organisation and the AMA advocate for the availability of RU486, because it is arguably safer than the already safe surgical abortion procedure (both at the acceptable level of approximately 1 death per one hundred thousand). International consensus is that RU486 is also the most effective method of abortion for gestation at less than 7 weeks.

RU486 will not lead to increased abortions. A woman’s decision to have an abortion, whether surgically or by medication, is never taken lightly. There is no evidence to suggest that the introduction of RU486 would increase the likelihood of a woman terminating a pregnancy.

Access to RU486 should be a medical decision, not a political one. A politician who has no medical expertise should not determine a woman’s access to RU486. Instead, access to abortion medications should be determined by health professionals at the Therapeutic Goods Administration. The public interest is not served by having this important decision held solely in the hands of one man such as Tony Abbott, who is not respecting the separation of powers doctrine between his parliamentary role in forming legislation (in Government) and his executive role (as Minister) in charge of the Health portfolio.

Australian history and our national identity

John Howard’s recent “ claiming of victory in national culture wars” is yet another example of his penchant for denying both our historical roots and Australia’s current position on national identity and the appalling circumstances that many indigenous Australian’s live in.

He is also divisive and narrow-minded in his use of language by “claiming victory” in a referring to “a war” and labelling considerations about our national psyche and identity as a “phoney debate”.

The Australia I live in is still a colony of Great Britain with a British Queen as the head of state, when I and a clear majority of Australians believe it should be a republic.

Indigenous Australians are discriminated against by Government policies. They suffer low employment, low life expectancy, high substance abuse, very poor health and often appalling housing conditions. They have no treaty, and their attempts to gain native title have been treated with contempt. Equating seven generations of white Australian residency with over 40,000 years of indigenous occupation is a bit rich. But I do agree that there should be better recognition of and education about indigenous Australians, who did lead truly sustainable lives.

With the Cronulla riots, we are also faced with the recent re-emergence of racism, and a level of denial from John Howard. Well John, denying racism it won’t make it go away.

I am not sure exactly how John Howard thinks that changes to the way children are taught about Australian history will improve matters, or what his speculation is based on. Is the Howard Government going to start rewriting our history books based on their neo-conservative and revisionist philosophy? Will they mandate these for state and private school curricular? Will compliance to this be policed?

The way forward to building a more cohesive and forward looking Australia is to acknowledge our true history, make a treaty with indigenous Australians, give them title to their lands and work with them to improve their health and housing. We should also become a republic with an Australian head of state. And we need to counter emergent racism with improved education and by building consensus between all Australians, whatever their origin, rather than a continued focus on division and revisionism. Our national values and character need to be built and embraced by all Australians, not just on the jingoism of neo-conservative politicians. They need to be reflected and protected by a bill or rights.

Our young people are at risk of being served up an education diet of selective and biased claptrap proscribed by a ministry of propaganda, then being scared and frightened by the increased threat from terrorism that the Howard government’s policies have exposed Australia to. Let’s work together to make sure this does not happen.

Julian McGauran abandons his party, principles and country constituents

Senator Julian McGauran is spot on when he states there is no significant difference between the Liberal and National parties on policy matters - the Nationals have been drifting closer to the Liberal party for years.

Both support the fire sale of Telstra, which will compromise communication services in the bush. Both support the dubious and flawed so called Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the US, which benefits the US but not us.

And now we have the combined spectacle and sideshow of Barnaby Joyce pontificating about crossing the floor, but allowing the Howard Government to slash funding for student services and proceed with the sale of Telstra.

Julian McGauran has abandoned his party, his principles and his country constituents to boost his own political fortune and curry favour with the city-centric Liberals.

Abandoned by the Nationals, ignored by the Liberals and overlooked by Labor, country people would do well to consider voting Green at the next election.

LETTER: A red-hot foretaste of the hell to come

Author: Dr Peter Christoff, vice-president, Australian Conservation Foundation

Published in The Age (letter), 2^nd January 2006

For the past nine years, John Howard has told the world to go to hell on the issue of climate change. Well, Saturday's record scorcher gave us a foretaste of exactly how hot that version of hell will be. The future is one of temperature extremes, and a catastrophic transformation of the natural - and human world, unless we act with extreme urgency and effectiveness to counter global warming.

Australia has refused to cooperate with attempts to create an effective and binding international treaty to tackle global warming. It is now truly time for the Howard Government to outline a plan of genuine cooperation with the international community on this, the most important and threatening of global environmental issues.

Beginning with ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, such action must also include a national strategy for adaptation to climate change, and substantial measures to wean Australia off its fossil fuel-addicted economy.

Victoria needs more trains and an integrated transport plan

Victoria’s trains are clearly routinely overcrowded, and yet Transport Minister Peter Batchelor is sitting on his hands. The Victorian Government has invested next to nothing on improving our rail transport infrastructure, yet they have spent over $360 million on the Craigieburn Bypass and have completed a $2.5 billion tender to build the EastLink tollway route through Melbourne's east.

Motor vehicles are not the answer to Melbourne’s and Victoria’s transport needs as they require the use of petroleum-based fuels, which Australia will run out of in the not too distant future, and they just clog up our city. The Bracks Government’s priorities are wrong, partly because they have not developed an integrated transport strategy instead of just building more roads, and because they are out of touch with what the public wants.

Now we hear from Mr Batchelor (Age 5/1) that our already overcrowded trains will “still be safe” when we cram in more hapless commuter sardines, despite the lack of a maximum safe passenger load specified for trains. Wake up Minister, we need more trains, more tracks, a more frequent and better integrated service and some forward planning. Instead we are just getting more roads and more ticket inspectors. Public transport is looming as a big issue for 2006 State election. Perhaps this will sharpen the Bracks Government’s focus.

This was submitted as a Letter to the Editor to The Age

Pondering over war during Christmas festivities

Photo © Nord-Ouest Production

I saw Joyeux Noël, and excellent european movie, a couple of days ago.

It is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The contrast between soldiers who choose to celebrate Christmas in the trenches of World War 1 and the official response to their actions is heart rending. The movie is inspired by a true story which happened on Christmas Eve in 1914 .

The lunacy of war and those who encourage it is apparent.

I couldn't help thinking about the American, British and Australian soldiers sent to Iraq to solve what George Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard now classify as a "regime change, lack of democracy and terrorism" issues, now that their apalling "mistake" about "weapons of mass destruction" has at least been admitted by George Bush and Tony Blair .

These political leaders should know better than to conduct a war based on ideology and politics; the problems arising from it will haunt future generations like the Berlin Wall did and the partion of Korea still does. The parallels with Vietnam are disturbing too. The Americans will eventually leave Iraq - the question is not if but when, and what will they leave behind.

A monument symbolising peace and to mark the 90th anniversary of the 1914 "fraternisations" is is planned for construction in 2006 in the village of Neuville St Vaast. It is greatly encouraging to see people focussing on and working for peace.

Link to the official movie site

Family First call for lower petrol prices is irresponsible.

Family First’s call for lower petrol prices demonstrates a lack of regard for the problems of climate change. Global warming is acknowledged as the single biggest problem facing the globe. It is quite clear that low petrol prices only encourage the use of fossil fuels, which is a major contribution to exacerbating global warming.

Petrol prices are rising as oil reserves are being depleted, but the price still does not reflect the true cost of fossil fuels in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Perhaps Steve Fielding should start looking for family friendly ways to reduce our consumption, instead of adding to the problem.

No family impact statement for the IR legislation; none for the VSU legislation, which passed with Steve Fielding’s pivotal vote after confidential meetings with John Howard and Brendan Neilson; no family impact statement for his call for lower petrol prices.

Now funding for child care and other services at Universities will be reduced.

What is Family First really doing for families? Is Stephen Fielding just playing politics and compromising our future?

No regrets on VSU vote: Steve Fielding

Family First calls for fuel excise cut

Take your own action on greenhouse

Submitted as a Letter to Editor

It is most unfortunate that Senator Campbell chooses to cling to the coal industry-sponsored myth that Australia’s dirty brown coal can somehow be “clean and green” for energy production, and that he is prepared to waste money on futile research on this. It is equally unfortunate that he chooses to belittle viable alternatives such as wind and solar power and focus only on economic growth.

Australia’s lack of engagement with and commitment to the rest of the world on setting targets for emission reductions is an abrogation of our responsibility as global citizens - Senator Campbell’s excuses for Australia refusing to ratify the Kyoto agreement are both feeble and impossible to fathom.

Australia is missing a golden opportunity to become a world leader in manufacturing and exporting renewable energy technology. We have the technology, but no political will to promote and encourage industries to create secure long term jobs in this sector.

With our political leaders bereft of any vision or leadership for creating a roadmap to sustainable energy, it is incumbent on us all to do what we can at a personal level. Some easy actions are buying energy efficient appliances and low power light globes. While solar panels on your roof are more expensive, the greenhouse emission reductions commence immediately.

And you can choose carefully whom you vote for in future elections.

Peter Campbell

My talk at Politics Week at Caulfield Grammar School

This is a report on my participation with Politics Week at Caulfield Grammar School, Wheelers Hill Campus.

I was invited to represent the Australian Greens at a Politics Week event at Caulfield Grammar School, Wheelers Hill Campus on 29 November 2005.

The event was organised by the school as an early part of a subject for Year 9 students being provided by the school to improve the student’s knowledge of political processes.

The speakers at this event were:

Paul Kavanagh (Democrats), Kim Wells (Liberal, Scoresby), Noel Maughan (National, Rodney), Peter Campbell (Greens), Maxine Morand (ALP, Mount Waverley).

The speakers introducing themselves to the assembled students and provided some information on their personal background, how/why entered politics and some background on their party’s history and platform, including current issues of priority for the party - on both a National and State level.

Small group sessions were then held, with a speaker allocated to each. These sessions provided a means to further explain and explore current issues and related party policies, and for questions and answers.

I provided my group with an overview of the Greens and our vision for a fair, independent and sustainable Australia and our platform of supporting and promoting the values of peace, democracy, care for the environment and social justice. I stated that we believe this is important for our shared future in terms of both sustainability and social cohesion.

Some current national issues I covered included the anti-terror laws, public education, climate change and industrial relations. Some local and state issues I covered included improving public transport infrastructure and services, equitable funding for public health and education, improving the liveability and sustainability of our cities, channel deepening impacts, water usage, the Gunnamatta outfall, protecting our water catchments from logging

I got each of the students to ask a question. Interestingly, most of the questions were on national issues. Some of the questions were:

“Will the greens legalise drugs?”

I replied that the Greens will not legalise drugs. The Greens support the removal of criminal penalties for drug users, but not for drug traffickers. We support treating drug usage as a health issue, not a criminal issue.

“Van Nguyen lived nearby and would have brought drugs to Australia that may have killed some of my friends – what to you think about his impending execution ”

I replied that Van Nguyen was a convicted drug trafficker and should have been dealt with appropriately by Australian Law – including a jail sentence if warranted – but that his execution was a very excessive penalty that the Greens oppose. In addition, the drugs he was carrying were already confiscated, and he had confessed, repented for his actions and cooperated with police.

“Where the recent hurricanes in America to do with climate change? Is there any proof of this?"

I replied that the overwhelming body of scientific evidence has now confirmed that the greenhouse effect is real and happening, but that it is difficult to prove that any single weather event is due to it. However, there has been an increase in the number and severity of hurricanes. And the artic seas are very late freezing this year which is causing polar bears to starve as they cannot access their hunting grounds on the sea ice. I also stated that the Howard government’s proposal to invest in research on trying to “make coal green” was a very bad decision and a waste of time and money.

Overall, the students were well informed and up to date on current issues. It is interesting that some of the scare tactics used by the Murdoch press, the Liberals, Nationals, Family First and Lindsay Tanner during the 2004 federal election seem to be still current in many people’s minds. I think we need to continue our efforts and focus on countering this smear campaign and shift the focus to our positive views for our future.

Why I have nominated for Greens preselection for Southern Metropolitan

I believe we need Greens in the Victorian Parliament.

I am seeking preselection as The Greens lead candidate for the Victorian Legislative Council seat of Southern Metropolitan. I am very keen to promote the policies of The Greens during the 2006 Victorian State Election, and hopefully in the Legislative Council if I am elected.

I believe it is vitally important that all Victorians have the opportunity to vote for The Greens and have their views properly represented in parliament. I also believe that both major parties are failing to deliver on many environmental and social justice issues at State level, which makes it even more important for The Greens to be in parliament to work for better outcomes in these areas, and to make sure that all the values embodied in the Greens charter are represented in the way Victoria is governed.

These values - supporting and promoting peace, democracy, care for the environment and social justice – are important for our shared future in terms of both sustainability and social cohesion.

Some important local issues for both Southern Metropolitan and Victoria that I am actively campaigning on and supporting include:

• Investing in and improving public transport infrastructure and services, including cycle paths. The Brack's government's huge spending on freeways will encourage more motor vehicle transport which will contribute to more congestion and greenhouse gas emmissions in our cities. I have am leading an reinvigorated proposal to develop the Eastern Rail Trail bicycle path along the Box Hill railway line. I believe that commuter quality bicycle paths should be constructed along all of Melbourne's railway easements.

• Equitable funding for our public health and education systems so that quality health and education services are available to everyone. In particular, more funding is needed for childcare to support families and parents with young children.

• Improving the liveability and sustainability of our cities, including urban development and planning challenges such as Kew Cottages. The Bracks government has mismanaged plans for both Kew Cottages and Camberwell Railway station. We need genuine and effective community consultation to ensure that Melbourne 2030-related and other urban development initiatives benefit everyone, not just developers.

• Channel deepening impacts - the Brack's goverment has not got the business case sorted out for this ill-considered project. The environmental impacts and degradation are considerable. Pandering to the interests of business lobby groups at the expense of our local environment is just not on.

• Water usage and conservation and ensuring adequate environmental flows to keep our rivers and streams healthy. Mellbourne's appetite for water is impacting regional areas such as Gippsland - large quantities of water are diverted from the Thompson River catchment to Melbourne - which affects the health of the Gippsland lakes.

• The Gunnamatta outfall - we need to stop the pollution and recycle the waste water - not just doing annual "reviews" of this issue that achieve nothing. We are swimming in our own effluent at Gunnamatta.

• Protecting our water catchments and old growth forests from logging. The Brack's government continues to allow logging in domestic regional and metropolitan water catchments which impact

• Reducing greenhouse emissions by shifting to renewable energy. The Bracks government recent extension of the life of the coal burning and greenhouse gas polluting Hazelwood power station is both disingenuous and negligent, as the greenhouse effect is now well and truly upon us. There is no point pretending that brown coal can be green-washed.

• Supporting the adoption of guidelines for the Victorian Native Vegetation Management Framework and provision of funding for public acquisition over time of a visionary conservation reserve network for greater Melbourne

The Greens will be campaigning on these issues and more during the 2006 Victorian State election, and if elected, for the term of government. Your vote can make a difference. Every Greens primary vote counts, and elected Greens will ensure your issues and priorities are championed in the Victorian Parliament.

More information on my nomination.

What the polls and analysts say

Antony Green Analysis: The Draft Victorian Legislative Council Boundaries.
July, 8, 2005. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

http://www.abc.net.au/elections/vic/2005/vic_lc_boundaries_commentary.htm

Greens Gain Two Seats in Victorian Legislative Council, Under Proposed Changes
Finding No. 3877 - July 21, 2005, Roy Morgan Research] Morgan Poll http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2005/3877/

Breach of Petro Georgiou's backbencher agreement highlights need for real change

TO: Petro Georgiou, MP
CC: Amanda Vanstone and John Howard

Dear Petro,

The recent breach of the agreement you and other Coalition backbenchers obtained from Prime Minister Howard and Immigration Minister Vanstone on changes to immigration procedures highlights the need for real change rather than backroom deals.

The centrepiece of your immigration deal made earlier this year was that the detention of children would only occur as a last resort. However, the government has kept the infant children recently arrived from Indonesia in immigration detention.

This is a clear breach of your agreement, and shows why the Government needs to make legislative changes to prevent children from being detained.

Backroom deals have simply not stopped the detention of children, which puts Australia in breach of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Migration Act should be amended to forbid the detention of children.

Howard's anti terror laws must be amended to protect our freedom of speech

I believe that John Howard's proposed hastily drafted anti-terror laws will compromise freedom of speech in Australia, particularly the sedition-related clauses.

John Howard and Philip Ruddock should respect the democratic process of the recent Senate inquiry and accept their own Senator's recommendations for amending this legislation.

If these recommendations are ignored, then both our freedom of speech and the fundamental workings of our democracy will be compromised. The current extended Asio powers are sufficient for dealing with the terrorist threat to Australia – which has unfortunately significantly increased since the Howard government ill advisedly committed Australia to supporting the war in Iraq.

We must look for peaceful solutions to conflict and international relations issues rather than continued military action, which is a really only making matters worse in places like Iraq. And of course, neither George Bush nor John Howard has an exit strategy for Iraq.

Prior to the United States-initiated war against Iraq (which was based on the false premise that there were weapons of mass destruction), Iraq was not sponsoring terrorist activity outside its borders, even though there were many serious human rights abuses internally.

After the invasion of Iraq, the killing and disruption resulting from the so-called "war against terror" has contributed to creating a generation of disaffected Iraqis, some of whom may now unfortunately retaliate via terrorist attacks. And serious human rights abuses continue in Iraq.

In short, the “war against terror” has made Australia and the world a much less safer place.

There is now no easy solution to either terrorism or stopping the impending civil war in Iraq.

IR and terror laws are driven by ideology and mock democracy

If the Victorian Liberal Party senator Judith Troeth and the Liberal-National dominated Senate pass the problematic Howard Industrial Relations laws without alterations then this is making a mockery of our democracy.

Senators such as Judith Troeth are supposed to represent the people, over 150,000 of whom have just protested in Victoria in Melbourne's largest ever rally against these unnecessary and retrogressive laws which are based on ideology rather than any subjective facts or evidence about how to improve our economy.

The Senate probe has just found serious issues with the IR laws, which will now apparently be ignored. So much for due process and accountability. So much for heeding the wishes of the people and acting in our best interests.

The Howard government is hell bent on pushing through a series of ill-considered, poorly drafted laws based on ideology such as the IR and terror laws. They don't have a mandate from the people for either.

This is clearly an abuse of political power and is not in the best interests of social cohesian or the future of Australia.

We need consensus-based laws which take into account the wishes and aspirations of the people, rather than a headlong rush towards extreme economic rationalism, globalism and fear-based politics.