GreensBlog

Living with detention debt in Australia: video of refugee delegation in Parliament Thursday 25/06/09

GemmaClark — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:49:37 +1000

Check out this video by GetUp about the delegation of refugees who visited Parliament House last Thursday, as the legislation to abolish detention debts passed through the House of Representatives. I look forward to voting to repeal this cruel policy when the legislation reaches the Senate in the next parliamentary sitting. Thanks to GetUp for providing the opportunity for federal parliamentarians to meet with Mr and Mrs Shams and Mr Isrith, hear their stories, and see the human faces of this disgraceful element of Australia's recent immigration policy.

Sarah

Removing the age of terror

ScottLudlam — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:39:15 +1000

Australia's Anti-Terrorism laws were rammed through Parliament in haste and need to be reviewed to determine which merit retention and modernisation. However, some of the laws don't even deserve the dignity of being subject to review by the long-awaited independent reviewer of terrorism laws. I have introduced the Anti-Terrorism Laws Reform Bill 2009 to identify those parts of the anti-terrorism laws that are irrational, unused or extreme and should be removed from Australia's statues.

Surely the lesson has been learned from the Haneef, Ul Haque and Habib affairs regarding holding people without charge; the laws went too far and after these debacles some reasonable safeguards and time limits are needed. We already know that punishing dissent and deterring freedom of expression and association through the crime of sedition runs counter to our democratic values.

The benefit of hindsight and the passage of time have revealed the laws about the"reckless possession of a thing" lack credibility and legitimacy. The UN has recently observed a real problem for Australians accessing the justice system; putting up barriers to fair and open trials by imposing silence on lawyers or requiring them to have to have security clearances has significantly limited the pool of lawyers permitted to act in cases.

Such laws simply need to be removed, to allow the solid criminal laws and procedures to continue doing the job they did before 2001 in prosecuting and penalising anything that can be sensibly described as terrorism.

Mistakes were made in the passage of the anti-terrorism laws; indeed, mistakes were inevitable when the government of the day would not allow the parliament to debate each bill individually, even though the anti-terrorism legislative package constituted some of the most dramatic changes ever made to Australia's security and legal environment.

Of course mistakes were made when 200 pages of legislation and explanatory memoranda were introduced into the House of Representatives at 8pm and were expected to be debated at 12 noon the next day, leaving entirely inadequate time for review and analysis. Amendments were made available to the Senate less than 24 hours before the commencement of debate in that Chamber, effectively stripping the parliament of the time necessary to ensure that the laws were adequate to prevent, deter and pursue terrorists while ensuring that any limits on free speech or association struck an acceptable balance. The parliament was set up to fail, and fail it did.

The violent crime of terrorism did not occur for the first time on 11 September 2001 and it will occur again. This is a grave reality that must be faced by governments who have the responsibility to protect citizens from intimidation and violence. Likewise, governments also have the responsibility to protect human rights and civil rights. The Greens do not underestimate the complexity of these responsibilities; however, we are not alone in recognising that in many countries, including our own, the balance between these two responsibilities was skewed by the responses to the events of 11 September 2001. Perceived and real threats to security were used as a lever to curtail human and civil rights and fair trials.

The newly elected US President has begun the courageous and complex work of reversing the symbolic and actual mistakes made in the name of the "War on Terror". The Obama Administration is putting effort into devising "clear, defensible and lawful standards..." to govern the treatment of detainees and arguing that the nation should "enlist the power of our most fundamental values" in the effort to keep itself safe. Australia entered the "War on Terror" very much on the terms set by the United States; we too should rethink and redefine a legitimate response to terrorism and practical ways to address its root causes and consequences.

The Australian Greens were formed on a platform of nonviolence, and condemn politically motivated violence unconditionally. While some leaders and commentators deeply fear the accusation of being "soft on terrorism" believing it to be corrosive of their public perception, standing and masculinity, the Greens believe that to maintain these laws in their current form is corrosive of democracy itself and the rule of law upon which it is based.

What you can do:

Write to the Attorney General today and ask him to support the measures in this bill.
Read the Second Reading Speech which outlines the rationale and main provisions of the bill.
Read the Explanatory Memorandum which sets out in detail the actual workings of the bill.

'Intervention' on ABC1

TimNorton — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:46:19 +1000

A collaboration between Tangentyere Research and filmmaker Vincent Lamberti, Intervention looks at the impacts of the Federal Government's Northern Territory Emergency Response into Aboriginal Communities, otherwise known as the 'Intervention', from the perspective of the people who live under the legislation day in day out. It was the Winner of the Documentary Australia Award 2008 for Best Documentary raising awareness around an important social issue.

Intervention will screen on ABC1 this Sunday June 21st at 1.30pm

For more details visit the Message Stick website.

It will be repeated on ABC2 this Monday June 22nd at 5.00pm and again on ABC1 next Friday June 26th at 6.00pm

The TV version going to air is an edited down half-hour. For anyone interested in the full length version, it can be purchased online through Ronin Films.

A Different World - Speech to the National Press Club

TimHollo — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:20:57 +1000

The Government and other naysayers say it can't be done. The Greens say it must be done, so it will be done.

Christine Milne spoke today at the National Press Club in Canberra, televised nationally on ABC1, setting out the Greens' vision for a safe climate and setting that against what the Government is proposing with the CPRS.

You can read the speech here and please use this as an open thread to discuss the issues it raises!

Huge public response - over $240,000 raised

TimNorton — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 11:18:12 +1000

Donations from more than 1000 members of the public have poured in to help pay the $240,000 legal costs bill for Forestry Tasmania.

Most of the donations are modest but they range from $7.20 to $20,000 (for the purchase of a Wedge-tail eagle painting). Bob would like to pass on that he is extremely grateful and sends his heartfelt thanks to everyone who offered support.

It shows how strongly people feel about the fate of Tasmania's wild forests and their wildlife. There were many more offers to raise money.

If we get extra money, we will put it into the campaign to save Australia's forests. Some of the other legal battles to protect our forests are still on foot, including the Gunns 20 and the Triabunna 13 (whose case continues in the Tasmanian Supreme Court today).

You can donate on their site: http://www.gunns20.org

A survey last week, by a Wilderness Society consultant, showed that Forestry Tasmania has been given $630 million in public subsidies over the past 11 years. Perhaps the $240,000 payment could be put to a good public conservation cause by Forestry Tasmania.

Climate Change Rally

TimNorton — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:21:16 +1000

On Saturday 13th June, a national rally is being held in most capital cities around Australia. All five Greens Senators will be speaking at or attending rallies across Australia tomorrow calling for the CPRS to be scrapped and replaced with swift action to reduce emissions, drive renewable energy and create green jobs.

Bob will address the Melbourne Rally, 1pm, State Library
Christine will address the Hobart Rally, 12 noon, Parliament Lawns
Rachel will address the Perth Rally, with Scott also attending, 12.30 pm, Forrest Place, Perth
Sarah will address the Adelaide Rally, 11am, Victoria Square

We're also expecting large numbers of Greens members to be in attendance. Full details of the rallies can be found at www.climaterally.org and resources and details about the Greens' involvement can be found at www. greens.org.au/resources

Bob has also done a short video piece:

Hope to see many of you there!

ARACY Conference

TimNorton — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:25:43 +1000

The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) Conference is coming up soon, and may interest some GreensBlog readers.

ARACY is a national non-profit organisation working to create better futures for all Australia's children and young people.

This Conference will focus on how we can best learn from one another and work together to innovate and take action to improve outcomes for young Australians. The Conference aims to build links between international and national experts, researchers, policy makers, practitioners, social entrepreneurs, marketers, business and financiers. It will explore pathways to success, and showcase preventive innovations that are improving the lives of children and young people.

Confirmed speakers include:

The Honourable Alan Milburn, MP, UK
Professor Fiona Stanley AC, ARACY Executive Director, ARACY Board Member
Dr Ken Henry, Secretary to the Treasury
Professor Mick Dodson AM, Director of the National Centre for Indigenous Studies at the Australian National University, and the 2009 Australian of the Year

Professor Fiona Stanley AC, ARACY Executive Director, ARACY Board Chair:

"The ARACY Conference is tackling the big and complex issues affecting today's children and young people. We need input from all sectors and disciplines with an interest in improving outcomes for our young people to find sustainable solutions. If we don't respond to these challenges and start to really seriously address them across the whole nation, then we will be looking at our generation being the last generation where children live longer than their parents."

Please visit the website to view the full speaker listing, Conference aims and the program: www.aracyconference.org.au

Latest info from Senate Estimates

TimNorton — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:37:15 +1000

We're right in the middle of Senate Estimates, and are slowly picking out the best bits to put up here on the website. For the uninitiated, twice each year, usually in May and November, the estimates of proposed annual expenditure of government departments and authorities are referred by the Senate to the relevant legislation committees for examination and report. At the estimates hearings, Senators may directly question Ministers and public officials not only about the details of proposed expenditure but also about the objectives, operations and efficiency of the programs for which they are responsible.

Picking out some of the more interesting reads:

Scott grilled ASIO representatives over phone tapping and surveillance.

He also continued digging into aspects of the Government's proposed internet filtering plan.

Rachel asked a serious of questions about the recent closure of Land & Water Australia, which you can read here, here and here. This was then followed up the next day with questions about other cuts to agricultural research.

And continuing on our campaign against GM canola trials, some questions here.

We'll put some more of these up as they come. In the meantime, for the politics geeks out there, you can watch live here, see the transcript production here, and get involved in the discussion in the comments below or on our forums.

Sarah on ABC's Heywire about Youth Allowance

GemmaClark — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:30:27 +1000

Sarah had a chat to Watto at ABC's Heywire about the proposed changes to Youth Allowance in the Federal Budget. You can read the story, 'Greens declare change needed', and listen to the audio of the interview here.

Sarah on Insight's 'Seeking Asylum' program

GemmaClark — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:30:00 +1000

Sarah appeared on SBS's Insight program on Tuesday 19 May. The theme was 'Seeking asylum'. You can watch the video here. Sarah is in part three.

7:30 Report on Fremantle by-election

TimNorton — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:41:46 +1000

Congratulations go to Adele Carles and the Greens (WA) for their recent victory in the Fremantle by-election.

The ABC's 7:30 Report last night produced a feature story about the by-election - you can watch it on the ABC's website here.

Transcript:

Broadcast: 18/05/2009

Reporter: Hamish Fitzsimmons

On the weekend political history was made in Fremantle, the safe Labor seat fell to the Greens in the lower house of Western Australia's parliament. Fremantle has been held by Labor for the past 85 years, but on Saturday the alp received a thorough drubbing in a by-election, with the greens candidate taking 44 per cent of the primary vote.

KERRY O'BRIEN, PRESENTER: On the same weekend Western Australians knocked back daylight saving in a record fourth referendum, political history was also being made with a safe Labor seat falling to the Greens in the Lower House of Western Australia's Parliament.

Fremantle has been held by Labor for the past 85 years, but on Saturday the ALP received a thorough drubbing in a by-election, with the Greens' candidate taking 44 per cent of the primary vote.

The result may also have implications for Labor federally with the Greens saying they'll now target inner city Melbourne and Sydney seats, where their vote has also been on the rise. Hamish Fitzsimmons reports from Perth.

ADELE CARLES, FREEMANTLE MP-ELECT: It was The Greens versus the Labor candidate in their heartland seat of Fremantle. It's known as the jewel for the Labor Party.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS, REPORTER: For 85 years it's been a bastion of the ALP. Now the West Australian seat of Fremantle will go down in history as only the second electorate to elect a Greens MP to the State Lower House - a first in WA.

Labor's vote haemorrhaged with the Greens grabbing 44 per cent of the primary, and it's a result with national implications, according to political analyst, Peter Van Onsolen.

DR PETER VAN ONSELEN, POLITICS, COWAN UNIVERSITY: The Green Party is either making the seats like Melbourne ports or Sydney or possibly Fremantle marginal Green seats or at least marginal seats outside the normal two-party process.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The by election was triggered by the early retirement of former Labor leader and minister, Jim McGinty, who held Fremantle for 19 years. In last year's State election Mr McGinty nearly lost to the Greens, so when a by-election was called in April, the Greens say they knew there was mood for change.

ADELE CARLES: Jim McGinty only got across that line with that very clear Greens' preference, but he ignored or Labor ignored the Green mandate in that vote.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Labor's candidate was long-time Fremantle mayor Peter Tagliaferre, who the party expected to maintain the ALP's unbroken grip on the seat. Mr Tagliaferre was unavailable today, but the result has prompted some Labor heavyweights such as former Premier Peter Dowding to question the Party's pre-selection process.

PETER DOWDING, FORMER WA PREMIER: Peter Tagliaferre is a nice bloke, worked hard as the mayor of Fremantle, but has a lot of enemies and has - there are a lot of people in Fremantle who would have voted Labor, but wouldn't vote for Tagliaferre, and I think the Labor Party simply didn't understand the local electorate.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The Fremantle by-election has raised the obvious question about the leadership of Labor's Eric Ripper. Ironically he believes the absence of a Liberal candidate cost the ALP dearly.

ERIC RIPPER, WA LABOR LEADER: It was not possible for Labor to outweigh the combined effect of the Liberal votes and the Green votes. We had a circumstance where strong Liberal voters decided to punish Labor by going to the Greens in the absence of a Liberal candidate.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: As the nation's newest Greens MP gets used to her workplace, Adele Carles has a different take on the reasons for her victory.

ADELE CARLES: The Labor Party has moved so far to the right they've almost become, you know, part of that - they've metamorphed into that Liberal heartland area.

SENATOR BOB BROWN, GREENS LEADER: There's a message here for Canberra with elections coming up next year. Don't treat the populous as environmental mugs.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The growing Green vote in inner city Federal seats is going to be difficult for Labor to manage without taking big risks, according to Peter Van Onsolen.

DR PETER VAN ONSOLEN: If they respond to what's happened with Green voting in the inner city, then they risk losing mainstream voters and possibly government. If they don't respond, they put themselves in a situation where they could lose high profile candidates in inner city electorates; people like Lindsay Tanner in Melbourne or Tanya Plibersek in Sydney.

ADELE CARLES: When the Green primary vote gets up over 20 per cent, the Greens become serious contenders to win seats. So in the next federal election we're looking at Melbourne and Sydney, that inner heartland area with a very high Green vote. And if Labor don't watch it, those seats will go Green.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: In the light of the Greens' comprehensive win in Fremantle, some observers say the traditional political divide is a thing of the past in many of the inner city seats the ALP has never had to fight for, until now.

DR PETER VAN ONSOLEN: The Labor Party's never had to worry about the Liberal Party in these seats, but they do now have to worry about the Greens.

KERRY O'BRIEN: Hamish Fitzsimmons reporting from Perth.

Sarah on 9am with David & Kim for the Federal Budget and Paid Parental Leave

GemmaClark — Wed, 13 May 2009 10:30:00 +1000

Sarah talked to Kim Watkins and Steve Quartermain on 9am with David & Kim on Wednesday 13 May from Parliament House about the Federal Budget and paid parental leave.

You can watch the video here.

Choosing the future or sticking to the past

TimHollo — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:50:57 +1000

In his desire to cling to the past, John Howard was often accused of wanting to keep Australia behind the white picket fence of the 1950s. Kevin Rudd, not to be outdone, has taken this approach to new heights, tying Australia to a 19th century industrial economy for the foreseeable future while much of the rest of the world powers ahead into the 21st century.

In the kerfuffle over the Government's decision to open the door the tiniest crack to the potential for a 25% emissions cut (the barest minimum required by science and the global community from a high polluter like Australia), most people have completely missed the fact that the Government has no intention of meeting those cuts at home in Australia. Australia's polluting industry is doubly shielded from having to clean up its act -- firstly by a direct price shield in the form of free permits and secondly by the option of buying in cheap permits from overseas to cover all of its obligations.

This should come as no surprise, given that the Prime Minister, Penny Wong, Martin Ferguson and, more recently, Greg Combet, have been at great pains to reassure everyone that they would do nothing to jeopardise the supremacy of coal in Australia. But it is worth drawing together the threads to make it clear.
It's an old story that needs no repeating that, following Howard's lead, the Rudd Government's rhetoric and funding priorities lie clearly with coal over renewable energy and energy efficiency. Funding for the pipe dream of "clean coal" outstrips that for renewable energy, even though renewables cover a far broader range of technological options, many of which are far closer to commercial reality than geosequestration.

Indeed, many renewable energy technologies are ready to be rolled out now, but have to make do with the scraps from the table while the Government insists that coal will remain Australia's major power source for the foreseeable future.

Polluting industry has been left off the hook with energy efficiency by both the Howard and Rudd Governments. The Energy Efficiency Opportunities Act, introduced by Howard and supported by the ALP, requires Australia's largest energy users to audit their energy use. I sought several times to amend the legislation to require them to actually implement the findings of those audits, but the old parties closed ranks again and again to protect the old industry from the sin of becoming more efficient. Recent analysis has shown that companies such as BHP Billiton and Bluescope could be saving many millions by implementing their energy efficiency opportunities, but inexplicably refuse to do so.

This has recently been repeated in the decision at COAG last week to exempt the big polluters from any obligation under the Renewable Energy Target. For some reason, it was decided that we will still meet our 20% target but exclude the biggest energy users from this effort, making the community at large pay for industry's refusal to move into the future.

The Continue Polluting Regardless Scheme, of course, is carefully designed to ensure that big industry does not have to do anything. The extraordinarily and unjustifiably weak target is the first attempt to reduce the need for change. In addition, the allocation of now up to 95% free permits for the bulk of Australia's trade exposed polluters -- far more than is economically justifiable, as Professor Garnaut has repeatedly explained -- means they have little incentive to change. On this week's changed program, no-one will need to do anything before July 1 2012, as there will be unlimited $10 permits up to that date and beyond it only marginal change out to at least 2020.

Between the Green Paper and the White Paper, the Government realised that the almost complete shielding of the bulk of Australia's industrial emissions from the price raised the spectre of a huge price impact on the community. Thus, the decision in the White Paper to explicitly scrap any limit on the purchase of permits from overseas. Now, if at any point Australia's polluters find themselves facing a price impost greater than they think they can simply pay, all they need to do is buy in dirt cheap permits from developing countries.

This neatly avoids any short term need to transform the economy. But it is deeply short-sighted, both environmentally and economically.

It's no surprise that many of our competitors in Europe and Asia, who have benefited for years from Australian green technologists and entrepreneurs taking their business overseas due to lack of interest at home, are salivating over this! Australia will continue the approach of exporting our green economic future, while locking ourselves into being the dirty quarry of Asia. Once our trading partners and competitors have moved on we will be unceremoniously dumped and left behind.

But of course, the only certainty of a weak approach now is that it will have to be changed down the track. The Australian people won't stand for seeing the old parties close ranks with the old polluters against the climate and the community. As the green economy booms around the world, the Australian community will get increase loud in its demand for action here at home.

Prime Minister Rudd might think he's onto an election winner with this political wedge. But, like most of his colleagues, he seems unable to see more than a year or three into the future. The Greens have longer vision. We can see what's coming and we will not shirk from advocating for it and standing by our calls for moving now on the transformation to a carbon neutral economy.

This article was first published in Crikey's email newsletter today

Protecting the climate is a job for everyone

TimNorton — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:15:10 +1000

We've just launched our new TV ad, pushing the Government to see sense on emissions trading. Australia needs real domestic action on climate change. Unfortunately, the Rudd government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is deeply flawed.

The Government has announced that it will delay the scheme by one year and deliver another $2.2 billion in compensation to Australia's biggest polluters-in addition to $7.4 billion the polluters are already getting.

The Greens are prepared to support a minimum unconditional 25% target - the bare minimum required by science and the global community - to end 12 years of climate inaction. And Treasury modelling shows it is affordable; by 2020 Australia's GDP will be roughly three times the size it is today whether we have a ‘worse than useless' 5% target or the minimum effective 25% target.

Now the Prime Minister faces a climate test. Will Kevin Rudd brown-down the CPRS by negotiating with the Coalition, or will he green up the CPRS by negotiating with the Greens?

You can support the Greens by writing to the newspapers in your state to show the Prime Minister that Australians support an emissions trading scheme that protects the environment, not polluters.

Tracking swine flu spread

TimNorton — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:51:02 +1000

You can now track the spread of swine flu on Google Maps.

The Greens are calling on the Rudd Government to move swiftly in educating Australians on how to avoid swine flu in case the outbreak reaches our shores.

Senator Brown said:
There are simple measures for us all to be aware of from the outset, like:

Don't go to work if you have flu-like symptoms
Do go to the doctor
Ask advice about ordinary flu vaccinations which help older people but may be also be a wise precaution for the young and robust
Cover coughs and sneezes
Wash hands frequently and, if you get flu symptoms, avoid bodily contact with others
Entertain more at home and if swine flu arrives, avoid crowds

The World Health Organization has issued the following advice: "Individuals are advised to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular basis and should seek medical attention if they develop any symptoms of influenza-like illness."

Paid Parental Bill announcement on 9am with David & Kim

GemmaClark — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:38:14 +1000

Sarah appeared on Network Ten's 9am with David & Kim on Tuesday 28 April to announce that she would introduce a Bill to provide for 26 weeks' paid parental leave when Parliament resumes in May.

Click here to see the video of the interview.

Climate Change is no Republic moment

TimHollo — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:55:31 +1000

A new meme is being pushed by people close to Labor to help force through the CPRS. Just as the failure of the Republic referendum knocked that issue off the agenda for a decade or more, the story goes, so if the CPRS fails in the Senate will we have lost our chance to do introduce an ETS for ten years.

While this might be a superficially attractive comparison, it is as far from reality as Minister Wong's statements about economic transformation are from the reality of the scheme her Government has designed.

Certainly, there are some similarities between the republic and climate change. In both cases, we see a strong public desire for radical change that is not reflected in the Government. In both cases we see a serious lack of bipartisanship. In both cases, we see a Government whose heart is not in it put forward a minimalist option that disappoints and disempowers the people.

But there is one fundamental difference which makes a mockery of the whole attempt to draw a parallel. Urgency.

There is only one reason why the Republic was on the agenda in the 1990s, after a century-long campaign - because Paul Keating and a few other determined individuals put it there. While there is and was broad public support for a move to a republic, the fact that we did not make the change last decade and may not in the next decade is a great pity, but it is no tragedy. John Howard's undermining of the referendum took the wind out of the sails of the republic push in a way that is deeply unfortunate, but nothing disastrous will happen if the push does not increase again rapidly. No-one will die for lack of an Australian republic.

Climate change, on the other hand, is on the agenda because it is a scientifically demonstrated threat which is increasingly impossible to ignore or sideline. If we do not act fast, we invite social, economic and environmental catastrophe on a scale most of us find hard to imagine.

If the current proposal falls over, as it should unless significantly improved, we have no choice but to try again in the very near future. Public pressure will only grow stronger as the threat becomes ever clearer and as the globe begins to act.

The strongest parallel between the republic and the climate is that in both cases the Australian people are being presented with a dodgy, ‘take it or leave it' option that they are unwilling to accept. In neither case should they be forced to accept it because it is the only option at the moment. In both cases, accepting the minimalist approach effectively shuts off the option of making the radical change that is necessary.

Let's reject the minimalist approach in this case, as we did with the Republic, and tell the Government to come back with a better option. This one is unacceptable.

Garnaut excised from Wong's history

TimHollo — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:23:25 +1000

After he embarrassed her government last week by saying the CPRS may be so bad that it should be taken out the back and shot (well, not quite),it seems that Minister Wong has excised Professor Garnaut entirely from her vocabulary.

In a speech to the Lowy Institute today (not yet on her website, but will be here), in which she bravely painted a picture of a fictional world quite unlike our own, Minister Wong set out for her audience the history of emissions trading plans in Australia. She raised the original proposal put to the Howard Government a decade ago, discussed Peter Shergold's report in the Howard Government's final year, and detailed her own Government's Green Paper and White Paper process.

But she completely failed to mention the Garnaut Report.

Excised from history. Oh dear.

Here is what Christine Milne had to say about the speech.

The Coen brothers’ take on ‘clean coal’

EbonyBennett — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:38:58 +1000

‘Clean coal', like a healthy cigarette, does not exist.

I recently came across this stellar little ad for ‘clean coal' by Oscar-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen and thought it was worth sharing.

A few years ago I travelled with Bob to Blackwater QLD, the coal capital of Australia, where he spoke to the local council and community on the urgent need to move from coal-fired power to clean renewable energy sources.

On the way to Blackwater, we stopped by the site of what was touted at the time as Australia's foremost ‘clean coal' project ZeroGen - it turned out to be an empty paddock.

The fact is there is no coal fired power plant anywhere in Australia which can capture its pollution and/or store it underground.

According to Marian Wilkinson, "CSIRO's chief of energy technology, David Brockway, explained bluntly that we are unlikely to see a commercial-scale clean coal plant operating within 15 years - or at least 2024."

Carbon capture and storage - or ‘clean coal' - doesn't exist.

But there are plenty of renewable technologies that are powering homes all over the world this very second.

p.s I'm Bob's media advisor and I'm hopefully going be blogging a little more than I have been (which is not at all) about politics in Parliament House, where I'm based, and other things that catch my attention.

Hack TV on teenagers in rehab

TimNorton — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:17:13 +1000

The latest episode of Hack TV looks into the issue of teenagers struggling with addiction, and the need for targetted rehabilitation programs. They spoke to Bob for a Greens persepctive, who alongside years in politics, is a trained and once-practising GP.