Coalition dominance and abuse of the Senate is a step closer to coming to an end after an agreement between The Greens and the Democrats.

The agreement means that The Greens and Democrats will exchange preferences in the Senate increasing the chances of the balance of power resting with The Greens.

Announcing the agreement in Adelaide today Greens leader Bob Brown said “This agreement follows historic swaps between Democrats and The Greens … only a strong, independent Senate will hold the government to account.”

Talking to a packed theatre at The Greens National campaign launch in Melbourne last week, Senator Brown said there is a “historic tide flowing through Australian politics in 2007 - it is set to sweep the old Howard politics out and return the Senate to its rightful role as the people’s house of review.”

“We Greens will use the balance of power responsibly to get better outcomes for Australia.”

Meanwhile the online campaign group GetUp has brought together The Greens, Democrats and Labor in a Save Our Senate television ad.

Greens candidate for Newcastle, Charmian Eckersley said today that rural, regional and remote Australia would be best served by The Greens’ health policies.

This follows today’s release of the National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) scorecard showing The Greens in top position ahead of all other political parties.

“The Greens have scored top marks because of our excellent health policies which include support for a national health plan, better health infrastructure for small towns, improved mental health services and investment in oral and dental health.” said Ms Eckersley.

“The big parties have consistently ignored the needs of the Newcastle electorate. Rural communities such as ours are crying out for doctors, nurses, hospital beds and dentists but Labor and the Coalition prefer to ignore this urgent need and throw billions of dollars at tax cut promises instead.”

“The Greens are listening to the Newcastle electorate. We know that many people would rather see that money spent on healthcare, education and tackling climate change - all key priorities for The Greens,” said Ms Eckersley.

Nationally, The Greens will redirect the $3.5 billion private health insurance rebate into public health and hospitals; protect and extend Medicare; maintain the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and provide better access to dental care. We will also establish 24 hour community mental health services; develop a National Health Care Strategy and ban junk food advertising on children’s television.

“Quality health care is a basic human right. The Greens believe a strong and well resourced public health system is the best way to deliver this. We also say that the interest of the patients must be placed ahead of disputes over federal, state and local government responsibilities.”

“As the NRHA scorecard attests, a vote for The Greens is good for the heath of rural communities. The drought, climate change and an ageing population have serious ramifications on the mental and physical health of our local residents. We need to be strengthening our health services to rural communities, not watching them crumble” said Ms Eckersley.

For further details please contact Charmian Eckersley on 4960 3088 or 0407 730410

www.charmian-eckersley@gmail.com

Photo opportunity: Charmian Eckersley outside the Mater Hospital

The NRHA election scorecard can be found at http://nrha.ruralhealth.org.au/election/?IntContId=244&IntCatId=24

Voting 1 for The Greens

is double-value voting.

can change the government and send a message that Greens policies are better.

means your vote passes on at full value to the next party of your choice if The Greens candidate drops out of the count

provides “third party insurance”.

increases the likelihood of returning balance and accountability to the Senate as Labor cannot win enough seats to remove control from the Coalition.

Recommending preferences to Labor does not mean we endorse Labor’s
policies.

Greens having the balance of power in the Senate

will keep a new Rudd Labor government accountable and be a progressive voice in Parliament.

will use the balance of power responsibly

e.g. if the ALP in government supports changes to climate change policy and the Coalition is opposed to it, The Greens, holding the balance of power, will determine the result. On the other hand, if the ALP and Coalition both support further tax cuts for high income earners instead of pensioners, then the vote of The Greens’ Senators will not be enough to prevent it.

would be unable to prevent any legislation being passed, or to insist that any legislation be passed, unless we had the support of either Labor or the Coalition.

The Harper’s Magazine article is here. The article by Scott Horton, cited an unnamed US military officer saying that a military staffer was present when Vice President Cheney interfered directly to seal David Hicks’ plea bargain deal. The report also says that Mr Cheney was acting on an agreement with Prime Minister John Howard.This report confirms what The Greens said at the time, that David Hicks’ plea bargain was part of a political fix for the election.

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle has called on the “Prime Minister to be honest with the Australian public about what deal he made with Dick Cheney in order to get David Hicks home and to make sure that he was quiet during the course of the election campaign.”

Read the full statement by Senator Nettle here.

The text of this address is here.

Services Not Tax CutsThe Greens oppose Costello’s election tax cuts. The $34 billion should go to schools, hospitals, water, tackling climate change and the poor.

The tax cuts are an irresponsible election bribe and fail Australia. The total cost of tax cuts announced in the last three years is now $100 billion.

Once again the rich get the biggest gains. The big end of town, those on $200,000 per annum will get $128 per week while battling households on $70,000 per week will get just $20 per week.

The Australian Council of Social Services are also opposed to the tax cuts.

The ACTU has said the money won’t compensate workers for the impact of Howard’s workplace laws.

We should be using the surplus to invest in Australian infrastructure and services to safeguard against future problems.

Greens Leader Bob Brown called on Kevin Rudd to “resist the urge to get into a tax cutting auction with the Coalition.”

To read Bob Brown’s statement on the tax cuts.

The 2007 federal election has been announced for Saturday 24 November 2007.

If you’re not on the electoral roll and you’re entitled to enrol,

you must fill in an enrolment form immediately and return it to an AEC office by 8pm, Wednesday 17 October.

If you’re already on the roll but still need to update your address details, to ensure your vote you must complete an enrolment form and return it to an AEC office by 8pm Tuesday 23 October.

Enrolment forms can be downloaded from the AEC website at www.aec.gov.au and are available at any Australia Post outlet or AEC office and now also at any Medicare, Centrelink and ATO office and selected Rural Transaction Centres.

You can check your enrolment online at www.aec.gov.au or by phoning 13 23 26.

The key dates of the 2007 federal election are:

§ Announcement of election: Sunday 14 October 2007

§ Issue of writ: Wednesday 17 October 2007

§ Deadline for new enrolment*: 8pm, Wednesday 17 October 2007

§ Close of rolls for updating address*: 8pm, Tuesday 23 October 2007

§ Close of bulk nominations: 12noon, Tuesday 30 October 2007

§ Close of nominations: 12noon, Thursday 1 November 2007

§ Declaration of nominations: 12noon, Friday 2 November 2007

§ Election day: 8am to 6pm, Saturday 24 November 2007

2007 Federal Election - Vote Green in the Senate

…for real action on climate change

The major parties are too close to big business. They won’t make the tough decisions needed to stop dangerous climate change.

Australia needs to shift from dirty coal to clean solar and wind energy now.

The Greens will provide for increased investment in energy efficiency and renewable technology to create jobs.

….and for fairer workplace laws.

The Greens are the only party committed to scrapping every part of Howard’s unfair workplace laws. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Everyone needs to balance work and family life.

The Greens would reinstate the right to strike, genuine unfair dismissal laws and abolish all AWA individual contracts.

But why the Senate?

Labor may win government at the next Federal election, but without a strong vote for the Greens, Howard will still control the Senate.

This would make it impossible to change unfair workplace laws or take decisive action on climate change.

Electing more Greens is the only way to Rescue the Senate

The Newcastle Greens hold Federal Election Campaign meetings every week
in the Newcastle Green’s Office located on the corner of Hunter and Watt Streets, Newcastle.

Next Meeting is Saturday 13 October 2007, 2.00PM to 5.00PM
The Federal Election Campaign Committee will perform Local Group functions until after the Federal election.

9 October 2007

David Shoebridge No 2 on the Greens NSW Senate team will join local Greens candidates, Charmian Eckersley, Newcastle, Keith Parsons, Shortland and Suzanne Pritchard, Charlton, at Nobbys Beach, the site of the recent grounding of the Pasha Bulka on Wednesday 10 October at 1.15 pm.

The Hunter can expect more of the violent storms that led to the Pasha Bulka’s dangerous and costly stay on Nobbys Beach.

The Greens have been warning of impending climate change for over two decades and urging governments to wean themselves off dangerous dependence on fossil fuels and to actively support renewable energy.

There has never been a greater need for a strong Greens voice in the Senate and for a strong vote for Greens candidates in the Lower House to drive home the lesson to the major parties that they must get serious about climate change.

David Shoebridge is a Greens councillor and former Deputy Lord Mayor of Woollahra, the heart of Wentworth, Malcolm Turnbull’s electorate and a hot spot in the Tasmanian pulp mill debate.

He is also a barrister and the official NSW Greens spokesman on Industrial Law, and outspoken critic of the Howard Government’s Work Choices and Labor’s “Work Choices Lite.”

David and the Greens candidates welcome and interviews and /or photo opportunities.

For further contact :

David Shoebridge 0408 113 952

Charmian Eckersley 0407 730 410

Keith Parsons 0408 446 022

Suzanne Pritchard 0438 596 741

Pulp mill gets the nod & Garrett supports Turnbull’s decision

Senator Kerry Nettle and other Greens took the anti-pulp mill campaign to Malcolm Turnbull’s press conference in Sydney today.

The Greens will step up our campaign against the proposed pulp mill in Tasmania after Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull approved the mill today. Labor’s Peter Garrett agreed with the government’s decision and said the ALP supported the pulp mill.

“This was a litmus test - a challenge to the coalition to show that it was able to meet the aspirations of Australians in 2007 - and it’s failed,” Greens leader Bob Brown said today.

The pulp mill will chew through 200,000 hectares of native forest and contribute an additional 2% to Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and release posionous dioxins into Bass Strait.

The Greens candidates for Wentworth and Kingsford-Smith recently visited the site of the proposed mill. The mill will be a big issue in their election campaign as they go up against Malcolm Turnbull and Labor environment spokesperson, Peter Garrett.

You can come and hear Senator Brown launch the Greens NSW election campaign at:

The Mint, Macquarie Street, Sydney

Friday 12 October 12pm - 1pm.