The Gold Coast Greens are proud to present the Greens candidates for voters on the Gold Coast:

Queensland Senate: Larissa Waters

Fadden: Michael Beale
Moncrieff: Carla Brandon
McPherson: Ben O'Callaghan
Forde: Andy Grodecki

Please see the main Greens website for more information on the campaign.

Greens (NSW) MLC Ian Cohen will chair an Upper House inquiry into a sustainable water supply for Sydney including the Kurnell desalination project.

“I am pleased that the committee agreed that the inquiry should proceed”, Mr Cohen said today.

“This will be an opportunity for the parliament to properly assess the environmental and economic effectiveness of the proposed desalination plant while looking at the alternatives including demand management, recycling and rain water tanks,” Mr Cohen said.

Terms of reference:

That General Purpose Standing Committee No 5 inquire into and report on a sustainable water supply for Sydney and, in particular:

(a) the environmental impact of the proposed desalination plant at Kurnell

(b) the environmental assessment process associated with the proposed desalination plant

(c) methods for reducing the use of potable water for domestic, industrial, commercial and agricultural purposes, including sustainable water consumption practices

(d) the costs and benefits of desalination and alternative sources of water including recycled wastewater, groundwater, rainwater tanks and stormwater harvesting

(e) practices concerning the disposal of trade waste

(f) the tender process and contractual arrangements, including public-private partnerships, in relation to the to the proposed desalination plant, and

(g) any other matters

Further Information: Ben Oquist 02 92303305 or 0419704095

The Defence Minister's announcement that he needs new laws to allow the government to call troops out on to the street was rejected today by Greens Senator Kerry Nettle as being totally unnecessary.

"Like the terror laws passed last week, new laws are not needed. The Government is intent on invoking the fear of terrorism in the community as a distraction from its new regressive industrial relations laws," Senator Nettle said.

"In September 2000, the Government passed laws to enable them to call troops on to the streets and give the army the powers to cordon off areas, stop, search and detain people, and shoot to kill.

"The Greens amendment to put a sunset clause into this legislation in 2000 was defeated - so these powers remain.

"The Greens opposed these laws in 2000 and oppose them today because these powers can be used against civil protests and industrial action.

"The Greens believe that the Government should focus their efforts on reducing the risk of terrorism and start withdrawing Australia's troops from Iraq.

"Troops on the streets legislation is more scare mongering by the Government," Senator Nettle said

This afternoon, Senator Bob Brown is giving a Greens' rejoinder to Mark Latham's lecture at the University of Melbourne. Mr Latham told students to stay away from politics. Bob Brown says "Go for it!"

Attached is the Senator's speech.

10 Good reasons why young people should enter politics

Bob Brown
Melbourne University
3 October 2005

A quarter of a century ago, in our blackest days when the bulldozers were in the Franklin River valley, I wrote "10 good reasons why the Franklin River should be saved".

Now the river is safe, a beautiful region of the world and its wildlife remains alive and the economic and employment bonuses for the West Coast of Tasmania keep rolling in. It is a good feeling.

If I could go back I might add an eleventh point: never give in to despair. Now, here's 10 good reasons why we should all get into politics:

1. Democracy is the golden glue of humankind's future on the planet. Democracy with its very simple idea of distributing power - that we are all equal - is not just a good recipe for local elections; it is the key

Just a short post to share with everyone this portrait of Bob Brown, painted by Robert Hannaford. It's one of the Archibald Prize finalists this year.