Townsville Greens The Greens Listen

Elders from Palm Island say the way the Queensland government is treating them and their issues reminds them of the way they were treated by the superintendent who ruled their lives with an iron fist under the Aboriginal and opium act drawn up at the beginning of the last century.

Bethel Smallwood still remembers the day she cut her forehead badly and was forbidden by a policeman to go by the quickest route to the hospital, down Mango Lane, because of apartheid laws.

In a similar way, in 2008, Palm Island children seeking refuge from neglect and abuse were stopped from going to "Safe Haven": a refuge for children set up by the women at Kootana, "because of bureaucratic laws that overrode the good sense and compassion of local women looking after children in trouble," said Delina Oui Foster, Independent candidate for the state seat of Townsville and former Mayor of Palm Island.

The Greens have assured voters that they are committed to supporting the arts in Townsville.

Jenny Brown, Greens candidate for Mundingburra , is concerned that Tropic Sun Theatre Company may be forced to close due to lack of funding from the State Government.  Ms Brown said, “The Greens believe in supporting and promoting local artists and protecting their work. The Greens would increase direct funding to the arts and artists and ensure access to the arts and cultural events in rural and regional areas.”

Local candidates for The Greens have expressed their support for Seniors and the important role they play in our community. Jenny Brown, The Greens candidate for Mundingburra said, “The Greens have long recognized that the pension has not kept up with the real costs for pensioners and have been successful in gaining a commitment from the Federal Government for a rise in the pension in the May budget as part of the Economic Stimulus package."  Ms Brown said, ”This is about social justice and fair distribution of Australia's wealth”.

The Greens policy to increase pensioner allowances to $30 a week is especially needed in regional north QLD, according to Anja Light, Australian 2nd Greens senate candidate for QLD.

“The Prime Minister is offering a paltry $8 per week increase to pensioners and Kevin Rudd stated that he ‘needs to look at the figures’. Both major parties voted against the Greens proposal for a $30 a week boost for pensions in August this year. “ said Ms. Light

Border security may be a strategy used by the federal government to shore up its flagging electoral fortunes following comments made yesterday Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Mick Keelty, who named climate change as the biggest security issue of the century.

Mr Kelty flagged that, “global warming will certainly pose national security issues never seen before. We could see a catastrophic decline in the availability of fresh water. Crops could fail, disease could be rampant, and flooding might be so frequent that people en masse would be on the move.”

Given 3rd world health outcomes, serious child welfare issues and high incarceration rates, the Howard government is wasting precious time by playing around with privatising the problems that plague Aboriginal people.

"Instead of intervening in Indigenous issues without consultation, offering to bury toxic waste in return for providing health facilities and education in the Northern Territory, issuing 99 year housing leases that have the potential to dispossess the people from the Land and a proposing constitutional referendum that may not get up, Howard should be offering Aboriginal people what they most need and desire: Treaty, Respect & Social Justice" said Jenny Stirling, Greens candidate for Herbert.

Media Release: V8 Supercars

Greens slam comments made by Minister Assisting the Premier in North Queensland Craig Wallace condemning federal spending of taxpayers' money political advertising, preferring instead to direct the money to V8Supercars.

In view of the spiraling costs of fuel and the impact climate change will have on the North, it seems incomprehensible that a responsible person, never mind a State Minister would be advocating V8 Supercar racing,” said Greens candidate for Herbert Jenny Stirling.

Australia's future workforce must be highly skilled, highly trained and well paid; the existence of a safety net and the right to collectively bargain are essential to achieving these aims.

Green candidate for Herbert, Jenny Stirling said: "Just as the Australian economy has undergone and is undergoing significant and rapid change, so have the labour market and the Australian industrial relations system."

The Greens acknowledge that Australia's future workforce must be highly skilled, highly trained and well paid. How we do that is crucial in relation to our economy but also in building an inclusive Australian society.

The Australian Government's complicity in allowing those captured during the US "War on Terror" to be imprisoned without trial at Guantanamo Bay, may backfire on Australian soldiers one day.

Townsville Greens spokesperson, Jenny Stirling expressed concern that if Australia is unwilling to ensure that the USA abides by the Geneva Convention in its treatment of prisoners, then Australia may find itself not taken seriously if it tries to enforce humane treatment of any Australians taken as prisoners of war by an enemy country in the future.

Ms Stirling made the point: "If conventions and treaties designed to protect those who fight for their country or their beliefs are ignored by powerful nations like the USA in the current fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, how can any Australian servicemen or women who have the misfortune to be captured by enemy forces in these or future conflicts hope to be treated as "prisoners of war?"

The riot at Aurukun this week confirms what Aboriginal elders and activists been saying was just a matter of time: that a people who have lost confidence in the administration of justice and policing in this Qld will take matters into their own hands.

In light of these and other related events such as the death of Mulrunji's Doomadgee's death and the subsequent public mêlée and the burning of the jail on Palm Island, the Queensland Greens have slammed the Beattie government's decision to disband the ministerial portfolio for Indigenous Affairs after the State government elections in September, 2006.