This morning fellow Greens candidate, Conny Harris and myself joined one of our party’s Senate candidates, David Shoebridge to shred a copy of John Howard's WorkChoices legislation outside Tony Abbott's office in Manly.

Mr Shoebridge said: "As a lawyer practicing in employment and industrial law I see on a daily basis how unfair the Howard Government's WorkChoices laws are.

“John Howard’s industrial relations legislation is making life much harder for working Australians and there is no evidence it has created jobs or increased productivity.

"Kevin Rudd said he'd rip up WorkChoices, but now he's back flipped and wants to keep most of it, including individual contracts. Labor wants ‘WorkChoices Lite’.

“The Greens are determined to immediately abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission, restore union rights of entry and reinvigorate the industrial relations commission.

"We also want to scrap AWAs and protect all workers from unfair dismissal," Mr Shoebridge said.

Re-electing Greens Senator Kerry Nettle is essential if Australia is to have any hope of restoring fairness to the industrial relations system.

Greens balance of power in the senate will take away from an incoming Rudd Labor government any excuse for not repealing all of WorkChoices.

It is vital that John Howard’s control of the senate comes to an end. The only way that can happen is with more Greens in the senate because Labor cannot win back control on its own.

“The people the Northern Beaches want to see an end to WorkChoices and voting Greens is the best way to do it,” Dr Conny Harris said.

For more information:
Conny Harris - 0432643295
Craige McWhirter - 0415958783
David Shoebridge - 0408 113 952

This weekend I'll be joining the more than 10,000 people expected to participate in the annual "Walk Against Warming" on Sunday.

Last year the buses and ferries were over flowing with Northern Beaches people attending the walk. Climate change is an issue that is close to the heart of many of us here and the Walk Against Warming is sure to attract even larger numbers of people wanting their voices to be heard this close to an election.

Organised by the Nature Conservation Council and Greenpeace, the Walk Against Warming is a family friendly event that allows people to express their desire for immediate government action on climate change.

Climate change will have a direct impact on the health and welfare of current and future generations of Australians. It is imperative the Australian government takes immediate action to address climate change before it begins to impact on our health, our food supply before the economic consequences of the Howard government's failure to support the growth of a robust renewable energy sector, come home to roost.

We need genuine Greenhouse gas reduction targets, such as reducing to 30% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% below by 2050. Combined with the introduction of a carbon tax or at the very least, a carbon trading system, as soon as possible to begin gearing the Australian economy for the changes to come.

The Greens are also seeking to create a new ministerial position, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, to oversee the national response to climate change and the implementation of energy efficiency programs and standards.

I'll be on the 10:46am L90 from Newport on Sunday :)

http://walkagainstwarming.org/?page=nsw.php&s=3

The walk kicks off in the domain at 1PM and afterwards features performances by artists such as Watussi.

Local Tibetan, Tenpa Dugdak, addressed last night's meeting of the Northern Beaches Greens and presented me with a Khata, a Tibetan scarf of friendship.

Tenpa spoke about the challenges, hopes and aspirations of the Tibetan people as well as the suffering of former political prisoners such as Dee Why residents Tenzin Tsedup and Ngawang Yangdon who were also present.

Tenpa also spoke of the affinity that the local Tibetan community feels with the Greens, particularly because of the Greens core principles:
- Ecological sustainability;
- Social equality and economic justice;
- Grassroots democracy;
- Peace, disarmament and nonviolence.

With non-violence being a cornerstone of Tibetan and Buddhist culture, there was a strong connection on that philosophy.

I was surprised and honoured to receive this gift of friendship from Tenpa and the local Tibetan community. This was one of the most humbling moments of my life.

This Saturday, I will join other Northern Beaches residents at Horseshoe Beach, Newcastle, participating in the biannual "occupation"of Newcastle Harbour organised by Rising Tide.

Newcastle is already the worlds largest coal export port and the Howard government is planning to double this. The Greens believe that there should be no expansion of existing coal mines, coal fired power stations or our capacity to export coal.

I've been attending this event since it started several years ago because our role as the worlds largest coal exporter combined with being the highest per-capita producer of greenhouse gases places a moral obligation on us to cap our contribution to climate change and invest in renewable energy instead".

As a volunteer I will be driving inflatable boats providing water safety for the families paddling out onto Newcastle Harbour.

Future energy needs have to be met using sustainable, renewable energy sources. Australians would rather see the money currently being spent on increasing coal export production spent instead on reclaiming our mantle as the world leader in renewable energy which has been lost to Japan & Germany due to the Howard government's neglect of our renewable energy sector.

We've lost significant technologies and technical talent to Japan, the US, China and Germany but renewable energy will still provide a jobs rich future for a sustainable economy which no longer relies on iron age fuels, such as coal, when we have the Greens in the balance of power ensuring we have a government which invests in our future.

Our health, welfare and economic prosperity are all intertwined with how address climate change and we need to address it by not expanding our existing dependency upon fossil fuels and creating a clear transition to renewable energy and a sustainable economy.

For those interested in attending but do not have a boat, there will be vessels provided on the day. You can also come and enjoy the food, guest speakers and live music while showing your support from the shore if you'd rather stay dry.

http://www.risingtide.org.au/peoplesblockade

--
Craige McWhirter - Re-energising Mackellar!
0415958783
Greens Candidate for Mackellar

Yesterday I joined Greens Senator Kerry Nettle and Warringah candidate Conny Harris at the Australian Institute of Police Management at North Head, in Manly.

Over the last few years a number of Burmese police have attended training programs at the Australian Institute of Police Management in Manly.

The training is focused on senior police including the Police Executive Leadership Program and Police Management Development Program.

Kerry Nettle said "It is outrageous that this training has been taking place while the Burmese people suffer at the hands of the police and security forces."

"John Howard has talked up Australia's opposition to Burma while continuing our security and business ties. He has misled the Australian people."

"This has to end. The government and Australian Federal Police must suspend this training program."

I am sure that many Sydneysiders would be shocked, as I was, to learn that Burmese police had been trained right here on our Northern Beaches.

I want a guarantee from the Howard government and the AFP that none of the Burmese police they've trained here were involved in the massacre of monks in Burma.

I also call on Bronwyn Bishop to push for changes within the AFP preventing it from hosting and training members of police forces from non-democratic nations so we no longer aid and abet the suppression and murder of peaceful people.

Australian Institute of Police Management Annual Reports show that a number of police from Burma have been trained there over the last three years. One is believed to be Deputy Director of Myanmar Police, Lt-Col Than Soe.

The Australian Greens Senators have aggregated all their blogs into one grand new location:
Greens Blog
I great read for anyone interested in reading first hand what the Greens MPs are thinking on Federal issues as well as what they contribute to the Australian Parliament.

Today I joined Greens Senator Kerry Nettle and NSW MLC John Kaye outside the Establishment in Sydney where the Liberal Party were holding a $1,200 / head fundraising lunch.

The lunch was hosted by the Minister for Aging, Chris Pyne who recently polled as the most unpopular minister in a very unpopular government - quite an achievement.

Political donations undermine our democracy and raise genuine concerns about exactly who our MP's represent. Do they represent us, the voters or the corporate interests who bankroll their political parties?

Kerry had this to say:

"There is growing public disquiet about the millions of dollars political parties receive to run their election campaigns particularly from tobacco companies.

"The Liberal Party should donate the over $1 million dollars they've received from tobacco companies to cancer research," Senator Nettle said.

"Today's $1200 a head lunch hosted by Christopher Pyne excludes all but the top end of town from gaining access to the Howard Government", Senator Nettle said.

I'd like to see my local Liberal MP, Bronwyn Bishop, demonstrate her commitment to the people of Mackellar by giving her share of those tobacco donations to cancer research.

This weekend I will commence my campaign to “Re-energise Mackellar” by taking renewable energy to the people of Sydney’s northern beaches Mackellar electorate.
By powering common household items, I will be bringing home the practical reality of solar power at Winnermerey Bay on Saturday, from 10-4pm and Avalon Markets on Sunday, from 10-4pm.

I’ll be taking an array of 6 solar panels to public parks, providing an opportunity for people to get hands on experience with solar power. The panels will be running a variety of household electrical goods, such as televisions, water pumps, DVD's, computers and even a Nintendo Wii console.

By taking renewable energy out to the public, I will be demonstrating the viability of renewable energy to the general public and commencing my efforts to re-energise the electorate of Mackellar.

Once people begin to become familiar with renewable energy, they will realise that climate change is not an economic cost but an economic opportunity that this nation cannot afford to miss.

By failing to make renewable energy affordable to the average Australian, Bronwyn Bishop and the Howard government have failed the Australian people by placing their ideological faith in iron-age fuels such as coal and the ironically named "clean coal" before the best advice of our leading scientists and economists who are advocating national investment into renewable energy.

The Greens believe that the transition to renewable energy can provide a jobs-rich era of sustainable economic prosperity. It's an opportunity that we can't afford to miss out on.

More information: Craige McWhirter, 0415958783

Candidate for Mackellar, Craige McWhirter, has called on the major parties to wake up to the seriousness of the housing crisis in Mackellar and the broader Northern Beaches.

Mr McWhirter said, “Safe, affordable housing is a right not a privilege.

“The coalition has consistently ignored this problem. Now after the latest of many housing summits, forums and inquiries Labor has not produced an adequate plan to address this.

“Nearly 2 out of 5 renters pay more than 30% of their income in rent. For these people home ownership is simply out of their reach and they are forced to struggle with high rent.

What the rental market needs is a program of subsides and tax incentives designed to increase the supply of affordable housing for low and middle income earners.

The coalition’s obsession with freeing up land for development on the outer urban fringes does nothing to solve this problem. People need to live a reasonable distance from their workplace. Many people spend 3 hours or more travelling to and from work each day and it places a massive strain on families.

Labor’s response has been to create a new Ministerial position and to further monitor the crisis. This is a totally insufficient response and proves Labor is all talk on the big issues.

“We cannot underestimate the hardship this places on people. Quality of life for many Australians in this situation is severely compromised. There is a whole generation of Young Australians who will never be able to afford their own home.”

I challenge the member for Mackellar, Bronwyn Bishop, to commit to a 10% minimum set aside for affordable housing on all new developments.

The Greens are committed to action on housing. It will be a high priority for our Mackellar election campaign.

More information: Craige McWhirter, 0415958783

The recent rise in interest rates will put more pressure on Australian families and the Greens say it could have been avoided.

The Greens warned months ago that the Howard government's $60 billion tax cuts, announced in the May federal budget, would put pressure on inflation.

Greens candidate for Mackellar, Craige McWhirter, says that: "Households in the Northern Beaches are already stretched with high petrol prices, increased medical and food costs. This will be the last straw for many."

"The Greens believe that investing in education and infrastructure would address the underlying economic issues behind this rate rise.

"The $60 billion for tax cuts would buy a lot of schools and hospital beds on the Peninsula. Responsible economic management means addressing the skills shortage and providing the infrastructure, such as great public transport, that we all need." Says Craige.

Australian Greens leader, Senator Bob Brown, says that: "The Howard Government's approach to fiscal policy this year has turned bad public policy into bad economic management. The Greens were the only party to have opposed the inflationary tax cuts to high income earners.

"Australian voters are right to be angry about the most recent interest rate rise. This year's tax cuts have delivered higher interest rates for working families and less revenue to fund improvements in the health and education systems," Senator Brown said.

More information: Craige McWhirter, 0415958783