EcoRadio

Category: News

Add your news
You can add news from your networks or groups through the website by becoming an author. Simply register as a member of the Generator, and then email Giovanni asking to become an author. He will then work with you to integrate your content into the site as effectively as possible.
Listen to the Generator News online

 
The Generator news service publishes articles on sustainable development, agriculture and energy as well as observations on current affairs. The news service is used on the weekly radio show, The Generator, as well as by a number of monthly and quarterly magazines. A podcast of the Generator news is also available.
As well as Giovanni’s articles it picks up the most pertinent articles from a range of other news services. You can publish the news feed on your website using RSS, free of charge.
 

  • The Greens are the breakthrough of this election

  • More than 4,500 of you signed up online to volunteer over the course of the campaign – knocking on doors, handing out how to votes, holding Greens stalls and events, and much more;
  • Together, we raised more than $300,000 from small online donations to run our fantastic, positive campaign advertising on TV, on billboards in capital cities, in major newspapers, and to build the biggest online advertising presence we’ve ever had; (with special thanks to the talented creative team at Make Believe for all their work on this campaign)
  • More than 20,000 people became Facebook fans of the Greens– and dozens of State and local Facebook groups sprung up to spread the Greens’ message online

For me, as Campaign Manager, the last few months have been both exhilarating and exhausting. What’s kept me going is the knowledge that you – the people out there reading these emails – have been working tirelessly in your own communities. 

You’ve shared the Greens’ positive vision for Australia with your neighbours, your colleagues and your families, and that’s what’s led to these stunning results. 

You are the heart and soul of the Greens. 

Having the balance of power in the Senate from July 2011 isn’t a magic wand, but it does mean we’ll be in a powerful position to make legislation better, introduce new ideas to the Parliament and push both sides of politics to deliver smarter, more constructive and progressive outcomes for our nation. The results of this election won’t be clear for another few days – or even weeks – and the Senators and I will be in touch with the latest developments.

But for today, I just wanted to say thank you. 

You’ve believed all along that we can make tremendous change to Australian politics, and yesterday, your votes created a powerful change in the Parliament. It is truly an historic achievement for the Greens and it has been my absolute pleasure and privilege to be a part of it. 

Thank you,

Ebony Bennett
National Campaign Coordinator
Australian Greens

P.S. If you aren’t already, now is the perfect time to become a member of the Greens. You can join online here and become formally part of Australia’s third biggest political party. Thanks for your support!
 

  • GREENS NSW ELECTION RESULTS

    In NSW there was a 2 percent swing to the Greens across the state, and our vote has increased in almost all NSW lower house seats.  Strong results include Grayndler, up almost 7 percent to 25.4 percent, and Sydney received 23.7 percent with a 2.7 percent swing.  In Wentworth, despite a 10.3 percent swing to Malcolm Turnbull the Greens vote increased to 17.8 percent.
    In Western suburbs seats we experienced solid growth including an 8.6 percent swing in Werriwa.  The four northern Sydney seats of Warringah, Mackellar, North Sydney and Bradfield, along with Newcastle, Wollongong and Richmond are all sitting above 15 percent.   Most marginal and regional seats have held their ground, and the North Coast seats delivered a strong senate vote.  In the bell-weather seat of Eden-Monaro, in a tight race, we had a 1.3 percent swing to gain 9.2 percent.
    I know it’s hard when you run a strong campaign and you don’t get the result you had hoped for.  Even if your vote is not as high as you expected please take satisfaction in the fact that all the votes you gained have helped to secure a NSW senate spot.  Lee reminded me how hard it is for some of our regional seats when she spoke about the tough crowd full of Nationals supporters she faced when debating Nationals Senator Fiona Nash in Gunnedah last week.
    Whatever the result, we can all be proud that our combined efforts have created a huge buzz on the Greens campaign trail, and a real shift in understanding of the Greens’ policies.  Every campaign has excelled in promoting our message for action on climate change, refugee rights, equality and better public services both in their community and via the media and the internet.
    It has been the biggest campaign the Greens have ever undertaken with thousands volunteering across the state.  We had campaign offices in many Sydney and regional seats, giving the Greens some great public exposure.  Our materials, our stalls, our media coverage and the record number of volunteers on polling booths has been a fantastic collective effort.
    I would like to thank you for your participation in this campaign.  The issues we feel passionate about and our vision for a fairer, safer and more peaceful world have been conveyed to thousands of people.  Together we have laid a great foundation for the 2011 state election.
    Sincerely,

    Lesa de Leau
    NSW Campaign Co-ordinator
     
    end

  • Milne says thank you for record Tasmanian Green vote

    Meanwhile the polling booth at Nimbin in the Richmond electorate recorded a Green
    vote of 49%.

    Sunday 22 August 2010

    Milne says thank-you for record Tasmanian Green vote

    In the biggest vote for a third party since the Second
    World War, The Greens will return to federal parliament with eight and
    possibly nine senators and the House of Representatives seat of
    Melbourne, Australian Greens Deputy Leader Christine Milne said today.

    “We have achieved balance of power in the Senate and
    will use that power responsibly for good and progressive outcomes for
    the people of Australia.

    “Regardless of which party forms government, we will
    work with them using the huge experience we have with balance of power
    politics.

    “We will also work with the Independents in the House of
    Representatives to progress important initiatives for Australia
    including a national gross feed in tariff and stronger biosecurity and
    quarantine regimes.

    “In Tasmania one in five people voted for the Greens in
    the Senate delivering 20.2% of the vote, up on 18.7% in 2007.

    “I am very grateful for the confidence that Tasmanians
    have placed in me and the Greens team and humbled by the overwhelming
    record show of support.

    “Tasmanians know that the Greens are playing a leading
    role in driving action on climate change and are excited about what we
    offer for rural and regional communities whether it’s our vision of a
    food security plan for Australia, renewable energy, or uses for the
    National Broadband Network, or increased funding for dental and mental
    health and public education.”

    In the House of Representatives there was a swing to the
    Greens in every electorate:
    Bass 15.22%          +0.8% swing
    Lyons 16.38%        +5.42%
    Braddon 11.81% +3.68
    Franklin 20.79%  +6.07%
    Denison 18.96%  +0.37%

    “Forty percent of people in Denison have voted for The
    Greens or Andrew Wilkie in a history making shift away from the Labor
    and Liberal parties and making this seat one of the most interesting
    henceforth in State and federal politics.”

  • Major parties hog polling booths, compromising democracy

    Media release – 21 August 2010
    *
    Major parties hog polling booths, compromising democracy
    *
    Greens Senate candidate for NSW Lee Rhiannon says polling booths across
    Sydney are being dominated by the major parties’ election material, with
    plastic wrap on school fences and corflutes slathering booths and denying
    smaller parties and independent candidates an even playing field.

    “It’s undemocratic for the major parties to use their election war chest to
    dominate booths with expensive advertising material. All candidates should
    be able to share the school fence on voting day,” Ms Rhiannon said.

    “There are no restrictions at a Federal election governing the size of
    banners and posters that can grace polling booths, unlike during State
    elections where electoral laws restrict banner and posters to 8,000 square
    cms.

    “What we see today is Labor and the Coaliton drowning booths with plastic
    wrap and hundreds of corflutes, disadvantaging independent and minor party
    candidates and creating tension on the booths as campaign volunteers vie for
    space.

    “In Grayndler in Sydney’s Inner West Anthony Albanese has trucks, vans,
    gazebos and booths crowded with material, with some telegraph poles groaning
    under 10 Labor corflutes. In past elections Mr Albanese has hired cherry
    pickers to decorate Marrickville Town Hall.

    “Similar scenes can be witnessed across Sydney and as far a field as
    Katoomba and Coffs Harbour.

    “Liberal Malcolm Turnbull in Wentworth has printed his posters on a green
    background, rejecting Liberal colours and smothering all the booths.

    “In Bennelong the Liberals are out in force, dressed in green shirts with
    ‘Green Army’ on the front.

    “They are handing out flyers with a picture of Bob Brown noting he doesn’t
    like preference deals. On the back they contrast the ALP and Liberal’s
    record on the environment, putting the Liberals on top.

    “In Cowper on the mid-North coast there are at least 20 cars towing boats,
    which are covered in signs warning against voting for the Greens and Labor”,
    said Ms Rhiannon.

    *Contact: Lee Rhiannon  0432 332 104*

  • Greens welcome call for a ten year poverty plan.

    —– Original Message —–
    From: “Redman, Chris (Sen R. Siewert)” <Chris.Redman@aph.gov.au>
    To: <media@greensmps.org.au>
    Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 12:11 PM
    Subject: [GreensMPs_Media] Greens welcome call for a ten year poverty plan

    > Friday 20 August, 2010
    >
    > Greens welcome call for a ten year poverty plan
    >
    > The Australian Greens today welcomed a call by the major church
    > providers for the next government of Australia to work with community
    > services to develop a 10 year plan to tackle poverty.
    >
    > “There is a pressing need for a long-term and comprehensive approach to
    > reducing disadvantage in the Australian community,” said Greens social
    > inclusion spokesperson Senator Rachel Siewert today.
    >
    > “The Greens welcome this initiative and are keen to work with welfare
    > groups and whichever party forms government to make this vision a
    > reality.
    >
    > “As advocates with the best interests of disadvantaged Australian
    > families at heart, we need to step out of the short-term political
    > cycle, put adversarial politics aside, and work together to deliver a
    > fairer and more inclusive Australia.
    >
    > “Housing affordability and homelessness, early intervention services for
    > mental illness, a fairer and simpler social safety net, access to basic
    > dental care, and more support for the rights of Indigenous Australians
    > to equal access to health, education and economic development
    > opportunities – have always been priorities for The Greens,” said
    > Senator Siewert.
    >
    > “Disadvantage and social exclusion lie at the heart of many of our
    > societal ills – including poorer education, job, chronic health and
    > mental health prospects.
    >
    > “The Greens believe a fairer society means a society that is more
    > dynamic and prosperous. Lets all work together to make it happen,”
    > concluded Senator Siewert.
    >
    > The major church providers are: Uniting Care, Catholic Social Services,
    > Anglicare and The Salvation Army
    >
    >
    > _______________________________________________
    > GreensMPs Media mailing list
    > Media@greensmps.org.au

  • Julia Gillard’s carbon price promise

     

    Ms Gillard told The Australian there was a substantive basis to her rejection of same-sex marriage.

    She now rules out any change in her opposition to same-sex marriage during the life of her government. She said she appreciated “our heritage as a Christian country” and believed “the marriage act has a special status in our culture”.

    Like Mr Rudd, she said she would select her own ministry rather than bow to factions.

    And she has rejected proposals for both a parliamentary budget office and a debates commission.

    She said her government would legislate a new funding model for government and private schools across Australia. It would be based upon the review chaired by prominent businessman David Gonski that Ms Gillard branded a “think big” exercise.

    She said a shift to some integration in government and private school funding was a “possibility”. Aware of the explosive political nature of this exercise, Ms Gillard insisted Labor would legislate the new policy to begin from January 2014 – after the next term.

    For the first time, she nominated micro-economic reform in health and education as her most critical economic priorities.

    “In my view, the major economic reform is to focus on health and education, big sections of our domestic economy that make a difference to productivity and participation.”

    This included market design, transparency, consumer choice, quality and regulation. Ms Gillard said health and education were “the two big undone (domestic) pieces of micro-economic reform”.

    She also spelt out her proposals to change immigration policy. “Will there be new criteria that bear upon immigration and numbers? Yes, two – better training policy and sustainability.

    “It is not acceptable to me that states like Western Australia have got companies in the north crying out for skilled workers, and in Perth youth unemployment is more than 10 per cent. That’s not acceptable to me. We will be acting on that.”

    She defended the $43 billion National Broadband Network, saying it had been subjected to “appropriate processes and diligence checks”. This included a strong defence of the network’s operating monopoly.