Australian Greens want big mines, bankers and polluters to pay fair share of tax
Christine Milne: Our progressive tax system isn’t working. Miners, bankers and polluters must pay their share, Guardian , 8 April
The Greens have developed a fully-costed tax proposal that values equality and innovation and adequately taxes the big end of town
… The whole point of tax is to raise the revenue we need to pay for the Australian society we want: the Greens’ vision for this society is one that values equality, is caring, innovative, healthy, and protected from the impacts of global warming. …
We want the big miners, bankers and polluters to pay their fair share first. We have a fully costed platform, which raises almost $80bn over the forward estimates, and proves that if the government was serious about an equitable society and transforming to an innovative economy based on clean energy, services and knowledge, reining in spending, and raising revenue from those who can afford to pay, they could look at a number of measures. …
Abolishing tax breaks for the fossil fuel industry (except those used for agricultural purposes) would raise $10.05bn. The G20, IMF, OECD and World Bank have all urged governments to stop providing subsidies for fossil fuel use. By taking away miners’ tax-free fuel, the government could uphold Australia’s international commitment and also raise $10bn over the next four years alone.
To put it simply, the Greens want genuine restructuring of the Australian economy to make our society more equitable, more innovative and resilient as the world moves to address global warming and global inequality.
Ian Viner, former Federal Liberal Minister condemns Western Australian govt’s push to change Aboriginal Heritage laws
WA reforms destroy sacred indigenous heritage: Ian Viner VICTORIA LAURIE THE AUSTRALIAN APRIL 04, 2015
Fraser government Aboriginal Affairs minister Ian Viner has described as “truly offensive” and “fundamentally destructive of Aboriginal cultural heritage protection” the West Australian government’s Aboriginal heritage reforms, amid growing opposition to proposed changes.
Mr Viner, who introduced the Northern Territory Aboriginal land rights act into federal parliament in 1976, has weighed into the debate over protection of aboriginal sites after a West Australian Supreme Court finding that the government was wrong to deregister the land and sea surrounding the iron ore export hub of Port Hedland as an Aboriginal sacred site.
The state government, through its Aboriginal Cultural Materials Committee, had sought to clear the way for multi-million dollar port extensions by removing Aboriginal claims that certain coastal mangroves and seaways were sacred.
The case turned on a controversial requirement, introduced in 2013, that a sacred site could qualify only if religious activity occurred on it.
Justice John Chaney referred the case back to the ACMC, which is tasked with assessing site protection under the Aboriginal Heritage Act……..
Mr Viner said the Barnett government’s bid to rewrite its state heritage laws — in changes enshrined in a heritage amendment bill yet to pass through parliament — was bad legislation that would result in the government being labelled a cultural pariah.
“The clear intention of the legislation is to seriously restrict the opportunity for Aboriginal participation in the administration of the act,” he said in an opinion sent to the Aboriginal Heritage Action Alliance and obtained by The Australian.
“(It would) weaken and limit the protection of heritage places and objects so as to allow more and easier access to land.
“In the interests of good governance and the Aboriginal people of Western Australia and their cultural heritage, and the government not being regarded as cultural pariahs, the bill should be withdrawn.”
Alliance spokesman Clayton Lewis, representing several indigenous land groups, said that the heritage amendments should be referred to a parliamentary select committee “so the issues can be properly examined”.http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/indigenous/wa-reforms-destroy-sacred-indigenous-heritage-ian-viner/story-fn9hm1pm-1227290645301
Tony Abbott internationally recognised as ‘world’s worst climate villain’
Abbott the ‘world’s worst climate villain’ http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/04/01/abbott-worlds-worst-climate-villainWhile still cautious and sceptical, a US publication says Tony Abbott’s recently released climate discussion paper is a welcome sign.Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been described in the US as the “world’s worst climate villain”.That’s the bad news for the prime minister.
The good news is Mother Jones, the San Francisco-based nonprofit news organisation that gave him the label, is cautiously heartened by his government’s recently published climate issues paper.
With a new global climate deal to be hammered out in Paris later this year, Abbott’s issues paper states it is in Australia’s national interest for “a strong and effective global agreement, that addresses carbon leakage and delivers environmental benefit”.
Tuesday’s Mother Jones article, with the headline “The World’s Worst Climate Villain Just Showed Us Exactly How to Stop Global Warming”, said there’s reason to be sceptical and not get too excited about Abbott’s climate stance.
“I have no idea what ‘carbon leakage’ is,” Mother Jones climate desk associate producer Tim McDonnell wrote.
“Presumably it’s something similar to carbon dioxide emissions, which are the leading cause of global warming.
“Regardless, the announcement is a welcome sign from an administration that was recently ranked as the ‘worst industrial country in the world’ on climate action.”
Mother Jones describes itself as a nonprofit news organisation specialising in investigative, political and social justice reporting.
Business bodies call for end to the inertia on Renewable Energy Target
Renewable energy target: Peak bodies call for end to ‘detrimental’ deadlock in open letter to politicians, ABC News 30 Mar 15 By environment and science reporter Jake Sturmer Peak bodies representing clean energy companies and electricity users have written an open letter to Australia’s politicians urging them to resolve the renewable energy target (RET) impasse.
Last week the Government emphatically rejected a proposal from the Clean Energy Council for a compromise on the RET.
A group of peak business associations including the Business Council of Australia, Clean Energy Council (CEC) and Energy Users Association of Australia warned time was running out.
“[The CEC compromise] provides a strong basis for a speedy negotiated outcome,” the letter read.
“The uncertainty of this unresolved review is having a material and detrimental impact on the renewable energy sector, energy users, the traditional energy sector and the broader business community.
“The impact will increase significantly if the issue remains unresolved.”………Both the Coalition and Labor agreed to cut the target, but are yet to settle on how big the reduction should be.
Labor want a figure in the mid-to-high 30,000s GWh and has said there will be no deal if the Government does not lift its offer.
Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane told the ABC last week he was not considering anything above 32,000 GWh. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-30/ret-impasse-impact-detrimental-peak-bodies-say/6357154
British report slams Australia for its polluting industries, high carbon emissions
New British report highlights urgent need for action on renewable energy investment in Australia ABC Radio PM David Taylor reported this story on Friday, March 27, 2015 MARK COLVIN: A new British report has singled out four Australian energy companies as being among the worst polluters in the world. The research from Oxford University warns of the risks they pose to the economy and the environment.Australia has 22 coal-fired power stations which account for around a quarter of the nation’s carbon emissions.
DAVID TAYLOR: Leading international researchers say Australia has a poor record on tackling greenhouse emissions produced by the nation’s energy companies.
Now, a British report has singled out some of the nation’s worst polluters.
Oxford University researcher, Ben Caldecott.
BEN CALDECOTT: Those were AGL, Origin, Stanwell, and Delta. Continue reading
Malcolm Fraser worked tirelessly for International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
Malcolm Fraser fought to abolish nuclear weapons March 26, 2015 Tilman Ruff Largely missing 
from the plaudits for Malcolm Fraser was his tireless work for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, the unprecedented global campaign linking 424 organisations in 95 countries.……http://www.theage.com.au/comment/malcolm-fraser-fought-to-abolish-nuclear-weapons-20150326-1m81iu.html
Farmers go to Canberra for Earth Hour to discuss climate change
Farmers from around Australia travel to Canberra to put the spotlight on climate change ahead of Earth Hour ABC Rural 24 Mar 15 WA Country Hour By Bridget Fitzgerald A group of nine farmers will meet with key members of Federal Parliament this week to discuss their first hand experiences of climate change.
The group, from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, have travelled to Canberra ahead of Earth Hour this Saturday.
The annual Earth Hour event sees people all over the world switch off their lights for one hour, to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on farmers and food production…….http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-25/farmers-highlight-climate-change-for-earth-hour/6346578
Malcolm Fraser’s plan for a green Australian republic
Malcolm Fraser’s unrealised manifesto – an Australian republic with green credentials, The Age March 27, 2015 Dan Harrison Health and Indigenous Affairs Correspondent The political party Malcolm Fraser was working to set up when he died was to stand for an Australian republic which was reconciled with its first peoples through a treaty, with a larger population, a more independent foreign policy and a post-carbon economy…….
In a draft “statement of values and purposes” for the future party published by news website Crikey on Thursday, Mr Fraser argued a new “modern, independent and progressive political party of national purpose” was needed to deliver the “intelligent and enlightened leadership, inspired by a belief in justice, integrity and a sense of the fair go” that the nation demanded.
“We do not take this step lightly or impulsively,” the statement reads. “Our party has been created in the belief that the major political parties … have repeatedly failed Australians on the big issues”……..
The document says the party accepts “the overwhelming scientific evidence of climate change” and recognises that “nothing short of a profoundly different way of structuring the global economy will avert the catastrophic effects of a warming planet.”
“Despite the un-extracted riches in Australia’s coal reserves, the imperative of moving to a post-carbon economy is clear, and the urgency of government intervention to achieve it is compelling,” it reads……….http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-frasers-unrealised-manifesto–an-australian-republic-with-green-credentials-20150326-1m8hyt.html
Health, environment concerns about Abbott government and Trans Pacific Partnership
Trans-Pacific Partnership leaked chapter raises health, environment concerns ABC News By business reporter Michael Janda 27 Mar 15 Fair trade and consumer groups say a leaked draft chapter of the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership shows that the Australian Government may be willing to trade off health and environmental protections. Continue reading
Good news. New national park in W.A. – mining excluded
Miners agree on new national park for WA’s Kimberley region, Australia’s biggest WA Today March 24, 2015 – Steve Holland A new national park that will be the biggest in Australia is set to be created in Western Australia’s Kimberley region after two major mining companies relinquished their tenements.
Rio Tinto and Alcoa Australia have given up their rights to mine the Mitchell Plateau in the north-west of the Kimberley, a region of significant biological diversity, encompassing spectacular gorges and waterfalls.
Premier Colin Barnett said on Tuesday he would introduce legislation into WA Parliament to terminate a State Agreement which would have seen an alumina refinery and bauxite mine allowed in the region. …..
It’s expected that numerous endangered animals in the region, such as the northern quoll, the rough-scaled python and various turtles, will have a greater chance of survival with the creation of the park. …….The government announced it would continue to work with the traditional owners in the area, the Dambimangari, Wunambal-Gaambera and Wilinggin, to create and jointly manage the proposed Kimberley National Park. http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/miners-agree-on-new-national-park-for-was-kimberley-region-australias-biggest-20150324-1m6h8q.html
Australia will have plenty of posturing but little or no new large scale renewable energy
Clean energy victim of political pantomime, Financial Review, by Jennifer Hewett 24 Mar 15 What a fiasco the argument over the Renewable Energy Target has become.
As one senior industry figure laments, it’s now complete political pantomime. No one in the government or Labor wants to concede the reality of what’s happening on the ground in terms of investment.
The result is that Australia will have plenty of posturing but little or no new large scale renewable energy development likely for years to come. No matter what the official target says.
It’s also despite the two sides of politics supposedly moving much closer on the revised number of gigawatt hours required to meet the 2020 target – 32,000 GWh according to the government and 35,000 GWh according to Labor. Any deal would include full exemptions for emission-intensive industries such as aluminium and steel.
Instead, the whole argument has been diverted into false and emotive arguments about who is for or against climate change. Labor doesn’t want to concede any political vulnerability to the Greens who suggest Labor is reneging on a commitment to combating climate change……http://www.afr.com/opinion/columnists/clean-energy-victim-of-political-pantomime-20150324-1m6j6n
Australia lost $1.8 billion in foreign investment through Abbott govt’s opposition to renewable energy
Flannery: Abbott Govt’s approach to renewable energy “grim”http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/energy-outlook-is-pretty-grim/2579950/ Hamish Broome | 20th Mar 2015 “GRIM” is how climate scientist, author and Climate Council member Tim Flannery describes the Abbott Government’s approach to climate change and renewable energy.
The outspoken scientist was interviewed ahead of his keynote speech at the Byron Solar Revolution Symposium this Saturday afternoon.
While everyday Aussies had embraced rooftop solar at an unprecedented rate, at a Federal level the commitment to big projects was in reverse, Professor Flannery said. “We’re doing very badly. We’ve been left way, way behind. Particularly in terms of clean energy technology,” he said.
Prof Flannery said as a result of the Federal Government’s “backward” stance on the Renewable Energy Target the nation had lost out on $1.8 billion in foreign investment into large-scale renewable projects in 2014 alone.
“At current settings, things are looking pretty grim,” he said. “We have a very high reliance on a very polluting, antiquated electricity system. Some of our coal-fired stations are the most polluting in the developed world.”
But amid all this negativity, Byron Shire Council has pledged to become a “zero emissions” council by 2020, while Lismore City Council has made a similar commitment.
Plans are afoot to launch a community-owned regional electricity retailer, and at least two other medium-sized renewable projects are planned in Lismore and Mullumbimby.
Prof Flannery said it was a “no-brainer” that regional communities were keen on renewable energy, because they could keep their profits local instead of funding “head offices” in the capitals.
And he said solar technology was making huge strides to support the move.
“We’re just seeing now the new storage units coming on to the Australian market at a price most people can afford,” he said.
Australia should be taking advantage of its massive solar resource, Prof Flannery said, pointing out the world’s solar technology leader was Germany, but even its best solar region was worse than our worst – in south-west Tasmania.
Protest against Western Australian native title deal
Protest held against WA native title deal http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/protest-held-against-wa-native-title-deal-20150318-1m29df.html March 18, 2015 Aboriginal protesters have demonstrated outside the West Australian parliament against a $1.3 billion native title deal.
The agreement was finalised in November last year after five years of negotiations between the state and the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council.
It offers the Noongar people land, finance and benefits in exchange for the surrender of native title rights in the region.
The Noongar community is currently considering the deal, but some members have accused those who support it of being sell-outs. Speaker Avril Dean told the crowd that SWALSC has “dangled a bit of money” above the Noongar people’s heads.
“This land is so much about us and what’s in our hearts, and we come here today to protest the giving away of our land,” she said on Wednesday.
“The government wants to take away… everything that’s so special to us
Jo Vallentine -a world first when elected to the Senate on a platform of nuclear disarmament
Take heart: name the sixteenth Western Australian federal electorate ‘Vallentine’ This year marks the 30th anniversary of Jo Vallentine’s historic election to the Australian senate, the first time in the world a person was elected to a parliament on a platform of nuclear disarmament.
Jo Vallentine later went on to be instrumental in establishing The Greens (WA), now the state’s third largest party. She was the first elected representative for the Greens in federal parliament.
Jo Vallentine continues to make an outstanding contribution to our community through a passionate commitment to peace, nonviolence and social justice.
For more information on why this new seat should be called Vallentine and to sign the Greens (WA) petition: http://greenswa.org.au/vallentine.
To make your own submission:
online: http://www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/2014/wa/suggestions.htm
or email to FedRedistribution-WA@aec.gov.au
or mail to PO Box 7081, Cloisters Square PO, WA, 6850
Submissions must be received by AEC by 6pm Friday 10 April 2015
Please contact: Chilla Bulbeck on 0407 165 753 if you need to discuss the submission or have any queries
Giles Parkinson punctures Abbott’s 10 biggest lies on renewable energy
Abbott government’s 10 biggest renewable energy whoppers, 
REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson on 17 March 2015
So we thought we would puncture some of these balloons. There are so many it is hard to know where to start. If you think we have omitted a good’un, please let us know, either through email or on the comments page.
So here we go:………http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/abbott-governments-10-biggest-renewable-energy-whoppers-57445
1 This month
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/235274195556
21 April Webinar: No Nuclear Weapons in Australia
Start: 2026-04-21 18:00:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
End: 2026-04-21 19:30:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
Event Type: Virtual
A virtual link will be communicated before the event.
Host Contact Info: australia@icanw.org
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 