The Greens recommend that voters in the Lyne by-election on September 6 vote Susie Russell 1 and then give Rob Oakeshott their number 2, going on to number all the boxes on the ballot paper.
“The Greens offer a genuine alternative in this election. We have a proven track record in the parliaments of NSW, SA, WA, Victoria, ACT and Tasmania. The five Greens senators currently share the balance of power in Canberra,” said Greens candidate Susie Russell.
“Voters know what they are getting with the Greens. We are valued for our integrity, transparency in Government and our positions on legislation are based on our principles: Grassroots Democracy, Ecological Sustainability, Social Justice and Peace and Disarmament. As Senator Bob Brown said during his recent visit to the electorate, “We ask ourselves whether our decisions will be good for our children’s children, not whether they will get us re-elected in 3 years time”.
“I recognise that I have only an outside chance of winning, and that the outcome may be determined by preferences. So I have decided to recommend Rob Oakeshott as preferable to the Nationals contender Rob Drew. I want voters to understand that they control their own preferences, which are compulsory in federal elections, and what we print on our How to Vote is a guide only,” she said.
“The Nationals held government for 11 of the last 12 years. During that time they failed to raise pensions, sign the Kyoto Protocol or recognise the dangers of runaway climate change. They diverted funds from public health and education to the private sector and allowed the Murray-Darling river system to be drained by vested interests.
“This area doesn’t need yet another politician who keeps their head in the sand and supports policies that have so clearly failed.
“The great thing about voting Greens is that it is double-value voting. People can vote 1 Susie Russell and if I am not elected, their vote will be passed on to the next candidates of their choice at full value. Every green vote sends the message “we want strong, principled action based on common-sense and compassion”, Ms Russell said.