A new green economic future for Australia
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Curb polarisation between rich and poor - Brown
Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today he will move to strengthen legislation with the aim of limiting chief executives' salaries to 30 times the average pay within their corporation.
Greens' Senate move on sovereign wealth fund
Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown will move in Parliament this week to get the Productivity Commission to examine the development of a sovereign wealth fund, after urging the government for more than a year to set aside funds to help provide for the needs of future generations.
Bank super-profits tax must be considered: Bandt
Greens MP and banking spokesperson, Adam Bandt, has said the Senate Inquiry Report into Banking competition released today has failed to deal with the key problem of taxpayers and consumers failing to get a fair return for underwriting the big banks.
As banks post record profits, Mr Bandt said it was time to start considering a super-profits tax on the banks.
Greens back levy after $100 million win on solar
...and support for affordable housing, education
The Australian Greens will support the flood levy in the House of Representatives and the Senate after important gains from the Government on their proposed funding cuts.
Greens Leader Bob Brown, Deputy Leader Christine Milne and MP Adam Bandt took their concerns directly to the government and negotiated a good outcome that will release funding for flood recovery and protect key programs.
The Greens have ensured that $100 million will be returned to the Solar Flagships program in the forward estimates and that a proper consultation process will be undertaken to develop long term policy for large-scale solar power.
The Greens also secured agreement for continued discussions about long-term funding for disaster relief and options for a national insurance program as the nation moves toward confronting the challenges posed by climate change.
Auditor Gen confirms Green Loans debacle; This must never happen again
The Australian Greens today called on the government to compensate Green Loans assessors left in the lurch and to ensure that the level of mismanagement seen under the Green Loans program never happens again, following the tabling of a damning report by the Auditor General.
The Auditor General conducted an investigation into the program at the request of Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, who referred the matter to him on 4 February 2010.
"The Auditor General has confirmed all the concerns included in my request for him to investigate this program," Senator Milne said.
Bob Brown visits the Darling Downs
Today Australian Greens leader Bob Brown visited the Darling Downs, in South East Queensland with Senate candidate Larissa Waters.
Senator Brown met with Glenn Beutel, the last resident of the town of Acland (former pop. 250) after the buy up of all other properties by coal mining companies. Senator Brown said the Greens would stand up for farming communities against multinational mining companies.
Budget beige, not green - but forest reformation option opens up
The budget's cuts to green programs and the Prime Minister's decision to ditch the Greens carbon tax proposal, add up to a big mistake in planning Australia's future economic and employment strategy, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.
The Rudd razor has sliced deeply into environmental programs, including:
• $81.3 million from the Caring for Country biodiversity and heritage conservation program
• $200 million from the green car fund
• $179.7 million over 5 years from grey water and rain water tank initiatives
• Rejection of the Greens' carbon tax proposal which would bring $10 billion per annum into government coffers.
But Senator Brown says the collapse of the logging industry in southeast Australia has suddenly opened a golden opportunity for the Rudd government to save high conservation value forests and wildlife as the Gallop Labor Government did through Western Australia's Forest Management Plan in 2004.