2022-01-28
It's been an action-packed start to the year, with a campaign trip to Brisbane/Meanjin and the ongoing difficulties thrown out by covid-19. We also Marked the Day of Mourning on January 26th around the country, and will launch the greens platform this weekend.
By Adam Bandt
G’day Greens,
This week I extend my love and solidarity to all our First Nations members, for many of whom 26 January is a difficult day of mourning.
Many of us were unable to be together in a physical solidarity action, as we would usually do on 26 January, due to the sacrifices demanded by Omicron and COVID. Nevertheless, we recommit ourselves to centring First Nations voices in the pursuit of truth and justice in decolonising this country.
To that end, I was proud to stand with Gunnai Gunditjmara Senator Lidia Thorpe this week as she launched our plan for Truth Telling and Treaty.
The plan will see us invest $250 million in a Truth and Justice Commission which will investigate human rights abuses against First Nations people, and begin a national, grassroots-led consultation process about Treaty.
Lidia said:
“There can be no peace without Justice. Truth and Treaty would bring that peace. This Day of Mourning, let us transform our grief into hope for the future.”
We cannot change the past, but we can build a better future and that starts with bringing people together.
Kicking off the campaign in Queensland
Last week we kicked off our election campaign in Meanjin/Brisbane, with a huge $49 billion funding commitment to public schools, making them fully funded, free and safe.
I met with teachers, families and students, many of whom are understandably nervous about heading back to school next week with no plans for safe classrooms and Omicron raging.
Whether it’s schools, hospitals, or housing affordability, everyone can see the cost of successive neoliberal governments cutting essential services and letting big corporations off the tax hook. It’s well past time to change that.
Queensland could really go Green in 2022. Penny Allman-Payne could take Pauline Hanson's seat in the senate, and there are huge ground games happening in the lower house seats of Griffith with Max Chandler-Mather, Brisbane with Stephen Bates & Elizabeth Watson-Brown in Ryan.
They know change is possible. They want to see a government take climate change seriously, tax the big corporations, and rebuild essential services like healthcare, housing and schools.
If you're ready to help us turn your seat Green, find a campaign and introduce yourself. If we're going to make change, we need every one of us.
Greens platform going live on Instagram this Sunday
On the weekend we’ll be releasing the next part of our election campaign.
If you aren’t already, follow the Greens on Instagram and stay tuned from midday on Sunday where I’ll be launching our new plans and introducing some of our candidates from around the country.
We’d love for you to join us in launching the next election campaign to build the Greenest parliament in our history.