2020-08-18
This Saturday's Northern Territory election has the potential to make history by electing a strong, independent Greens voice to Parliament, Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP has said, urging voters to put the Greens at the top of the ballot paper.
The Northern Territory Greens have run their biggest campaign yet, running nine candidates in an election that has hit boiling point over concerns about fracking.
With the Labor government and their Liberal opponents supporting plans to frack the territory, and Territory Alliance facing criticism over candidate links to far-right organisations, the NT Greens are the clear choice for progressive action.
"Voters in the Northern Territory are powerful. A vote for the NT Greens this Saturday will send a clear message to Liberal and Labor that the Territory won't allow fracking without a fight," Federal Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said.
"Fracking the Beetaloo Basin won't just put the incredible natural beauty of the Territory at risk, it will unleash massive clouds of toxic methane, setting off a carbon climate bomb that would trash hopes of keeping our climate safe.
"This election is a vital opportunity for voters to say that the era of fossil fuels is long gone, and that we should be embracing the hundreds of thousands of new jobs that come from clean energy and a Green New Deal.
"Both the Liberal Party and Labor are bankrolled by the fossil fuel industry, which is desperate to cling onto its profits, even as jobs disappear and our planet is pushed further into climate emergency. But there is another way.
"The NT Greens have been running a strong, community led campaign that stands a real chance of making history by electing the first Greens member in the Territory's history. But they can only do this with your support.
"Vote 1 Greens to send a strong, independent voice to parliament, that will push for clean energy jobs and a sustainable future for the Territory."
Greens Senate Leader and spokesperson on Mining and Resources, Senator Larissa Waters, said:
“The fact that both the Federal and Northern Territory governments are using their Covid recovery plans to push for a gas-rush, even though energy and economic experts are saying this is not the way, shows where their loyalties lie.
“NT communities deserve a recovery that will set them up for a prosperous, sustainable future. They deserve better than a government that panders to mining mates and donor dollars, over community concerns.
“We know that renewable energy is the future, which is why the NT Greens have announced their plan to shift the Territory to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030, and create 8,000 new jobs in renewables and value-added mining and manufacturing industries.
“The elected NT Greens representative will join our national team fighting to protect your land and your future.
“The Greens have had legislation since 2015 to ban fracking nationally, and to allow First Nations, farmers and other landholders to say no to any unconventional gas mining. We’ve also introduced bills to make sure national environmental laws consider climate impacts and to ban political donations from fossil fuel companies.