(Adopted October 2014; updated December 2020; updated May 2021)
Principles
The Queensland Greens believe that:
1. We can achieve an economy that is ecologically sustainable and socially just, in contrast to the current approach dominated by multinational corporations in an unrestrained market.
2. The economy is a finite mechanism for exchange of those limited Earth’s resources to which we have access and an obligation.
3. Locally owned small and medium businesses are significant and crucial elements in the strength and resilience of local economies.
4. We can achieve a diverse Queensland economy that encompasses education, health, retail, tourism, public and non-profit sectors, agriculture, energy, mining, and expand and develop a worthwhile manufacturing sector.
5. Create jobs by working with business cycles to counter the socially adverse effects, without “crowding-out” private enterprise.
6. It is the role of government to ensure that the economy develops in a way where wealth is distributed justly where effort, responsibility and innovation are rewarded fairly and equitably.
7. Governments have an essential role in regulating markets and ensuring that the true cost of any externalities is reflected in market prices of goods and services. In an optimal mixed economy, markets and government share the pivotal role of allocation and throughput of resources.
8. We can achieve full employment through the fair distribution of work.
9. Forms of business organisation such as co-operatives, social enterprises, the sharing economy, mutual economic enterprises, and, employee share ownership are important for the health of the economy, local economic resilience and distributing economic power.
10. To deal with a crisis the government is empowered and obliged to extraordinarily intervene in the economy to the degree necessary to protect people.
Aims
The Queensland Greens will:
1. Develop a renewable energy economy in which fossil fuels are phased out as soon as possible ensuring that infrastructure expenditure and job creation are designed for the long-term.
2. Focus infrastructure spending on public transport and renewable energy.
3. Provide a guarantee of delivery of the essential services, electricity, gas and water to all consumers, and which is affordable to the economically disadvantaged.
4. Provide the proper assessment and appropriate evaluation of ecological system services used in production the cost of our goods and services.
5. Aid the transition to a renewable energy sector by redirecting fossil fuel infrastructure subsidies to businesses and families as they adopt renewable energy sources.
6. Support the development and growth of both research based commercial activities and leading-edge technological industries.
7. Work towards full employment.
8. Encourage innovation and support and protect emerging industries.
9. Develop increasing diversity of our economy, favouring industries with long term futures, to increase resilience when confronted with internal and external shocks.
10. Work with communities to identify the potential to form and operate as a cooperative in the event a key business, upon which that community is reliant, indicates an intention to leave or cease its operations.
11. Provide assistance to newly and independently formed co-operatives.
12. As necessary intervene during crises to reduce or limit the payment and debt obligations of renters, mortgagors and other debtors, so that people can retain ongoing access to housing and other necessities.