GreenUpBrisbane

Political donations to the Greens

Labor and Liberal accept large donations from property developers and will not disclose the sources of these donations until after the election. As of Thursday 28 February the Greens are yet to receive any donations more than $1500.

Push to make political donations public | BrisbaneTimes.com.au

28 February 2008 Read the article

Last week, Greens mayoral candidate Jo Bragg said the political donation system "stinks".

"Property developers are not charities," Ms Bragg said.

"They give to the ALP and the Libs hoping for favours and taking advantage of weak laws on donations.

"I call for a major overhaul of the electoral donations system to ban developer donations."

Ms Bragg has previously promised to list online all donations of more than $1500 two weeks before the Brisbane City Council elections on March 15.

Matthew Wiseman - Greens for Enoggera

Matthew Wiseman, Greens' candidate for the Enoggera ward, has a bachelor of environmental science from Griffith University and works for the State government as a park ranger in the Mt Nebo and Mt Glorious area. The Enoggera Ward comprises the suburbs of Enoggera, Gaythorne, Mitchelton, Keperra, Ferny Grove, Upper Kedron and parts of Alderley and Everton Park. In the past decade the Ward has lost many of its natural and rural areas due to poorly regulated development facilitated by Labor and Liberal Councillors. As part of the Greens' team Matt does not accept donations from developers and will make decisions about the future of the ward in the best interests of the community. Contact Matt through the Greens' office on 38460862.

Save the Oxley Wedge Bike Ride

To coincide with the release of their Conservation Policy, Greens' candidate for Parkinson Rob Scott has organised a bike ride to highlight the need to save the valuable Oxley Wedge from urban sprawl. As one of the last green lungs of Brisbane it is essential that the area is retained to keep Brisbane liveable. The Greens are the only party supporting its protection for the good of Brisbane. Meet 9am Saturday March 1st, at Cnr Brookbent Rd and Paradise Rd Algester. UBD Map 219 P14. The leisurely ride will be from Algester to Inala to Forest Lake and back. All are welcome to join in. For more information contact Email Rob or call him on 0407 153 915. Hope to see you there.

Greens Launch Conservation Policy

Today the Greens released their Conservation Policy.  The Centre piece of the policy calls for protection of the Oxley Wedge one of the last areas of Greenspace left in Brisbane. This area is threatened by development. Developer Silvios Pradella Chairs the Oxley Creek Taskforce while the Lower Oxley Creek Planning group is funded by developers who have an interest in pushing development of the fragile region.Those groups control areas that also affect Karawatha Forest such as the Flinders Green bank corridor (Karawatha Section).

Download conservation_policy.doc

Rotten donations culture threatens Brisbane

25 February 2008  Brown paper bag protest outside City Hall

Giant Brown paper bags:

• one  will be filled with wads of cash by named after actual developers who have donated to the Liberal and Labor Parties

• a second will have a giant question mark as to what donations are coming in right  now that the public does not know about

The key ingredients leading to the Wollongong developers donations scandal are all here in Brisbane. Both Queensland Liberal and Labor parties  use the developers as cash cows for their election  campaigns.  Cosy relationships develop. Big money projects go before Council staff and politicians all the time. Donations made today need not be disclosed until months after the election.

The Greens Jo Bragg repeats her 7 February call for a ban on political donations from property developers AND for the major parties to follow the Greens lead and voluntarily disclose all donations to parties or associated entities over $1500 on the website prior to the Council election (see the Green's donation register here).

Light Rail will slash carbon emissions in Western Brisbane

24 February 2008 Greens install example light rail stop at "Trammies Corner" Paddington

The Greens are the only party with a credible transport plan to reduce congestion, slash greenhouse gas emissions and improve access in West Brisbane.

While Liberal and Labor plan to pump more traffic into the west from Hale Street Bridge, the Greens' transport plan will reduce traffic and improve neighbourhood amenity.

The centre piece of their plan for the west is the "Western Line" a light rail service running high frequency services from Roma Street to Kenmore. This would connect with a cross-city light rail line from Indooroopilly to Dutton Park, via the University of Queensland.

Hale Street record set straight in runup to Gabba ward election

24 February 2008

Members of the campaign to scrap the controversial and discredited Hale Street Link toll bridge project are unhappy about some ‘misleading’ ALP local government election materials which appear to claim credit for outcomes achieved by the campaign.

“Let’s be quite clear about this,” said Stop the Hale Street Bridge Alliance spokesman David Bratchford, “every hard won concession gained by the campaign has been due to the untiring efforts of the ordinary citizens who contribute their time to it.”

Stop the Destruction of Kalinga Park

Tristan Peach, Greens candidate for Hamilton, is the only candidate supporting the preservation of  beautiful gums trees and hoop pines at the eastern end of Kalinga Park, Clayfield. The trees give delight to many residents, yet Labor and Liberal will allow them to be bulldozed to build the Airport Link car tunnel. Mr Peach is promoting a public transport solution which will allow the trees to be preserved while also addressing transport problems.

Garnaut Report shows Brisbane must urgently slash Carbon emissions

22 February 2008

Brisbane is faced with spiralling greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles** and this will get far worse as traffic clogs up the proposed LA style tunnels and bridges. We desperately need to change Council funding priorities from car tunnels to public transport to have any chance to slash emissions. The much awaited Garnaut report tells us once again that Australia will be severely affected by climate change and that big reductions in emissions are needed.

Ms Jo Bragg, Green’s Lord Mayoral Candidate said today,
“Any ten year old school child today knows that walking, cycling and buses are better for the environment than cars. It is an absolute disgrace that both Liberal and Labor Councillors are backing construction of car tunnels and the discredited Hale Street Bridge at this time of carbon crisis and peak oil.’