Gold Coast Greens

Greetings Gold Coast Greens

I hope everyone is starting to recover from the total LNP landslide at the state election. It’s easy to feel angry and despairing after this result but we have to build on what positives we can find and live to fight another day.

Greens state wide did lose ground a little but importantly on the Gold Coast we actually increased our percentage in four seats even with a Katters Party candidate on the ticket, so it’s not all bad by any means.

Important Dates  

Branch Meeting

Tuesday May 1^st 6.30 pm
Preece House, Nerang St. Nerang
The first hour or so is taken up with fairly boring branch business but if any members would like to join us for chat and a glass of wine afterwards you’re most welcome from 7.30 pm onwards.
 
Friends & Supporters BBQ/Picnic

Sunday May 6^th 2 – 5pm
BBQ area near Preece House, Nerang St., Nerang

This is open to all members, supporters and friends and is a social get together to meet and greet all our supporters and friends. Chance to make new friends and swap booth stories :-) If the weather is fine we will be out in the park but otherwise in Preece House.

Can you please RSVP with numbers- thanks
 
The Queensland Greens State Council meeting

May 12^th in Maroochydore ( actual venue still TBA)
Your Branch delegates are Petrina Maizey, Jane Power, Jenny Boddy and Sally Spain) however financial members can attend as observers and can make requests with State Secretary to speak.
We will be organizing carpooling etc so if anyone is interested please let us know.
 

Pizza Nights

Jenny and I are having dinner at Mandala Organic café this Wednesday we have booked for 4 but if anyone wants to join us you are most welcome. Informal social night for yummy veggie pizza :-)
 

Young Greens

Yes it is finally happening!!  Some of our younger members are keen to get a “Young Greens” happening here on the coast. This group will still be affiliated with the GC Branch but will run autonomously.  They plan to have lots of fun and events so please contact either Naomi ( naomiedwards09@me.com ) or Jenny ( jennyboddy@bigpond.com) for more details.

Aware of Queenslanders’ mood for change, the Katter Party has accumulated leftist, conservative and environmental one-liners to attract the ALP, LNP and Greens voter. KAP is mimicking the approach dished up by the two major parties, who habitually pinch their policy hors d’oeuvres from the Greens’ burgeoning platter. This cherry-picking strategy will undoubtedly serve Katter, sucking votes from all, including the healthily sprouting Greens. In fact, whether cooked up by the ALP, LNP or KAP, such insubstantial tid-bits make cunningly appealing headlines, seeming to address the most confronting dilemmas of our time.

If only political hunger were so easily sated.

Queenslanders seek genuine leadership and community representation as forewarned monsters of climate change, environmental degradation, and economic collapse bare their teeth. Can thinking voters trust the endurance of the piecemeal KAP, ALP or LNP ideology?

Although continually poaching Greens policies, when other parties try to ‘do Green’, the result is usually meagre fare. Greens remain the original Queensland messengers sounding the warnings on our basic survival and presenting sustaining solutions.

Forward thinking Greens are more crucial than ever to ensure legislation that’s people not corporate interest based. Only the Greens have demonstrated consistent innovative and ethical thinking necessary for our long term and immediate benefit.

On March 24, as Queenslanders measure the ingredients of each party’s claims against the recipe of solutions we so urgently crave, wise voters will reject ‘Green-lite’ and choose the banquet of a real change to the Greens.

With ten outstanding candidates in all local electorates, the Gold Coast Greens say they are striving to bring justice to the human society and wealth back to the economy through their social justice and environmental principles.

Branch Convenor and Albert Candidate, Petrina Maizey said that in 2012, as for the past twenty years, the Greens remained the sole voice for holistic treatment of our human needs, while the assault of hollow promises and twisted perspectives of other parties persists.

“The health of our economy, our society and our spirit rests on the just treatment of our Earth,” Ms Maizey said, pointing out that people are witnessing Greens warnings from two decades ago now unfolding.

“We are seeing the ravages of dangerous climate change beginning to take effect. We are seeing global and local economic collapse from centuries old flawed priorities.

“Constant habitat destruction for development spread, massive scale extraction of irreplaceable mineral resources and building financial credit systems on non-existent funds are ancient macro-economic approaches that still persist.

“But ours is the generation of the use-by date on these finite philosophies of how to do business and how to manage the human herd,” Ms Maizey concluded.

Speaking for all Gold Coast Greens Candidates, Ms Maizey said the party’s policies will continue to stand the test of time.

“We have always worked for a transition to a sustainable economy and are way ahead on all the complexities involved, from provision of essential services to establishing futuristic industry, to obeying our moral duty to all other species” Ms Maizey went on.

“Queenslanders finally see the need for change, but only a vote for the Greens will make the change real."

Contact Petrina Maizey: 0412 771 935

The Gold Coast Greens have congratulated the Bligh Government after the Springbrook discovery of five threatened species and two rare frog species thought to be extinct, declaring the mountain’s conservation buy-back program a welcome demonstration of Labor’s environmental credentials in some part.

Veteran conservation lobbyist and Mudgeeraba Greens Candidate Sally Spain said, “These wonderful finds are not only proof positive of the effectiveness of Labor’s strategies to preserve Springbrook’s World Heritage values, but justify ongoing effort to increase the protected estate on the mountain.”

Ms Spain acknowledged that Springbrook’s ALP land buyback program attracted much controversy but was deeply misunderstood.

“This is a voluntary land purchase program only, but a few interests like to give the impression that landowners are forced into selling. As with so many Gold Coast hotspots, an influential minority has their eye on Springbrook to develop this world treasure for their own gain, and spreading misinformation serves that end.”

Branch Convenor, Petrina Maizey asserted, “As March 24 approaches, the Greens re-state unequivocal commitment in action and spirit to fostering Springbrook’s World Heritage values, and call upon LNP, KAP and all parties to fully disclose their position on Springbrook conservation.

 “Labor has also adopted valuable eco-economic policies, like the Waste Levy, marine zones and Federal carbon tax revenue funded clean industries, all of which the LNP will roll back,” Ms Maizey pointed out. “But the ALP needs to go much further, especially on mining and CSG issues devastating Queensland’s land and marine environments and threatening water and food security.”

Ms Spain concluded, “Voting 1 Green is more essential than ever, and careful placing of preferences will make the difference between further marvelous ecological rewards or the permanent loss of hard-won gains.”

The Gold Coast Greens have strongly denounced the Katter Party’s controversial advertising strategy as sullying political debate in Australia, causing pain to members of the community, and inciting hatred.

Branch Convenor and Albert Candidate, Petrina Maizey said, “When Tony Abbott stood beside the infamous ‘Ditch the Witch’ sign, whipping the loud but uninformed anti-carbon tax rally into a frenzy outside Parliament House, most advanced Gold Coasters probably thought politics had sunk to rock bottom. But we were wrong.

“It appears Queensland can trump that national sexism low by playing the homophobia card with the Katter Australia Party’s tv ad outing Campbell Newman’s support for gay marriage.

“However, besides asking ‘So, what?’, sensible people won’t see much triumph in striking new lows. It’s anyone’s guess whom the apparently bottomless stream of trivia, mud, propaganda and now vilification this KAP-yap is aimed at, but with serious environmental, social and economic challenges to deal with, the Gold Coast Greens have far more important and respectful things to say to our voters,” Ms Maizey said.

“We invite the enormous proportion of Gold Coast conservative voters who remain intelligent, tolerant, and, especially, courteous human beings to consider voting clean and Green, where hope continues to triumph over hate.”

Petrina Maizey: Gold Coast Greens Convenor;  Albert Greens Candidate

albert@qld.greens.org.au; 0412 771 935

March 17, 2012