BY KYLIE MOON
ASTON — More than 150 people attended a July 8 forum to discuss environmental issues in the July 14 Aston by-election. The forum was organised by The Wilderness Society (TWS) and the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF).
Chaired by Midnight Oil singer and environmental campaigner Peter Garrett, the forum featured speakers from Greenpeace, TWS and the Knox City Environment Centre. The ALP and Liberal candidates were noticeably absent.
One point of contention at the forum was the decision of a coalition of environmental groups including the ACF to endorse former Knox mayor Gary Skates as a candidate for the by-election. Skates has said that he supports the building of the Scoresby freeway and increased funding for public transport as well.
Immediately prior to the forum, the Australian Greens held a press conference with Senator Bob Brown where they announced that they would be splitting their preferences between the Labor and Liberal candidates for the by-election. The Greens have justified this decision on the failure of either major party to address the three environmental demands that they have raised: to commit to signing the Kyoto greenhouse gas emissions protocol, to outlaw the use of biomass (old growth forests) as fuel for power stations, and to divert funds from the proposed Scoresby freeway to improving public transport in the Aston electorate.
"While the Socialist Alliance agrees with these demands, we do not agree with the Greens' preference policy", Aston Socialist Alliance campaign organising committee member Graham Matthews told Green Left Weekly. "By splitting their preferences in Aston between the Liberal and Labor parties simply on the basis that neither main party has made a paper promise to act on these three demands, the Greens in Aston are saying that they don't think the Liberals should be punished by voters for the entire record of environmental and social vandalism inflicted over the last six years by the Howard government.
"While the outcome of the Aston by-election won't directly bring about a change in government, it is taking place during a de facto federal election campaign. A Liberal victory in Aston will be used by them to claim that they are not 'on the nose' with the majority of voters across the country."