By Peter Boyle
MELBOURNE — "While Liberal and Labor state governments around the country are retreating on election promises to safeguard our environment, the federal government must step in and play a progressive role in maintaining and extending our public transport system, creating jobs there and in areas such as environmental rehabilitation and the development of renewable energy sources", said Victorian Green Alliance Senate candidate Francesca Davidson. Davidson, who received 5.5% of the vote in the seat of Prahran in last year's state election, will head the Green Alliance ticket.
"The federal government is morally bound by the international agreements of Montreal and Toronto to reductions in greenhouse and ozone depleting emissions — targets that must be met if a future is to be guaranteed to the next generation. Yet the federal government has provided the Kennett government with $600 million to retrench public transport workers and other public sector workers. It may give another $10 million originally meant for railway upgrading to the road lobby's Eastern Freeway extension project.
"The Keating Labor government's rhetoric about our commitment to reduced greenhouse gases rings hollow as clean and accessible public transport is forced to give way to more carbon monoxide-spewing road vehicles all around the country. While most Australian cities (with the exception of Perth) are further dismantling their rail systems, major cities in the US are being forced to reinstall rail and other public transport networks because of serious pollution problems arising from too many cars."
The extension of public transport is only one part of tackling the social and environmental crisis we face, says Loretta Asquini, number two on the ticket.
"Homelessness and the environmental waste of empty high-rise buildings could be tackled through the redevelopment of underused commercial buildings as public housing. Job creation through a massive public works program in health, education, public transport and housing could be funded by a cut in military spending.
"Jobs currently in the timber industry could be relocated into planting fast wood plantations for renewable timber resources", said Asquini.
"The green perspective is one of the few that can provide real solutions to the problems we face", says Davidson. The Green Alliance puts a great emphasis on urban environmental problems and on social justice. It also stresses grassroots democracy and rejects the top-down and exclusive approach adopted by some conservationists who were trying to put together a national green party, she added.
"The results of the Western Australian elections show that the dates is growing. We expect this to be reflected in the federal elections. Understanding the environment crisis is key to understanding how to plan our future", Davidson said.
The Victorian Green Alliance campaign can be contacted on (03) 349 2146.