Addressing an audience at the screening of This Changes Everything in Lawson, Greens candidate for Macquarie Terry Morgan called for voter support to maximise people’s protest against the proposed western Sydney airport.
“The same old big party smokescreens are fading out the important issues,” he said.
“Once again, global warming is being pushed into the background and the most important issue ever to confront us locally, a proposed second airport thrusting jet plane noise and air pollution upon us 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is being downplayed with duplicity.”
“The Greens aim to achieve 90 per cent sustainable energy production by 2030, but we can’t achieve that target while the old parties continue to approve coal mines and build carbon belching airports while zero emissions high speed Rail is available to us right now.”
Mr Morgan went on to say that giving primary votes to the Liberal and Labor Parties would simply hide people’s anger over Badgerys Creek airport and their inaction on climate change and would not register the true feelings of the electorate.
“We need a clear spike in the Green number one vote to tell them: we do not approve.”
“In the Senate, Lee Rhiannon and the other Greens will ensure your voice is still heard, and will continue to be in the forefront of positive measures to improve Medicare and its dental provision, build sustainable infrastructure, show true compassion to refugees, and fully fund schools on the Gonski model.”
He added further that the founders of the Mechanics Institute at Lawson where the film was screened, who sought to provide workers with free and accessible education, would “turn in their graves” at what is happening to technical education now in Australia.
“We are the only party that has consistently fought against privatisation of TAFE to provide fully funded, public, quality technical education for tradespeople, as it once was,” he said.
“Finally, the Greens are committed to cleaning up Australian politics. We want a federal ICAC and we want to ban political donations from big business, including fossil fuel, mining, gambling and construction companies and the big four banks. The Greens have never accepted donations from these businesses. While the Labor and Liberals parties continue to accept huge donations from them, they will never have the courage to take action.”