Greens Federal Parliamentary leader Richard di Natale told the Australian Greens Conference in Springwood last weekend that an economy with 100 per cent renewables will sit at the heart of the party’s federal campaign next year.
“We’ve got a great plan that rapidly transitions our economy to renewable energy. We get clean air and clear water by doing it.
“We get a 21st century transport system with fewer emission and less pollution. We get energy independence. We get jobs. We get investment. This is something the country should be embracing.”
Dr di Natale said that successive governments had failed to address the “disastrous consequences climate change” because of political donations from dominant corporations.
“We’ve got two parties that are holding us back because they get hundreds of millions of dollars in donations from the fossil fuel industry. They’re not going to change it. It is up to us.”
Several hundred Greens delegates, observers and parliamentarians from all over the county spent the weekend discussing core Greens policies including public ownership of essential services, universal free public health and education and a strong safety net.
The discussion on changing the date of Australia Day was led by aboriginal elders who have formed the Greens Blak Network.
Greens Senator for NSW Mehreen Faruqi said she was excited at the transformative platform the Greens would be bringing to the federal election.
“Now more than ever we need Greens in the Senate to champion bold ideas for tackling growing economic inequality, climate change and corruption in politics.
“We know there is a better way. I bring my experience as an engineer and academic to parliament. Together, we can build a future for all of us.”
Blue Mountains Greens convenor Kingsley Liu said: “This has been a great weekend to galvanise our local federal and state campaigns next year.
“Both the big parties are hell-bent on an airport and high-rise aerotropolis at the base of the Blue Mountains. We will continue to oppose this vigorously and to promote high speed rail as the transport of the future.
“The plans to raise Warragamba Dam and flood thousands of hectares of the Blue Mountains is another Trojan horse for development on the fertile plains below us. It will pay dividends to developers and be a disaster for humans and all of nature.”