Cooranbong Gazette Candidate Profile

Why should the residents of Cooranbong consider me at the upcoming election?

The Greens are a party whose policies are underpinned by the principles of Social & Economic Justice, Grassroots Democracy, Ecological Sustainability and Peace, Nonviolence & Disarmament. This means that Greens think about and do politics differently.

Grassroots Democracy means that the Local group is the highest level of decision making because these are the people most in touch with their constituents. The Greens do not accept developer donations because this corrupts the democratic process. The Greens have moved a Private Members Bill to ban developer donations to political parties to make sure Government decisions are free from improper influence.

An example of the principle of social and economic justice can be seen in the Planning and Development policy which says the public interest must become the dominant consideration in all planning and development decisions. Obtaining approval for developments that are over sized, unsustainable and inappropriate has been made easier than ever under the current Government, while the ability of the community to resist such developments has been diminished. The Greens are working to reform the Land and Environment Court to protect the rights of the community.

Ecological sustainability emphasises the need to consider the long term implications of our everyday decisions upon the environment that sustains us. The Greens have policies on managing our water resources efficiently, looking towards renewable technologies to provide for our future energy needs and protecting our wild places for their inherent worth and the vast variety of life that exists in them. The Greens are committed to no new coal mines or coal infrastructure and transforming the electricity industry into a renewable energy industry that provides a job rich future and protects the environment.

The Greens might be a small political party but they are seen by many as the true opposition in the NSW Parliament. We are looking for a future beyond coal, not just for our communities but also for our children and humanity. We are committed to advancing an agenda of social and economic justice, environmental protection and democratic values.