[Greens-Media] Labor hamstrung by internal divisions on climate
change - Greens

Thursday 5 January 2006

Kim Beazley's Labor must overcome huge internal divisions if Labor is
to
adequately tackle the impact of climate change on Australia this
century, Greens leader, Bob Brown said in Hobart today.

Welcoming shadow environment minister Anthony Albanese's call for
Australia to take environmental refugees from the Pacific, Senator
Brown
said this was, however a 'but not yet' policy. He said Labor had voted
against Greens Senator Christine Milne's motion calling for
recognition
of such refugees just 2 months ago. The motion, which Labor joined the
Government to oppose read:

That the Senate-
(a) recognises:
(i) the impacts of climate change are already destroying fresh water
supplies in the Pacific region, and
(ii) that climate change and increased frequency of extreme weather
events are likely to lead to displacement of people;
(b) notes that people displaced by climate change are not currently
regarded as refugees; and
(c) calls on the Government to incorporate a definition of
environmental
refugee into the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.

Senator Brown said the old parties were hamstrung by last century
thinking, and by the powerful coal lobby.

"Labor is challenged to change its own outdated core policies to:
* impose polluter-pays levies (such as a carbon tax) and use the
revenue to boost Australia's job-rich renewable energy and energy
efficiency sectors;
* put an immediate halt to burning the nation's biggest hedge
against global warming - including the tall forests of Tasmania, East
Gippsland and southeast NSW;
* expand the terms of reference of a regional climate monitoring
centre to include redressing the social injustice of wealthy countries
generating sea rises and more catastrophic storms through greenhouse
gas production," Senator Brown said

Senator Brown challenged Labor to emulate the Greens in establishing a
specific portfolio for climate change and global warming. The Greens
spokesperson is Senator Milne.

"[E]ither we, as a nation, are going to be outgoing and giving to the
rest of the planet;...or we are going to be recipients of at least
part
of the enormous mass migrations which are going to occur...in the
coming
century... [I]f we do not rein in the greenhouse gas phenomenon one
billion people on this planet will be displaced if the oceans rise by
a
metre at the end of the next century." (Senator Bob Brown, First
Speech,
9 Sept 1996)

Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603

--------------------------------------------------------------
Ebony Bennett
Media Adviser
Office of Greens Senator Bob Brown
Mobile: 0409 164 603
Ph: (02) 6277 3170
Fax: (02) 6277 3185
ebony.bennett@...