Deputy Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said that today Tony Abbott’s agenda was writ large as his Government prevented parliament from fully debating the laws to cut welfare and repeal the price on carbon and mining tax.

“Tony Abbott’s Government gagged parliament so they could deliver for this country’s 1%,” said Mr Bandt.

Greens Deputy Leader and Member for Melbourne, Adam Bandt MP, today said that the ‘March In March’ protests across the country were an expression of how strongly people feel against Tony Abbott’s hard-line policies.

“We are a few months into a new Government and already people have taken to the streets to say that Tony Abbott is not acting in their name.”

While the Gillard Labor government continues to short-change Tasmania, both the Australian Greens' leader and deputy leader are Tasmanian.

"Nationwide, Australians can look forward to continued effective representation by the Greens whether it's seeking a fairer tax burden for big corporations to fund health, education, public transport or clean energy technologies and national dental health care," Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Hobart today.

Monday, 31 October 2011

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters, Senators for Western Australia Rachel Siewert and Scott Ludlam, and Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt spoke to the media about the Australian Greens National Conference in Fremantle, WA.

Topics included the allocation of preferences, the environmental threats posed by developments in the Kimberley, and the Nationals' call for a "discussion paper" on coal seam gas. 

Greens MP Adam Bandt has warned that Question Time in Parliament is threatened by the Opposition's censure motions and other stunts and the Prime Minister then ending Question Time early.

Mr Bandt said he would seek advice from the Clerk of the House about what options existed to protect Question Time.

 "Almost half of the period for questions this sitting week was lost to the Parliament because of the Opposition's tactics and the Government then ending Question Time early," Mr Bandt said today.

Speaking in Parliament Greens MP Adam Bandt has backed a bill that will restore the voting rights of tens of thousands of Australians and criticised the Coalition for continuing to back Howard government restrictions on late enrolments.

Mr Bandt has also said it is time the Australian Electoral Commission looked at online enrolment.

The ban on late enrolments was successfully challenged in the High Court before the last election by the campaign group GetUp.

"This is a good day for democracy in Australia", Greens MP Adam Bandt said today.

Greens MP Adam Bandt warned the Premier Ted Baillieu to not repeat past big development failures with his Urban Renewal Authority and said he will take a keen interest in developments proposed for Melbourne.

The Victorian government has flagged new large scale developments in and on the edge of the electorate of Melbourne including at Richmond State, North Melbourne and Fisherman's Bend.

With the likelihood of a Baillieu government, the Greens' vote strengthened  yesterday as Labor's collapsed, Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Melbourne today.

"Had Labor not pressured the Liberals to preference Labor ahead of the Greens, we would have won three seats - Melbourne, Richmond and Brunswick, and gone close in Northcote," Senator Brown said.

"The Greens, nationally, will consider open tickets to remove preferences in future - that would leave voters to make the preferences of their own choice.