GI webOct2013.pdf

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NEWSLETTER OF THE GREENS (WA)

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Vol 22 No 5 – October 2013

Senate result still up in the air Universal praise has been expressed for Scott Ludlam’s role in the 2013 federal election campaign. It is a cruel twist of fate that has, thus far, denied him the Senate seat we know he deserves more than any other candidate in WA! Every member of the Greens congratulates you, Scott, on your cleverness, commitment and compassion. We are feeling with you the injustice and waste of this cliffhanger. Due to a difference of 14 votes between the Australian Christians and Shooters and Fishers, and consequent preference flows, the final two Senate seats for WA went to Palmer United Party (PUP) candidate Zhenya Wang and sitting Labor Senator Louise Pratt, instead of the Greens and the Australian Sports Party. Scott immediately asked for a recount, which was rejected. He then lodged an appeal with the Australian Electoral Commissioner (AEC). The Commissioner announced on Thursday 10 October that there would be a recount of all above-the-line Senate votes and an examination of all Senate votes declared informal. The recount is expected to take until the end of the month. According to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald: ‘Australia now has a number of senators in debt to the donkey vote, cynical preference deals, vote harvesting and suspect party names. Democracy was distorted through a system that rewards those who hide their aims and allegiances, at the expense of those who develop and explain policy. Reforms are desperately needed.

Watching the results on election evening, at the Greenhouse, Leederville. —Felicity Ruby

‘It might seem cold comfort but one high profile victim, the hard-working West Australian Greens senator Scott Ludlam, reckons “if you think politicians do a crap job, then you should just try it”.’ As the Australian Sports Party might say, “playing is more important than winning”. Although we wanted to win we can conclude from some of the articles in this issue of GI that all of us who participated in this campaign were inspired by the passion and efforts of our colleagues, benefited from the friendships deepened, and that we need to take the long view – although of course the GI editors, like every Greens

member, have our fingers, toes and eyes crossed for a successful recount! – The Editors

PUT IT IN YOUR DIARY NOW

The Greens (WA)

2013 AGM

1pm Saturday 26 October The Palms Community Centre

cnr Nicholson & Rokeby rds, Subiaco Details on page 12

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CONTENTS Senate vote up in the air ............ 1 Snapshots of the action .............. 2 Candidate afterthoughts ............. 3 Campaign evaluation.................. 4 Continuous campaigning ............. 5 Beyond WA 2.0......................... 6 Mis-representation? ................... 7 Dying with dignity ..................... 8 A day at Yeelirrie...................... 8 Congrats Rachel and Chris! .......... 9 A bicycle tale ......................... 10 Pale Green ............................ 11 Welcome to new members......... 12 AGM notice ............................ 12 Rachel's page ......................... 13 Scott's page ........................... 14 Lynn's page ........................... 15 Robin's page........................... 16 Sick of Abbott already? ..............17

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Clockwise, from immediate left, Enthusiastic booth workers —Felicity Ruby; The post-election party —Felicity Ruby; Christine Milne with the WA candidates —Chilla Bulbeck; Scott Ludlam presenting WA 2.0, Octagon Theatre —Chilla Bulbeck; Shades of green – Pete Best and Judy Cullity at the post-election party —Felicity Ruby. Chilla Bulbeck and Colin Johnson at Subiaco prepolling. —a Nationals HTV hander-out.

Next deadline: Fri 6 Dec

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Candidate afterthoughts Gerard Siero candidate for Swan

In an election so vital to protecting some of the key social and environmental reforms we have accomplished as communities and nation in recent times, and building on our visions for a sustainable, equitable and vital future for Australia, as outlined so eloquently in WA 2.0, I felt privileged to be chosen to stand for what matters to all of us as a Greens WA candidate. The training and campaign made for an intense and steep learning curve! One did what one could. We all did. Publicity in the face of antagonistic and dismissive media was challenging, but we got our message out through social media, by turning up at fora, attending demonstrations, making our voices heard in the community, and knocking on doors. Murdoch et al sought to have us wiped out. Instead, we held our ground. Our staff worked crazy hours. Our amazing volunteers gave their all making props, calling, fundraising, doorknocking, handing out flyers, staffing polling booths, scrutineering, and walking. Our Green Walking Tram was a hit! Scott's amazing WA 2.0 presentation provided a vision for us in Western Australia which, applied to the nation, frames worthy ideas our whole country can live into. And all this from our relatively small Greens WA community, a vibrant part of our Australia-wide and international community of Greens! Amazing people, working with dedication to represent and build on equitable and honourable values we can all share for a fair, sustainable and vital Australia. Our representatives accomplished much more in the previous Parliament than most Australians realise. And while appropriate acknowledgement of Green accomplishments would be nice, in our hearts we know we're making a difference with every step we take, every person we speak with, individually and together. What a buzz to be a part of it! The evidence is already mounting that this government will serve the interests

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of a minority who see themselves as entitled. They will attempt overreach and cracks will appear. We see it, and it’s our job to see that all Australians do. And more than that, to keep speaking our positive message of a values-based, fair-go society and knowledge-based economy. We have worked a good campaign and defied the odds by holding on. We’ll doubtless have to work through many more campaigns, and we’re ready. Our communities need us to go on, do what we can wherever we are, whoever we are. Really, our quest is multigenerational – to strive for the life of our communities and families, environments, and our beautiful Earth; to transform the short-sighted forces of greed, exploitation, ignorance, and abuse of power and privilege. What we’re about is life – everyone's and every being’s. Life matters. I’m looking to what I can contribute next.

Sarah Nielsen-Harvey candidate for Pearce

The past six months have been an absolutely amazing learning curve and experience. I have met many amazing people who have inspired me greatly, and I am now privileged to call them dear friends. We have had a tough year with both of the elections but I know that we can and will come back stronger than ever. Helen Keller once said ‘When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.’ So I am determined not to dwell on results but on what we do next and where this next door will take us – and I am excited and honoured to be a part of opening and marching through this door. Part of this amazing experience has been my involvement with the Young Greens, as a Co-coordinator with Jordon Steele-john. >> page 7

Top, The Young Greens sharing their passions and what has brought each of them to meetings. —Sarah Nielsen-Harvey; Above, Walking Tram at the Victoria Park Peanut. —Simone Pesson

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Evaluation of the campaign to re-elect Scott Chilla Bulbeck, co-convenor of the Electorate Research Group, summarises the responses of members to a survey evaluating the federal election campaign. “Scott Ludlam is one of the most impressive and inspiring Senators I have ever seen, and I was proud to do what I could to help him get elected to represent me. And if he doesn't make it I'm going to lose my shit. “So much gratitude from me to the team, and to Scott. The preparation of booth kits/organisation of the distribution, and the party on election night - all superb. Thanks Nina. Thanks to whoever is the kind dude who lent us the warehouse!” [Norman Pater was the kind dude.] Three hundred and thirty four responses from our 1100 members and membership applicants constituted a response rate of around one-third. Most commonly, respondents assisted on election day, while a good minority posted on social media and/or talked to friends or acquaintances about the Greens.

The goal The campaign goal was to achieve 14% primary vote, to elect Scott Ludlam to the Senate without the necessity for preferences (a prescient goal, as it turned out). The Senate vote for the Greens was 9.2%, with Scott missing out because of the distribution of 14 preferences. The Greens’ vote in the House of Representatives was higher than in the Senate (9.74%) a result for all electorates with the exception of Curtin, Fremantle and Perth (see table below). The plethora of choices in the Senate may have influenced this outcome. We achieved a number of subgoals within our goal, including our funding target and staffing almost all metropolitan booths for most of the day – less than 5% of booths in any metropolitan electorate had no staffing, and all or almost all the booths in Curtin, Fremantle, Perth, Swan and Tangney were completely filled (see table).

Twitter would have liked more direction concerning messaging. Many booth workers used the “why to vote Greens?” aspect of the how-tovote cards to generate conversations at the polling booth. However, the messages were not always appropriate for country electorates and the cards were too wide to fit into letterboxes without folding. While there was applause for the central campaign team’s efforts, opportunities were lost because of compressed timelines and failures of communication, particularly with lessengaged volunteers. The Greens need to appear polished and to function like a well-oiled machine. We’re not there yet. There is a slackness, a “near enough/good enough” last minute quality, almost a righteousness that is familiar in organisations run largely by volunteers, and that just doesn’t carry the day any more – if we want to grow the party we

need to leave others delighted and pleasantly surprised at how efficient, professional and organised we are. Recommendations to improve communication included regular campaign bulletins, a centralised diary of events, archived and readily available manuals, FAQs and other information on “how to” use the EMS, be a campaign manager, secure a press interview, etc. More than half the respondents declared their polling day interactions to be extremely or very effective. For the minority engaging in other face-toface interactions, town hall-style meetings and doorknocking were the most favourably evaluated (two-thirds declaring them extremely or very effective) with cold-call telephoning considered the least effective. Only 12% of survey respondents identified the campaign message as standing up for what matters, with the main answer being to “get Scott

The highlights For most respondents the highlight of the campaign was WA 2.0 at the Octagon, although its benefit would have been amplified had the event had been held sooner, allowing the YouTube video to reach more people. Scott's performance on the ABC’s Q&A and the comedy night were also mentioned. Online campaigning was positively evaluated, although a number of respondents reposting Facebook and page 4

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re-elected” (23%). This supports the suggestion from some respondents that the Greens had too many messages, policies and initiatives, which got lost when contrasted with the Liberals’ threeword slogans and six-point plans. There were calls for more Greens placards around electorates to challenge the ubiquitous Liberal signage, and some suggestions that our television advertisements only reached the converted.

Continuous campaigning: learning from Adam Bandt in Melbourne While respondents could point to external negative factors such as the Murdoch press, the Liberals’ negative campaign, and the impact of the Palmer United and other micro-parties, Adam Bandt increased his primary vote in Melbourne. The lesson to take into continuous campaigning is: you're doing this because it’s right, and someone has to. Expect to work insanely hard, spend too much of your energy and money, and run the risk of losing anyway. Then take any successes as true gifts to be joyously celebrated. Most successful aspect: the sheer numbers of people ready to participate. Not just vote for us, but actually do something for us. We need to engage and re-engage with the communities of which we are a part, and with new communities. We need to be more than fish in the water, we need to be the people we want to represent.

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Engaging in campaign evaluation, City Farm, 22 September. — Chilla Bulbeck

Almost 200 respondents believed that we should start campaigning earlier, and more than 150 indicated willingness to be involved in continuous campaigning and another 100 suggesting “maybe”. Continuous campaigning was largely envisaged as the remit of local groups (at the township, polling booth, suburb or Regional Group level) with logistical support from The Greens WA. Metropolitan RGs might form sister relations with groups in country areas. Politicians and their staff would support campaigns by local groups, as well as learn about the inflection of issues on the ground. Continuous campaigning would make the Greens “organic intellectuals”, in Gramsci's terms. Greens members become opinion leaders in the progressive local community, linked via overlapping membership with active local groups and constituencies (unions, progressive Christians, immigrant communities, small businesses, farmers, social justice

and environmental groups); support for issues like anti-fracking, anti-uranium mining and local organic food; organising fun events such as film nights, sustainability in action workshops; ensuring a Greens presence at fairs, music festivals, demonstrations. Engagement will include doorknocking, becoming a spokesperson for a particular issue and promoting it in the local media, and seeking speaking engagements in schools, local clubs etc. Many respondents suggested refocusing our message to the economic necessity and the job-richness of a clean energy economy, given bread and butter issues are far more salient than the environment (or refugees or gay marriage). Again there was a call to reach out to the young, and one outcome of the campaign is the establishment of a Young Greens group, led by Sarah Nielsen-Harvey and Jordan Steele-john. “Green me up Scottie” was their slogan. (See article on page 12.)

Continuous campaigning:maintaining the hunger Dougie McColl, Convenor of Perth Regional Group and key campaign volunteer who, with Steven Yuen filled all the Perth polling booths before moving on to attempt the same in Canning, writes of the enthusiasm so many members have for spreading The Greens’ message between elections. The key facts and needs are very simple – members want this but we need to ask why the party needs it; we start an internal process of recruiting additional members off the back of preelection enthusiasm, and post-election anger; we rapidly put processes in place to engage new and old members alike, and keep them engaged and motivated; we give them something to do (Mark Cooper); we get to know the talent in the room (Robyn Williams); we increase the talent through providing awareness,

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focused education, training and adequate capacity building resources; our participants need to become effective campaigners; we move outside internal action and begin processes of community engagement and reengagement; we map the political landscapes we’ll be operating in and analyse what's for us and against us; we research the desires and goals of community groups that we perceive to be allied or potentially allied; we learn to talk their language and listen to what

they have to say; we recognise that engaging with those groups and individuals on different issues will require different approaches; this will either be about big picture awareness building and motivation, or about presenting immediate small picture actions; regardless of which it is we keep our participation simple and straightforward through encouraging focused goals, specific objectives, clear paths and steps towards our shared objectives; we provide >> page 17 page 5

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Beyond WA 2.0: keeping it alive Chris Johansen, Fremantle-Tangney Greens member and GI co-editor, requests that Scott Ludlam's presentation of WA 2.0 not remain just a flash in the dark. On 29 August hundreds packed the Octagon Theatre, UWA, to watch Scott’s awe-inspiring presentation of WA 2.0. This was a compilation of previously developed and costed policy initiatives of The Greens WA, proposing what WA could look like two decades hence. The presentation began with the premise that, despite the vastness of the state, planetary resources are not infinite and “growth” cannot be endless – blatantly logical if you think about it but obviously much of the population does not think about it. Then the various policy initiatives were woven together – initiatives such as our energy future, longer-term urban planning, transport options, preservation of the natural environment, addressing social problems, etc. A desirable and plausible vision of the future presented with panache. (The presentation video can be seen at http://greenswa.net.au/warebooted01.html) However, the presentation was delivered a week before the federal election, to an audience of mainly converts, and the video was not available until mere days before the election. One cannot help but wonder how WA’s Senate result may have turned out if the live presentation had been made on multiple occasions much earlier, with more far-reaching advertising, and allowing more time for online dissemination. WA 2.0 was all about vision, and the possibilities and practicalities of realising such vision – something that many have noted is lacking from modern election campaigns. To be fair, most political parties do project some form of vision. For the conservative parties it seems to be rear vision, holding aloft the golden age of the 1950s, but with some SUVs, large flat screen TVs, home spas, the latest online devices and luxury ocean cruises thrown in. For Labor it seems to be tunnel vision, assuming the future to be a straight line extrapolation of existing page 6

paradigms of the economy and sociology. The Greens, however, do seem to recognise that discontinuities will shape our future – for example that the present mode of economic growth is not sustainable into the indefinite future. We are still trying to fathom the effects on our society of the ongoing communications revolution. An energy revolution, which will reshape economies, is now under way, despite the best efforts of the fossil fuel backers to sabotage or delay it. This rapid change in ground rules gives us an unprecedented opportunity to explore our wildest dreams of what the future could be. WA 2.0 is an attempt to do this, but it needs much further followup if political discourse is going to turn towards future vision. A problem noted during the previous election campaign was that various people who indicated interest in The Greens said they had problems identifying Greens policies and how they compared with policies of other

parties. Perhaps due to their limited, intermittent media exposure, The Greens are often perceived as a particular issue party, such as supporting “gay rights”, “forest conservation” or “refugees”. The four-pillar concept, and how a comprehensive set of policies emanates from those pillars, is not generally realised, even among some Greens members. Presentations along the lines of WA 2.0 provide that integrative role, linking our broader visions of the future, based on the four pillars, to specific policies applicable at the local level that can lead towards that vision. Due to its limited exposure, and thus influence on the election, there is plenty of scope for updating and refining WA 2.0 in a continuous campaigning mode, and finding ways to more widely disseminate it among the general public. And a nationwide version of WA 2.0 also needs to be developed. These are simply suggestions of what needs to be done; how to begin implementing it is another question.

Scott presenting WA 2.0 at the Octagon Theatre. —Chilla Bulbeck

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Mis-representation? Ian Stann, member from Stirling, explains why we need proportional representation in the Lower House. We call the Lower House the “House of Representatives” because it is intended to represent the people. But the votes and seat allocation are unrepresentative of the people's wishes. Consider the recent election. The Coalition got 46% of the votes (Liberals 33%, Liberal/National Party Qld 9%, Nationals 4.9%), Labor 36%, Greens 8.5%, Palmer 5.5%, and Independents and others 4% (some 5% voted informal and do not count for the seats). On this basis Labour should have got 52 seats, Liberals 50, Queensland Liberals 14, Nationals 7, NT Country 1, Greens 13, Palmer 9, Katter 2, and Independents 2 of the 150 seats in Parliament. Instead Labor got 55 seats, Liberals 58, Queensland Liberals 22, Nationals 9, NT Country 1, Greens 1, Palmer 1 Katter 1, and Independents 2. The big losers were The Greens with 12 seats and Palmer 8 (who in effect ‘gave’ Labor 3, Liberals 8, Queensland Liberals 8 seats, and National Party 1 extra through preferences). The point is that 8.3%, or 1.05 million electors voted Greens, and got only one seat – Adam Bandt – and that was a blue ribbon Labor seat, previously held by Lindsay Tanner. Otherwise this would have to be among the worst representation in the world – 1.05 million votes and no representation in Parliament! But this is exactly what happened in the WA State election. Here, The Greens got 99,000 votes, or 8% of the total, yet we got no seats, and no representation in the Lower House. I approached my Member in the Upper House, Liz Behjat, to ask how she can represent me when her value system is the polar opposite? She refused to see me and told me in writing that she is quite happy with the system (she was an electoral officer before entering politics as a Liberal member!) But it is even worse in the UK, where the Conservatives got 28% of the vote, Labour 42% and the Liberal Democrats

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26% – yet the Conservatives won 306 seats out of 650 and got to govern with the Lib/Dems. Go figure. In Canada PM Stephen Harper got 39% of the vote and yet governs the country with 168 seats out of 308 total. But in Canada only 61% of the population voted. There are moves, I understand, to change to proportional representation. The only major English-speaking country with proportional representation (PR) is New Zealand, which achieved it in 1987 through a Royal Commission into the electoral system. The government had to have a referendum, and 84% voted for PR. So, is the passing of the Gay Marriage Bill there an outcome of PR? This was never reported by the Aussie press, who probably do not know this simple fact. Many countries with a true democratic system have opted for PR, among them Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark. It is mainly the Englishspeaking countries in the West which have two-party systems, with USA being even worse than us. The two-party model mitigates against third-placed or lower ranking parties entering government, through formation of coalitions. The Australian government of 2010-13, reliant as it was on the votes of Independents and Adam Bandt, allowed carbon pricing, mining tax and gambling to become major issues. It’s a game changer.

It is not the fault of the people who vote in these unrepresentative governments but the voting system not representing the votes cast – the glaring proof being in 2010, when we had to wait 16 minutes while Rob Oakshott told us which government we should have. He got a mere 50,000 votes to win his seat, and it should have told us that something is wrong. The two-party-preferred system was designed to guarantee a majority to one party or the other, so that they could get on with the task of nation building. This was perhaps necessary in 1907, when the Electoral Act was written, but once a nation is developed, say from 1980 onwards, PR is the only system that truly represents the diverse views of a complex society. Trying to make a two-party-preferred system work in such an environment is to use the wrong key for the lock – something it was never designed for. Fitting a square peg (two-party-preferred) into a round hole (a complex society) doesn't work.

Candidate afterthoughts from page 3

We are here, and we are ready and raring to go. On our calendar before the end of the year is an Official Launch and a Christmas Beach Party. We have a fantastic group of both members of The Greens WA and supporters (at this stage – don’t worry, we are working on that too!). The biggest and best thing we have taken away from the meetings so far is the amount of passion and likemindedness within the group – we all want change and we will all fight (in a non-violent and peaceful manner) for that change. Scott’s WA 2.0 presentation and vision for 2029 has inspired and empowered the group to the “enth” degree – after all, by 2029 we will hopefully be in charge. Thank you to Scott, who took the massive leap of faith in us, Giz, who facilitated our most recent meeting, and everyone who has supported and inspired us thus far. page 7

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In support of the right to die with dignity Margo Beilby, honorary life member of The Greens (WA) and member of Canning Regional Group, explains from a very personal point of view why The Greens (WA) support voluntary euthanasia. I have always believed that people should have the right to end their own lives with dignity when they find that they are merely existing rather than living: when they are in constant pain; when they can no longer look after themselves; when they go to sleep at night hoping that they won’t wake up in the morning. Mike Beilby, my husband of 51 years, had been a busy and productive person. He sailed competitively in numerous classes from his teenage years, and built yachts of various sizes as well as a river launch and a rowboat. He built and flew model planes competitively at a national level. He built and sailed model yachts nationally and internationally. He worked on our various vehicles as long as he was able. He practically lived in his workshop. From the age of three he suffered from asthma. Eventually, he developed chronic bronchitis and finally COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder). One of his doctors estimated he had about 20% lung capacity. He finally reached the stage where the slightest activity left him out of breath. As he did less and less he became weaker and weaker, until he often couldn't stand up out of a chair and if he fell over I would have to get a neighbour to help lift him. Being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease made life even more uncomfortable. His doctors told him that there was no

cure for COPD and all they could do was help slow his decline. When he reached the stage that he could do nothing but sit and read, or watch TV, or do Sudoku puzzles; when he was on a nebuliser four times a day; when I had to help him dress and shower and get into bed, he decided that his life had become a wearisome existence in inevitable decline. He feared that I would no longer be able to look after him at home and that he would be hospitalised. Then he would no longer have any ability to opt for a peaceful and dignified death at a time of his own choosing. He joined WAVES and then Philip Nitschke's Exit International. He read Exit's Peaceful Pill handbook and decided that the barbiturate Nembutal was the best option for him to achieve his desired peaceful end. But you can’t obtain Nembutal legally in Australia, so he contacted an overseas supplier online and ordered and paid for 10g of Nembutal powder. This finally arrived on July 30. We had both done Living Wills provided by WAVES. Mike also made a brief video on our laptop, explaining his reasons for wanting to die and making it quite clear that the decision was entirely his. He wanted me to go shopping while he took the drug but I told him that after 51 years of marriage I wasn't going to let him die on his own.

On Wednesday July 31 he mixed the drug into 50ml of water and drank it. I had poured him a glass of very nice port and he drank that to cover the taste of the drug. While I sat and held his hand he gently and peacefully drifted off to sleep. Then his breathing stopped and he died. When I was sure that he was dead I called his doctor. The doctor called the Coroner’s office and they sent out two police officers. After watching the video and taking my statement they were advised by a supervisor to call major crime. Two detectives came out to check out the whole scene and decide whether to charge me with anything. Finally, after eight hours they took Mike’s body away. It looks at this stage as if I am not going to be charged, although the relevant laws are draconian. This is wrong! Why can’t people have the right to decide that their life is no longer worth living? Why can’t they go to their doctor and convince him/her that they are in their right mind and wish to die at a time of their own choosing? Why can’t the doctor give them a prescription for Nembutal (or similar lethal drug)? Why can’t the family chemist have the right to sell the lethal drug on prescription? And why can’t the person have the right to take the drug, in their own homes, with their family and friends around them, without the family being in danger of going to prison?

A life-changing day at Yeelirrie Judy Blyth, Curtin Regional Group member, assiduous letters to the editor writer, and long-time peace and anti-nuclear campaigner reports on one of the most inspirational days of her life. Thanks to Scott’s senatorial life, a 19seater plane flew from Perth in wee hours of May 7 for Leinster, carrying himself, media people and long-term anti-uranium mine campaigners. Among them, still pinching myself at having been invited was me, heading to my most wonderful, adventurous day ever in the peace/environment movement. page 8

From Leinster we were driven to Yeelirrie by Bilbo Taylor in WANFA’s small support bus, a great asset for this third Walkatjurra Walkabout to keep WA free of uranium mining. For one day we “FIFOs” could share the experience of the 70-odd walkers opposed to Toro’s proposed mine near Wiluna. Arriving at their camp in dusty red loam among grey-green mulga, we

were greeted by many friendly, often familiar faces, and a colourful scene of small tents and banners and flags everywhere. Adjoining a long trestle for food preparation was the kitchen truck laden with sacks and boxes of food, cooking utensils, watertank and tap – and kitchen sinks nearby. This was the first of many camps that the walkers would make between

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Yeelirrie and their arrival in late May at Leonora. Behind this scene lay months of planning and preparation by WANFA, ANAWA, CCWA and BUMP crews, and especially by Marcus Atkinson and K-A of Footprints for Peace, parents of two-year-old Shae, the youngest walker. In a big circle around a couple of sleeping campfires, walkers and we newcomers took turns to introduce ourselves. There were Wangkatja people from the Yeelirrie area including Traditional Owners; Pastor Geoffrey Stokes (co-founder of WANFA) and Richard Evans – both Wongai men; Wongatha elder Kado Muir (WANFA head) and Vicki McCabe; along with younger local Aboriginals – Walkatjurra Rangers who would share their ancient culture and care for country with the walkers. Most participants were from Australia but there was a strong international contingent too – including Mika from Japan; a cheery man from Finland, involved in campaigning against another nuclear reactor being built there; Nina and a handful of others from Sortir du Nucleaire in France; a young German man and another from Scotland; Inge Johansen from South Africa; Anna-Claire from NZ; and someone from Israel. I talked with as many as time allowed – like Kristy with her four kids on their third WALK, and her 14-year-old “veteran” Lachlan, this time a ranger; the ebullient Finn, delighted at this attempt to stop Toro and uranium exports from WA; reflections with Mika on Fukushima; the Aboriginal youth who told me how lost and angry he had been before he found the Walkatjurra Walk to be a healing outlet; and Vicki, a senior ranger whom I’d previously met in Perth. I treasured meeting her again, stronger than ever on her own country. Meetings in several small circles were happening around the camp. The Walkatjurra Rangers were reviewing their roles, and another knot of people was discussing campaign strategies. Simultaneously, the kitchen was revving up lunch – much grating of six large beetroots plus countless carrots and apples, mashing of numerous avocadoes,

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and making a mountain of fried rice. This with slices of fresh bread was a delicious plenty for the multitude who needed the same quantity three times each day as part of the Ben Hur-scale logistics of the Walk. Post-lunch, another meeting, this time everyone under a big tarpaulin strung between the mulgas. It was another, more detailed exposure to the meanings of the Walk, addressed by those with an organisational or strategic role. An electronic “message stick” was passed between the speakers, starting with Marcus. Kado, Dave Sweeney (ACF’s Anti-Nuclear campaigner), Geoffrey, Richard and Vicki, Jo Vallentine, Scott, WANFA’s Della Rae Morrison (who had entertained us the previous evening at the Annalakshmi fundraising dinner), Piers Verstegen (CCWA director), Mia (CCWA’s Nuc-free Future campaigner). Several others also had their say, giving us more insights into the complexities and hopes of this dogged 26-day desert adventure we were all part of that day.

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environmental sustainability Adrian Glamorgan carefully recorded material for RTR’s Understorey. A demonstration Walk was next, for some media footage. With impressive speed the Walkers rid the camp of flags and banners, and we were colourfully and musically off to the T-junction with the “main road” between Albion Downs and Sandstone. SBS reporter Ryan Emery’s camera was rolling when suddenly a red-and-gold-clad matador rushed out of the mulga, bearing a red cape flashing the message STOP THE BULL! One obligingly appeared in the form of Geoffrey S, charging at our deft and lively matador. This and several interviews with Walkers was captured for SBS TV and radio the following evening. I hope you saw or heard it! Time too quickly arrived for us day visitors to head back to our return flight to Perth. For Scott and Flick (Felicity Ruby) his policy advisor, it was soon back to the madness of Canberra. For the rest of us, normal life again, but enriched by our day at Yeelirrie.

Congrats, Rachel and Chris! Katrina Bercov has just sent us this delightful message: The Greens WA warmly congratulate Senator Rachel Siewert on her wedding to Chris Twomey, on Saturday 5 October, which would have been the birthday of Rachel's beloved Dad. The Yallingup ceremony began with a beautiful Noongar Welcome to Country and acknowledgement of Chris and Rachel's hope for an end to discrimination against their many gay and lesbian friends, and commitment to marriage equity for everyone. Chris and Rachel then vowed their love and support for each other and enjoyed a celebration with family and friends. We wish them both every happiness in this new stage of their lives together. Photo: Robin Chapple

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A bicycle tale of two cities: Groningen and Paris by Rob Delves, Green Issue co-editor and cycling correspondent. Let’s face it: large parking stations of any sort of vehicle are inherently plugugly. Dominating the view across the canal towards Amsterdam train station is a huge multi-level bicycle parking station immediately to the left of the station. Yes, it’s ugly, but the sight of thousands of beautiful machines crammed together still makes the heart soar. Three hours later we witness an almost identical sight as we get off the train at the much smaller northern Dutch city of Groningen: an almost-full bike parking station with a capacity of nearly 5000. Actually, bike parking is the second sight at Groningen station – the first is an enormous bicycle workshop and hire shop that is actually part of the station complex, so you step off the train and 30 seconds later you can collect your hire bike for the day. Groningen is often listed right at the top of the list of bike-friendly cities, and I was off to check out its credentials with my partner Valerie and Dutch friend Frans. Does Groningen deserve its B-heaven reputation? First impressions as we exited the station (a beautiful old building indeed) were all positive. Bike hire was cheap and we were starting to regret our decision to bring our own bikes, especially when we discovered, to our surprise, that Dutch trains only provide a small section of one carriage for storing bikes – you're lucky to be able to squeeze in six. (On the return journey we were running a bit late and three young guys had set up camp in the bike section. The entire space was chockers with their three bikes, their huge luggage and their bodies. A moderately civilised greenstyle conflict resolution process ensued, concluding with the three chaps taking themselves and their bags into the main carriage – though we were pretty sure that the Dutch phrases they threw at us didn't translate into “have a nice day!”) In Groningen you follow the Yellow Brick Road: cobbled roads painted yellow indicate bikes and pedestrians page 10

Rob (left) wending his way through Groningen, still a little unsure about which side of the road he should be on! — Valerie Salvaire

only – and there are plenty in the central part of the city. They’re a dull and dirty yellow after years of pounding by bike tyres and feet, but thick with cyclists and pedestrians. Some of the riders were going too fast for my liking – there were some near misses but no actual bumps or altercations – and everyone we spoke to thought the bike-pedestrian relationship was fine. Groningen hasn’t been bike heaven for all that long. The city went in for car-friendly planning in the 1950s and 1960s – photos in the history section of the Tourist Centre show broad and straight roads designed to entice car use, and succeeding. They’ve changed radically over the past 40 years. Today even the outer areas, with their IKEAs, supermarkets and Bunnings replicas still cater generously for cyclists, with

broad bike lanes and separated paths. You basically have a place where car use isn’t necessary for the good life that this city has to offer. Paris, on the other hand, is still a city for cars, despite its magnificent Metro and the recent introduction of the Velib bike-hire scheme. I gave it a go and enjoyed my 30-minute spin for about two dollars, but the city feels much more threatening to a cyclist who is unfamiliar with the layout. The cars go fast and there are lots of them – and not many bike riders. Along with 3000 Velib sites – about one every 300m – Paris has introduced many bike lanes. It’s a great plan, and I’m sure I’d start to feel very comfortable after a few weeks, but it’s still a long way from Groningen, or any city in The Netherlands.

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Pale Green: how Australia compares with Germany GI co-editor Chris Johansen lived in Germany before the advent of any political party with “Green” in its name. He maintains an ongoing interest in and affection for that country. Although the histories and economies of Germany and Australia have been quite different, the current political landscape is remarkably similar between the two. They are the countries with the biggest Greens parties, which have been prominent, usually third-ranking parties in both countries for more than a decade, usually capturing more than 10% of votes at the national level. Both countries held their federal elections this September, but the popularity of the Greens seems to have faded in both countries, to end up at about the same percentage vote, with a noticeably paler green hue than in preceding elections, as indicated in the table at right. The major conservative parties in each country, Coalition and CDU/CSU (Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union) have gained popularity, while the major centre-left parties, ALP and SDP (Social Democratic Party) languish way behind their historical standing. Die Linke (The Left; a combination of former East German communists and far-left parties originating from West Germany) is losing its once-substantial vote, but parties ideologically similar to Die Linke in Australia have never attracted many votes. The FDP (Free Democrats) seem headed in the direction of their ideologically similar Australian counterparts, the Australian Democrats. Both Palmer United and AfD (Alternative for Germany) are new conservative free-market parties harvesting the right wing protest vote to the extent of around 5%. The Greens vote in both countries has fallen substantially, to around 8.5%. Although the decline in votes is disappointing, The Greens in Australia will at least retain their numbers of seats in the Senate at nine (picking up a seat in Victoria and with Scott's outcome still uncertain), and have held their one Lower House seat despite both the ALP and Liberals preferencing against them. Due to the influx of micro-right parties The Greens will lose the balance of

Green Issue October 2013

Percentage lower house primary vote in September 2013 and swing from the previous election of the main political parties in Australia and Germany. Parties in the same row are ideologically similar.

power in the Senate next July, when the newly-elected members take their seats. In Germany, despite their reduced vote, the Greens may even have a chance of entering the corridors of power. Although substantially increasing their vote, the CDU/CSU cannot govern in their own right and will need to form a coalition. In the outgoing government this was with the FDP, but the FDP has not crossed the 5% hurdle required to win any seats in Parliament. One option is a “grand coalition” of CDU/CSU and SDP, as occurred during 2005-9, but this sits uneasily, as they are longstanding rivals. Another option is a coalition of CDU/CSU and Greens. This may be more palatable from the CDU/CSU point of view, as they have already adopted many original Green policies, such as closing all nuclear power stations (by 2022) and accelerated conversion to renewable energy. The

CDU/CSU certainly sits more towards the political centre than does its Australian counterpart, making negotiations of the Greens with them feasible. However, there will be an extended period of horse trading before a new coalition is settled upon in Germany. However, the substantial loss in the Green vote in both countries is disturbing and in-depth introspection is required to see how the tide can be turned. Is it the case of The Greens itself now becoming an “old party”, in need of reinvention? The policy pillars seem as relevant as they ever were, if not more so, but we seem to have increasing difficulty in conveying them and linking them to contemporary issues. Thus, in Australia and Germany, campaigning for the next election starts about ….. NOW.

German Greens election posters, September 2013. The messages are (approximately) from left to right: “I see it differently ... and you?”; “Fair rents not high returns on investment ... and you?”; “What the farmer doesn't know, I'll not eat ...and you?”. —Rob Delves

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Welcome to our new members The Greens are delighted to welcome the 130 new applicants for membership since the election. We know some of you were inspired by Scott Ludlam’s WA 2.0 presentation. There will be a chance to see this again on 6 November, when the Young Greens have their launch. If you are under 30, consider joining (Sarah Nielson-Harvey – [email protected] or Jordan Steelejohn – [email protected]) and become part of the “Green me up Scottie” fun and action. You can also be involved in Pride Parade and the Fremantle Festival in November – great fun if you like to dress up in zany costumes and march down the middle of the street. There will be more details in Green Announce, which is sent to members every Wednesday – or contact Rowena at the office on 9221 8333 or [email protected] We hope you soon find a space to exercise your talents, make your contributions and enjoy the warmth and enthusiasm of The Greens. Let us know what brought you to The Greens – write something for Green Issue and send it

Constructing the Pride Parade and Fremantle Festival float – a green phoenix in the making. —Sarah Nielson-Harvey

to one of the editors (addresses on the bottom of page 17). A great introduction to the Greens and a good way to meet other new members is Katrina Bercov’s introductory workshops: Greens 101: Busting Myths about the Greens. Sunday 20 October, 11am-1pm Fremantle Reception Room. Politics 101: How Politics Works. Sunday 20 October, 1.30pm-3.30pm – Fremantle Reception Room.

Consensus: Intro to Green Decision Making. Sunday 20 October, 3.45pm-6pm, Fremantle Reception Room. And please consider joining Greenscheme or increasing your regular contributions. As we gear up to make sure that Abbott and Barnett don't get another term we need ongoing financial support, as well as all the energy of our members. If you’d like to sign up for Greenscheme, phone or email Rowena as indicated earlier in this article.

The Greens (WA) 2013 AGM

1pm Saturday 26 October, at The Palms Community Centre, cnr Nicholson & Rokeby rds, Subiaco Readily accessible by public transport to West Leederville or Leederville train stations PLEASE CONSIDER NOMINATING YOURSELF OR A FRIEND (or an enemy – only kidding) TO BE AN OFFICEBEARER. THIS IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR RELATIVELY NEW GREENS MEMBERS TO SEE OUR PARTY FROM THE INSIDE AND HELP SHAPE ITS DIRECTION. We would love a hotly contested election for every position. Nominations are invited for officebearers and the WA national delegate to the Australian Greens. Positions vacant: Co-convenors (2), Secretary, Treasurer, National Delegate. Nominations must be in writing (by email or post) and received by The Greens (WA) office by COB Monday 21 October 2013. Email [email protected] • PO Box 3022 Perth 6832 Nominations are open for up to four (4) members of the Administration Working Group (AWG). Regional Group Permanent and alternating Representatives past and present are particularly asked to apply and to encourage new members in their Regional Group to nominate. Nominations by email to [email protected] by Monday 21 October 2013. Nominations are open for three members of the Quick Decision Making Group (QDMG). Regional groups are invited to nominate members to [email protected] by Monday 21 October. Members will be approved by the Reps Council on 14 September 2013. All Working Groups are requested to confirm their mandate and their appointed Coordinator as per s37 of the constitution. This should be done at the Reps Council on 14 September. Confirmations can be sent to [email protected] or [email protected]

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Rachel Siewert

Australian Greens Senator for WA It’s only weeks since the change of government but there are already signs that Tony Abbott’s Coalition is preparing a number of changes that will affect vulnerable Australians. The most recent development is news that the Coalition is considering expanding income management to a much broader section of the community. This expensive regime has been in place in the Northern Territory through the intervention for a number of years, and the Labor government expanded it to trial sites around Australia. Information from the former ALP government about monitoring and evaluation of the scheme was notoriously hard to come by but independent evaluations have shown little, if any, positive outcomes. A recent Australian Audit office report showed that it is a very expensive program. The money spent on income management would be better spent on support programs and improved job services. The Greens have consistently strongly opposed income management, and will hold Tony Abbott and Minister Kevin Andrews to account for any decisions they make to expand this scheme. The Abbott government looks likely to carry out a review of income support. Simplification of income support is a good idea, but a review isn’t needed to identify a need to increase Newstart, as all the evidence already clearly shows that to be the case. A $50 increase to Newstart and additional support for single parents is essential, and it must be delivered for all single parents on Newstart, including those affected by John Howard’s Welfare to Work regime and those affected by January's payment cuts.

Green Issue October 2013

Rachel at a single parents’ meeting at Mandurah. —Ogy Simic

Concerns have also been raised with me in recent weeks about the future of two important reforms passed during the previous Parliament – the Living Longer, Living Better (LLLB) aged-care reforms, and the Australian Charities and Notfor-profits Commission (ACNC). The Coalition has flagged changes to aged-care reforms that would threaten a wage increase for aged-care workers. The workforce compact was included in the LLLB reforms to ensure that pay rises were passed on to workers across the sector, when historically they have been overlooked. Aged-care workers are some of our lowest paid, yet their work is critical to the quality of life of older Australians. We will continue to support better wages for these workers. Likewise, the Coalition is casting doubt on the future of the ACNC, despite the extensive work which has gone in to its development and broad support for the reforms from the not-for-profit sector.

By repealing the independent charities regulator the Coalition would hand the work of assessing charitable status and regulation back to the ATO, which is not the appropriate body. Though the reforms are still being implemented, removing the body that is set up to improve regulation of NFPs just makes it harder for charitable organisations that play a critical role in our society, at a time when they’re under increasing pressure to help people in the community who are unable to make ends meet. The Greens supported the creation of the ACNC, and secured a number of amendments to strengthen the legislation and secure the independence of both the ACNC and the sector. This is another area where we will continue to work hard in order to protect those organisations which deliver a range of important services to hundreds of thousands of people around the country.

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Scott Ludlam

Australian Greens Senator for WA

Understandably, Scott is rather busy just now, sweating on his future and that of The Greens in the Senate, so his piece in this issue of GI is briefer than normal. – The Editors

It's been an extraordinary few months. The Greens campaigned hard in Western Australia, and at the time of going to press we still don't know if that campaign has achieved the goal of holding one of our WA Senate seats. The initial count returned an unfavourable - and extremely narrow provisional result, with Clive Palmer's sideshow projected to take a Senate seat – despite polling roughly half the votes achieved by The Greens in WA. A Senate recount had been ordered. The AEC doesn't conduct Senate recounts on narrow margins alone - a strong case must be made, and this Senate recount is the first in WA for 33 years. We remain hopeful that when every vote is counted as it should be there will be a positive outcome. If you can lend a hand and scrutineer we'd love your help – contact us on 9335 7477. I’m grateful to the many people who contributed to the campaign. I know many people worked hard, put in long hours, and made big sacrifices to help. We have been able to put affordable housing on the national agenda, after it had been ignored for so long. That was a definite highlight, as was making our plan for better public transport a prominent federal issue in Western Australia.

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We don't have the vast warchests that come with big corporate backing, the bulk of the union movement or, indeed, from being run by a coal billionaire, but we do have something far more valuable – the best people with the best ideas. grateful to everyone who put their hearts into our campaign and made it possible. Watch this space!

Top, Scott with House of Reps Greens WA candidates; and Above, with (literal?) supporters Jo Vallentine and Chilla Bulbeck at the post-election party. —Felicity Ruby

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Lynn MacLaren MLC, South Metro I've featured twice recently on ABC TV. The first was an opportunity to put forward my Coastal Planning Bill in response to the State government's announcement that the $400m Port Kennedy residential and tourism development will have to be modified due to rising sea levels. We need a statewide coastal plan because the government's approach to this is ad-hoc, and, with 80% of our population living close to the coastline, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicting one-metre sea level rises by the end of the century, I want to put in place a comprehensive planning framework for the WA coast. Then the 7.30 Report featured community anger at the EPA's flawed recommendation to proceed with the Roe 8 highway extension through Beeliar Wetlands. I spoke of the costs to our natural heritage. Just after the disgraceful approval was announced, I held an emergency campaign meeting and put in an appeal against the recommendation. Expect there to be further action on this. The environment was the biggest loser in the State budget brought down in August. It cut the Community Environment Grants Program, to the extreme disappointment of many volunteers across the State. Not only was this program a cost-effective way to regenerate bushland and improve conservation efforts, it brought people together at a local level. No replacement program has been announced. The government's abortive plan to charge education fees for dependents of 457 visa holders has been a hot topic in Parliament. The Education Minister couldn't answer my questions on how he thought the charges would be legally levied, and

Green Issue October 2013

I was glad to speak at the rally at Parliament House. Earlier that day I joined many Greens and Robin Chapple at the 15,000-strong rally at Gloucester Park against education cuts. I was heartened to see the ACT looking likely to pass a marriage equality bill, with strong support from Greens and Labor. I expect to be introducing my similar bill this year. I joined more than a hundred vocal activists at Fremantle docks to protest a ship carrying 5240 live cattle, which turned back just days into its three-week trip to Israel. I highlighted the problems on board through questions in Parliament and talks with the Minister for Agriculture. In Greens Non-Government Business Day this year I moved two motions to Parliament – one on suicide prevention, and the other on forced amalgamations

of local governments. After presenting the motion which coincided with “R U OK? Day” I asked MPs to reflect on suicide risk factors and to actively support prevention programs. I was motivated to introduce this motion by the recent death of trans activist Amber Maxwell. It is my hope we can ensure that young trans people do not suffer as she did. The public has been kept in the dark over the pointless marina development at Point Peron, so I have applied for details on the project approval process through Freedom of Information. A recent analysis of the Peron-Naturaliste region indicates that Mangles Bay is subject to future flooding as sea level rises. How the EPA signed off on this really does call into question their approvals process.

Robin, Ted Griffin and Lynn at the education rally at Gloucester Park.

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Robin Chapple

MLC, Mining & Pastoral Region

On Friday September 6 I left Perth in a small bus filled with colourful triangles, green banners, a handful of good friends, and set off to Kalgoorlie. Having the biggest population in my electorate, Kalgoorlie is where I am to be found on election day. The following Saturday started early for us, driving around the town at 3am to paint Kalgoorlie green. Triangles hung in the trees, on bus stops and fences, and Scott's smiling face and fine head of hair could be seen on the trunks of trees and strung up on gates. We were ready. By 8am Saturday the rain set in and continued, heavy and steady until the 6pm pack-up. But soggy leaflets and wet socks didn't stop me and my team of helpers, who made sure all of Kalgoorlie and Leonora's booths were covered for the day. I love polling day because it is a good opportunity to have a chat to the supporters at the other booths, and hear their reasons for supporting a certain party and their policies. By the end of day you feel a certain comradeship with these people, sharing stories and the coffee runs. A Nationals supporter even got his friend to drop off a spare shade shelter and set it up for Betty – they're not all bad! We ended the day gathering together at Jim's place to watch the results come in, drink some wine, and warm up in front of a beautiful fire. With research strongly showing that a visible presence at the polling booths can swing votes our way, I am truly grateful to those from Perth and Kalgoorlie who helped out last month. I’m also glad that the wet and windy weather didn't stop us from being the page 16

public and positive face of The Greens. Big thanks for another memorable polling day – I couldn't have done it without you – Betty Richards, David Jones, Simon Hudson, Linda Belton, Tom Oliver, Jenny Laker, Peter Schultz, Jim Thompson, Dave Crisp, Sara SkjoldborgChapple, Jennifer Thompson, Christine Jeffries-Stokes, Janette and John Kavanagh. Fingers are still crossed (and starting to get sore!) for Scott to get reelected. I am relieved that the AEC are doing

a recount, as there seems to be some discrepancies with votes. The results can still go either way, but I believe it will be quite different from what we got originally. Now we just have to play the waiting game again.

Top: Packed up, ready to head off to Kalgoorlie for election day. —Robin Chapple Above: Betty Richards distributing soggy HTVs in Kalgoorlie. —Mary Mills

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Sick of Abbott already? Help us plan for the next election Please join us at these membersonly meetings to process the lessons from 2013 and prepare for the vital continuous campaigning of the Abbott years! Mapping Success: Continuous Campaign Strategy & Analysis, with Kajute O'Riordan from Adam Bandt's team. Saturday 19 October, 10am. Calling Facilitators: Help the Party by training to become a much-needed Green facilitator. Tuesday 12 November, 5.30pm.

Lessons learnt: Presentation of Election Exit Polling and analysis, with Chilla Bulbeck and Norm Stomski of the election research working group. Tuesday 26 November, 6pm. Open Space: Continuous Campaigning & Party Development, facilitated by Giz Watson. Sunday 1 December. 1pm.

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a series of concrete and tangible outcomes during campaigns; we want our own people motivated and to ensure that we're seen as relevant and useful; within the limits of who we are (peaceful, just, etc) we must not be afraid to back unpopular causes or engage in non-violent conflict; we are seeking media attention and coverage; even if a particular campaign is ultimately a loss, we win if we maintain a constant media presence.

For bookings and more information see www.greenswatraining.org

CONTACTS

Regional Groups Brand Canning Curtin Fremantle/Tangney Moore/Cowan Pearce/Hasluck Perth South West Stirling Swan

Working Groups Admin & Constitution Policy National ICT Refugee Action Young Greens

Parliamentarians

Name Dawn Stephen Jane Tom Phil Toni Chris Michael Tom Anthony

Contact Meeting 0424 598 656 Thursday before 2nd Sat of month, 7pm. 0433 950 707 1st Monday of month, 7pm, 101 Challis Rd, Armadale. [email protected] 1st Thursday of month, 7pm Earthwise, 315 Bagot Rd, Subiaco. 9414 8717 Thurs before Saturday Reps, 7pm, Fremantle Town Hall Reception Room. 0424 068 141 1st Wed of month, 7.30pm, Cmty Ctr, 5 Trappers Dr Woodvale (behind library). 0439 979 869 1st Mon of month,7.30pm High Wycombe Community Ctr,Newburn Rd. 0410 146 569 1st Tuesday of month (exc Jan), 6.30pm, Bayswater Drill Hall. [email protected] Monthly e-meetings, three-monthly face-to-face, various SW venues. 0408 093 279 1st Thursday of month, 7.30pm, Env Ctre, Groat St North Beach. [email protected] 1st Wednesday of month, 6pm. Ring office for venue.

Convenor Adam & Chris Anthony Leonie Grahame Anita Jordan

Contact [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 0416 971 591, 9523 0242

Member Rachel Siewert Scott Ludlam Robin Chapple Lynn MacLaren

Phone 9228 3277 9335 7477 9486 8255 9430 7233

Secretary Treasurer

Name Adam Duncan Chris Dickinson Chilla Bulbeck Paul Davis

Phone c/- office c/- office c/- office c/- office

Office

Rowena Skinner

9221 8333, fax 9221 8433

Senator Senator Mining & Pastoral MLC South Metro MLC

Officebearers Co-convenors

Fax 9228 4055 9335 7499 9486 8355 9430 7207

Office Staff 1/151 Brisbane St, Northbridge Chris, Jess, Rose, Ogy 8 Cantonment St, Fremantle Trish, Felicity, Rachel, Giovanni, Chantal 41 Havelock St, West Perth Maria, Melanie, David 7/142 South Terrace, Fremantle Sue, Dinny, Shane

Email [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Officebearers are contactable during business hours via office staff, who will take and pass on messages, or advise if the officebearer is away and whether there is a more appropriate person to handle a query.

[email protected] – www.wa.greens.org.au

Authorised by R Delves, 31 Gibson st Beaconsfield 6162. Printed by The Greens (WA). Published by The Greens (WA) ABN 41 747 355 722, 445 Hay St, Perth 6000, in printed form and online at www.wa.greens.org.au Contributing editors Rob Delves, Chilla Bulbeck, Chris Johansen • Design & layout Craig Chappelle Please direct articles, photos, comments etc to [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected] Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of The Greens (WA).

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