Comments received in response to survey of candidates

 

" id="KevinStiller">Kevin Stiller, Independent for Sandgate

05:32 am, 19 Mar 09

Sorry James, a little late for me to give these questions the consideration that they require. Regards from Kevin.

" id="BarrySearle">Barry Searle, Independent for Sandgate

01:33 am, 19 Mar 09

Thank you for your email. I am currently out on the campaign trail and often don't get in until late at night, but I will reply to your message as soon as I possibly can.

Thank you for your support.

Barry Searle
Independent Candidate for Moggill

" id="GraemeHill">Graeme Hill, Independent for Southport

07:01 am, 19 Mar 09

Hi James!

A lot of questions are not a straight Yes/No.

1. Yes I oppose privatisation, the selling off of Taxpayers assets should only be by a referendum where 75% agree.

2. No. I do not oppose population increases through migration etc. We are not living in a Communist situation like there was in East Berlin etc. The only problem with population increase is you must build infrastructure to suit.

3. No. But I would ensure we are getting quality immigrants from overseas not like those Al Grasby and Malcolm Frazer let in when in office.

4. No. There is research into " id="CleanCoal">cleaner burning of coal, if this is achievable you would be stopping a cheap resource. (See ">comment below by Philip Machanick, Greens candidate for Moggil.)

5. Only if it cannot coexist without a serious impact on the environment, plus there must be an agreeable re vegetation plan. I'm a conservationist not a greenie and I believe progress can be achieved if the right checks and balances are put in place.

6. Same as 5.

7. Again same as 5.

8. NO. The market and free enterprise governs rent etc, what else would you want Myers, Woolies and Coles limiting their profit margin?

9. Yes, definately. I would also ensure Public Housing damage by tennants was fully recoverable and their names put on a black list.

10. Yes, 100% Isn't it now?

11. Yes, with some reservations, there are too many people receiving handouts who do not want to work. I would ensure there were programs in place similar to work for the dole where people could obtain skills.

Thank you. All questions are not a YES/NO/UNSURE/MAYBE or Black and White.

Best of luck with your agenda.

Graeme Hill

" id="PeterWyatt">Peter Wyatt, Independent for Burnett

07:53 am, 19 Mar 09

8. Stop rent gouging: y, as interest goes down so should rent.

" id="MerilynHaines">Merily Haines, for

1. Oppose privatisation: y Definitely , I do not believe in selling off the farm and certainly not selling of OUR water to giant multinationals.

2. Oppose population growth: y or, but encourage decentralisation, North Qld has a lot more water population growth should not be restricted in SE corner.

3. Oppose high immigration: y Jobs for Australians, when so many jobs are vulnerable.

4. No increase in coal exports: y

5. Save the felton valley: y

6. Save bimblebox: y

7. No second aluminium smelter: y

8. Stop rent gouging: y

9. Housing a human right: y

10. Water a human right: y Absolutely.

11. Expand public sector to (no response).

" id="PhilipMachanick">Philip Machanick, Greens for

I had to unsure on the one because I don't have time to check the detail and it would be wrong to endorse a major proposal I hadn't checked but the rest all look good. On , see my critique of the ">"clean coal" proposal at .

" id="RamiahSelwood">Ramiah Selwood, Independent for

My opinion on most of these issues are already mentioned on my website at .

Thanks for this opportunity.

Regards, Ramiah

" id="RogerCallen">Roger Callen, Greens for

1. Oppose privatisation: y

2. Oppose population growth: control needed

3. Oppose high immigration: y

4. No increase in coal exports: agreed

5. Save the felton valley: y

6. Save bimblebox: not familiar with this issue yet, prob support

7. No second aluminium smelter: agreed

8. Stop rent gouging: control needed

9. Housing a human right: y

10. Water a human right: y

11. Government-sponsored full employment: yes - strongly support

" id="PetrinaMaizey">Petrina Maizey, Greens for

05:59 pm, 19 Mar 09

Hi James

Happy to answer your questions. As a committed climate activist, I have a strong personal opinion on many of your questions.

Petrina

1. Oppose privatisation: Yes

2. Oppose population growth: Yes (through a raft of education strategies,
local, national and international approaches; I do not oppose climate change
refugees or political refugees.)

3. Oppose high immigration: If you had used the word 'address' rather than
'oppose' I could have given an unequivocal answer. There are considerations
with short term skill gaps while Greens increase funding to training of
Green Jobs and implement important GHG reducing infrastructure, so my answer
will have to be Unsure.

4. No increase in coal exports: YES. No new coal mines and an equitable
phase out of the industry according to the Just Transitions programme.

5. Save the felton valley: YES

6. Save bimblebox:YES

7. No second aluminium smelter:YES

8. Stop rent gouging:Unsure, but sounds like YES

9. Housing a human right:YES (However, I do not support the need to supply housing as an excuse for further land release and destruction of habitat/carbon absorbing forest.)

10. Water a human right:YES

11. Government-sponsored full employment:Sounds good to me and if the figures are accurate, YES

You are obviously one of the climate conscious so however this election pans out, I wish you every success in fighting that good fight.

Cheers, Petrina

" id="HowardNielsen">Howard Nielsen, Greens for

1. Oppose privatisation: Y

2. Oppose population growth: Not enough information re human rights,
refugees

3. Oppose high immigration: Not enough information re human rights,
refugees

4. No increase in coal exports: Y

5. Save the felton valley: Y

6. Save bimblebox: Y

7. No second aluminium smelter: Y

8. Stop rent gouging: Y

9. Housing a human right: Y

10. Water a human right: Y

11. Govt sponsored full employment: Not enough information to make a decision

" id="BrettRobinson">Brett Robinson, Greens for

Hi James
thank you for your email.

Concerning two of your questions:

5. SAVE THE FELTON VALLEY: Will you oppose coal mining in the Felton Valley agricultural region south west of Toowoomba?

6. SAVE BIMBLEBOX: Will you oppose the destruction of the Bimblebox nature refuge by a planned massive open-cut coal mine?

I, and two other local Greens ( in Toowoomba South and in Nanango) have been actively campaigning on these issues. We have had several articles in local press (The Chronicle). We have also had air time on ABC southern Queensland and on WIN TV.

Have a great day
Brett Robinson
Greens Candidate for Toowoomba North

" id="BrettRobinson">Brett Robinson, Greens for

" id="AnjaLight">Anja Light, Greens for

1. Oppose privatisation: Y

2. Oppose population growth: Y

3. Oppose high immigration: R - Australia should always show compassion to people in need - particularly as a direct result of the way we live in Australia (ie. re climate change and overconsumption).

4. No increase in coal exports: Y (I held a banner outside Abbot point coal expansion near Bowen during the federal election campaign saying: Coal Kills the Reef.

5. Save the felton valley: Y

6. Save bimblebox: Y

7. No second aluminium smelter: Y

8. Stop rent gouging: Y

9. Housing a human right: Y

10. Water a human right: Y

11. Govt sponsored full employment: Y

" id="FrankReilly">Frank Reilly, Greens for

The following was from a Micro$oft Word document

Urgent saving the planet & the economy with renewable energy

The solution to the threat to human life on this planet is breathtakingly simple.

The electricity that powers our societies has to come from renewables like solar, wind, geothermal, tidal and bio-sources. We must cease using fossil fuels as soon as practicable.

A practical example: with a base-load solar power station here in Townsville we get a free download from the Sun. Our power bills go down. This is good economics. We don't create greenhouse gases that will choke the life out of us. We don’t end up causing floods, hurricanes, fires, drought, desertification, melted polar caps and melted glaciers and other wild weather events. We don't poison our food supply in the oceans.

A most imminent threat is ocean acidification from burning fossil fuels. Ocean acidification could cause the complete collapse of food chains in the ocean and even ocean death in the very near term. ()

By contrast, a coal-fired power station would require us to dig up and cart millions of tons of coal from elsewhere and significantly boost the burning of fossil fuels.

This will rapidly kill off civil human society if we can't feed our populations.It will trigger resource wars.

To boot, this is idiotic, irrational and indefensible economics. It is an economics driven by vested interests and lobby groups. It is an economic relic from our 18th century industrial/economic heritage. And we are hostage to it. In Old Speak, this is like "taking coal to newcastle" when we have a viable and more profitable alternative in solar energy.

We simply have to get real...real fast....and stop burning fossil fuel to meet our energy needs. This doesn't even appear to be a nasty case of 'biting a bullet'. A solar power station could be built near Townsville relatively cheaply with a price tag of $2 billion. It would stimulate and support our regional economy and buffer us from the dangerous global economy. It is a small price to pay to save our sorry butts.

So where's the problem....???

It lies with our irrational addiction to the fossil fuel economy! We have alternatives and options...but do we have the will..???
....The Greens do......
Frank Reilly,
Greens Candidate for Thuringowa

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