Greens Candidate for Aston, Salore Craig, responds to our questionnaire

You can view our question list for all candidates here.

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Greens Candidate for Aston, Salore Craig, responded :

What are your thoughts on asylum seekers?

The Greens are committed to a fair and just immigration system that upholds
Australia’s commitment to international law and human rights. We believe
refugees and asylum seekers should be treated fairly and compassionately and
oppose an overly-politicised approach that demonises asylum seekers.

The Greens support:
. the abolition of mandatory detention;
. an end to offshore processing of asylum seekers’ claims;
. the right to legal aid and judicial review of decisions for asylum
seekers;
. increased resettlement of refugees and humanitarian entrants from
offshore (e.g. refugee camps in foreign countries);
. enhanced specialised support services for refugees and asylum
seekers, including English instruction;
. a new refugee visa for people displaced by climate change;
. programs that seek to eliminate racism, promote belonging and
encourage connection between people.

What are your thoughts on public transport?

Smart transport infrastructure is integral to our environmental, social and
economic wellbeing.
The Greens support:
. reform of the national transport plan to shift funding from roads to
fast, convenient public transport;
. stringent fuel efficiency standards for new cars;
. alternative fuels;
. the abolition of Fringe Benefits Tax concessions for company and
leased cars;
. an upgrade of our urban public transport and rail freight
infrastructure;
. the removal of GST from public transport.

In the federal electorate of Aston the Greens support the building of a
train line to Rowville and the extension of the number 75 tram to Knox.

What are your thoughts on renewable energy/ what are your thoughts on
climate change?

The Greens understand the urgency of the climate challenge, as well as the
tremendous opportunities that transforming Australia into a carbon neutral
powerhouse creates for new jobs and the health and wellbeing of communities.
The Greens’ Safe Climate Bill is Australia’s first legislative package to
truly achieve a safe climate.
The Safe Climate Bill aims to achieve net zero emissions for Australia by no
later than 2050, and at least 40% cuts by 2020, by:
. introducing an effective carbon pricing scheme that makes polluters
pay for the pollution they produce;
. establishing stronger targets and support for renewable energy;
. upgrading the energy efficiency of our homes, offices and
industries;
. rolling out clean transport alternatives;
. protecting and building our forest carbon stores;
. creating green jobs.
The Greens will also:
. redirect the massive subsidies for fossil fuels to renewable energy
and energy efficiency;
. assist coal dependent communities to move to sustainable industries
as international demand for coal falls.

The Greens are the only political party opposed to all aspects of the
nuclear industry – from uranium mining to nuclear weapons. Nuclear power
creates the fuel for nuclear weapons and is no solution to climate change,
especially when renewable energy and energy efficiency can reduce emissions
faster and cheaper. Future generations must not be burdened with toxic
nuclear waste for which there is no safe disposal. The Greens will phase out
the mining and export of uranium and oppose the establishment of nuclear
power plants, nuclear fuel processing, enrichment facilities and radioactive
waste dumps.

Do you support or oppose the introduction of the R18+ rating
classification for video games?

The Greens support the introduction of an R18+ classification for video
games. The absence of this classification for video games means that games
that are unsuitable for minors are refused classification and made
unavailable for adults. This is inconsistent with our treatment of movies
and other media.

Do you support or oppose the proposed internet filter?

Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam has been the
Parliament’s most vocal opponent of the Government’s proposed mandatory ISP
filter. Like the entire ICT sector, he considers that the filter will not
achieve its stated objectives, but it will potentially cause problems with
internet speeds and reliability, and it runs the risk of restricting freedom
of information and expression beyond what is acceptable to much of our
community. See footage of Senator Ludlam’s recent comments on the filter in
the Senate at

http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/content/tv/senator-ludlams-speech-inter

net-filter

However, Senator Ludlam is interested in measures that will truly crack down
on threats to online safety, especially threats to children and young
people. He is consulting with experts in the field as an active participant
in the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Cyber Safety. Senator Ludlam will
be launching an alternative approach to online safety during the course of
the election campaign; an approach based on optional PC-based filtering,
online safety initiatives with young people, and law enforcement to tackle
cyber crime such as child pornography.

Do you support or oppose gay marriage?

The Greens support gay marriage and have a strong track record of defending
the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals &
communities. Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has introduced a bill into
Parliament to legislate for gay marriage.

What are your thoughts on abortion?

The Greens believe women should have access to safe and confidential health
and wellbeing services, including reproductive health services; and will
ensure that all women have access to legal, free and safe pregnancy
termination services, including unbiased counseling.

Abolishing a woman’s right to abortion would result in these procedures
being carried out illegally where the health and safety of the mother would
be severely compromised.

Do you support or oppose the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia?

The Greens have a long record of supporting the right of terminally ill
people to choose a medically-assisted death with dignity.

What are your thoughts on stem cell research?

The Greens have no agreed policy on stem cell research. The issue is
subject to a conscience vote.

I am personally in favour of stem cell research provided appropriate ethical
guidelines are in place.

What are your thoughts on education?

A strong public education system underpins a fair, successful, productive
and cohesive society.

The current generation of political leaders benefited from free university
education, only to subsequently de-prioritise education funding in the
national budget. The Greens believe that every Australian is entitled to
free, high-quality public education and training, and we would restore
education’s place in our national priorities for the benefit of today’s
students and our future society.

The Greens propose:
. increased funding for all levels of public education;
. access to relevant information about our schools and education
without ‘league tables’;
. funding for at least two years of public preschool education for all
Australian children;
. a more equitable system for funding private schools to prioritise
public education;
. to abolish university fees and forgive HECS-HELP debts;
. an adequate living allowance for all full-time students;
. a vibrant student life through student controlled and funded student
services.

What are your thoughts on campaign finance disclosure?

The Greens support full campaign finance disclosure. The role of the
Parliament is to serve the best interests of all Australians. The Greens do
not accept political donations from big business, and we support public
election funding to stop the practice of buying political influence.

To further strengthen the integrity of the Parliament, the Greens also
advocate an independent national anti-corruption commission to hold federal
politicians fully accountable. We also want truth in political advertising
laws to lift the standard of election campaigns.

What are your thoughts on water?

Australia is the driest inhabited continent, yet Australians are the world’s
highest per capita users of water. In a changing climate, Australians need
water security – and the Greens know that we cannot rely on run-off
dependent dams, mega-pipelines or energy-hungry desalination plants. To
protect our precious water resources we want water-sensitive building and
urban design principles, efficiency targets, storm water harvesting and
re-use, and agricultural systems that are responsive to our climate and soil
conditions.

The Greens will:
. push for a truly independent national authority to manage the
Murray-Darling Basin (MDB)
. fast track the MDB Plan to ensure that adequate water is returned to
the river system
. fund sustainable new industries in basin communities and upgrade
inefficient infrastructure
. ensure that adequate environmental flows are allocated to save South
Australia’s Lower Lakes
. introduce water recycling and demand reduction initiatives
. support incentives to retrofit buildings with rainwater tanks and
grey water systems
. set water efficiency standards for new developments and appliances
. ensure that all land-use planning addresses the impacts of climate
change
. keep major water resources and infrastructure in public ownership
. ensure that mining projects do not go ahead on productive farmland
without assessing their likely impact on ground water and other essential
water resources.

Do you support or oppose standing order 50?

The Australian Greens oppose Standing Order 50 as it stands. In 1997,
Senator Bob Brown gave notice of a motion to amend SO 50 to remove the
Lord’s Prayer and replace it with an invitation to senators to pray or
reflect on their responsibilities. The Greens still believe in amending SO
50, including an acknowledgement of the traditional owners.

Are there any local issues you are trying to highlight with your campaign?

In the seat of Aston I believe the following issues are most pressing:

Public Transport – Providing more frequent and more efficient public
transport services, in particular building a train line to Rowville and
extending the number 75 tram line to Knox.

Health – Focusing on preventative health care to reduce the number of people
requiring hospitalization.
-Providing more funding for mental healthcare and increasing public
awareness of mental illness.
-Implementing ‘Denticare’ which would introduce essential dental services to
the public health system.

Environment – Assisting ordinary home owners to reduce their energy use by
providing greater rebates for energy saving devices such as solar panels.

What do you think about the media’s coverage of the election so far?

While The Greens have received a slightly increased level of media coverage
in this election, there is still a large element of inaccurate reporting of
Green policies by some media organizations.

Respected news outlets appear to be slowly coming around to the fact that
The Greens are the fastest growing political party in Australia and hence
the public has a greater awareness and support of Green policies.