You can view our question list for all candidates here.
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Greens Candidate for Boothby, Fiona Blinco, responded :
Hi,
The following are my responses to your questions.
What are your thoughts on asylum seekers?
I think it is important to put the issue into perspective:
• The vast majority of people seeking asylum in Australia arrive by plane
• 95% of asylum seekers arriving by boat are found to be genuine refugees
• It is not illegal to arrive in Australia seeking asylum – fleeing
persecution is not an orderly process.
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.
What are your thoughts on public transport?
I support:
• reform of the national transport plan to shift funding from roads to
fast, convenient public transport;
• the abolition of Fringe Benefits Tax concessions for company and leased
cars;
• an upgrade of our urban public transport and rail freight infrastructure
What are your thoughts on renewable energy? / What are your thoughts on
climate change?
The Green’s Safe Climate Bill aims to achieve net zero emissions for
Australia by no later than 2050, and at least 40% cuts by 2020. It will do
this by introducing an effective carbon pricing scheme that makes polluters
pay for the pollution they produce as well as being a vital step in
planning the transition to 100% renewable energy in Australia.
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.
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.
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.
Do you support or oppose gay marriage?
I support gay marriage. The Green’s 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?
Whether or not abortion should be legal relies upon the understanding of
when a fetus is a person. There is growing evidence that at about 8 weeks
the fetus can feel pain. For me, this pain response indicates life. I
accept there are many views on this subject, but I am uncomfortable with
the idea of an abortion, especially if the women is more than 8 weeks
pregnant.
However the Greens support women having access to legal, free and safe
pregnancy termination services, including unbiased counselling.
As this issue is usually subject to a conscience vote it is reasonable to
expect some differences of opinion on this subject.
Do you support or oppose the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia?
I am uncomfortable with voluntary euthanasia and would prefer to see the
debate focus on high quality pallitive care.
However the Greens have a long record of supporting the right of
terminally ill people to choose a medically-assisted death with dignity.
As this issue is usually subject to a conscience vote it is reasonable to
expect some differences of opinion on this subject.
What are your thoughts on stem cells research?
I am neither opposed nor supportive of stem cell research. There is
interesting developments in using adult stem cells for medical research and
I think this is worthy of consideration. If elected I would look at any
proposed legislation carefully before casting my vote.
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.
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.
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 standing order 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 standing order 50, including an acknowledgement of the traditional
owners.
Are there any local issues you are trying to highlight with your campaign?
The hills railway line, built in the era of steam trains, carries
hazardous 1.2 km long trains carrying massive quantities of freight. This
line is no longer suitable for the length and number of freight trains it
now carries and is expected to carry into the future. My campaign has
highlighted this and my support for a northern bypass line north from
Murray Bridge, around the Barossa Valley to Two Wells via Truro.
What do you think about the media’s coverage of the election so far?
ABC coverage has been good, especially the Gruen Transfer and Yes We
Canberra. On a more serious note, ABC current affairs has conducted some
insightful interviews with the national Liberal and Labour leaders.
I would have liked to have seen Bob Brown included in the Leader’s Debate.
Most of the news coverage has been dull but I think this reflects the lack
of vision and inspiration from the Liberal and Labour leadership rather
than the inability of the media to produce quality broadcasts.
thank you for the opportunity to participate in this questionnaire,
Kind regards,
Fiona Blinco
Green’s Candidate for Boothby
Federal Election 2010
http://greens.org.au/boothby
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