Peter Campbell for Southern Metropolitan preselection for the Greens

In late 2005 I nominated for preselection as The Greens lead candidate for the Victorian Legislative Council seat of Southern Metropolitan, as I am very keen to promote the policies of The Greens during the 2006 Victorian State Election, and hopefully in the Legislative Council if elected.   This page contains information on my nomination, which was not successful.

Why I believe we need Greens in the Victorian Parliament

These values - supporting and promoting peace, democracy, care for the environment and social justice – are important for our shared future in terms of both sustainability and social cohesion.

My background

My green activities and track record

• Australian Conservation Foundation (member since 1985)
• The Wilderness Society (member since 1989)
• Greenpeace (member since 1986)
• Brotherhood of St Laurence

• Australian Greens (Victoria)
• Friends of South Surrey Park (committee member)
• Bushwalkers Search and Rescue (club delegate and field organiser)

• Currently active with the Victorian Forest Alliance on forest protection Victoria.  I am working to provide Greens support and focus in both Victoria and South East NSW on this for the upcoming 2006 Victorian State election. 
• Active campaigning for native forest protection since 1989 with both The Wilderness Society and Environment Victoria, including numerous presentations on Victorian Forest Issues to school groups.  
• Active with Tarkine, Styx and Gunns 20 campaigns.
  
• Three National Forest Summits.
• The successful campaign against Resource Security legislation (Hawke Government, 1992)
• Campaigns against renew of export woodchip licences (Keating Government)
• 1992 Forest Watch survey of logging in East Gippsland
• Boycott Woodchipping Campaign, Wilderness Action Group, Environment Victoria forest campaing group
• Maintenance of the Forest Letter Watch a repository of forest-related information and distribution of Forest Letter Watch e-mail bulletins
• Organisation of the 1996 rally against export woodchipping in Melbourne
• Many letters to the editor published,  mainly in The Age newspaper

• Supporting renewable energy instead of the nuclear energy
• Protecting our environment from toxic waste and pollution
• Protecting whales and our marine environment
• Combatting the greenhouse effect by shifting our society and industry to reducing greenhouse emissions and moving towards sustainable energy use

• Campaigning on the ending of mandatory detention for asylum seekers, particularly during the 2001 and 2004 federal election campaigns in the seat of Kooyong.  Petro Georgiou's (Liberal MP for Kooyong) recent attempts to get some real improvements on the treatment of asylum seekers may be partly related to him losing votes to the Greens during these elections.  
• Submission to the Victorial Human Rights Consultation Project in May 2005 stating that we must uphold the human rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
  
  

Some important local issues I am currently active on

• Investing in and improving public transport infrastructure and services, including cycle paths.  The Brack's government's huge spending on freeways will encourage more  motor vehicle transport which will contribute to more congestion and greenhouse gas emmissions in our cities.   I have am leading an reinvigorated proposal to develop the Eastern Rail Trail bicycle path along the Box Hill railway line.    I believe that commuter quality bicycle paths should be constructed along all of Melbourne's railway easements.

• Equitable funding for our public health and education systems so that quality health and education services are available to everyone.  In particular, more funding is needed for childcare to support families and parents with young children.

• Improving the liveability and sustainability of our cities, including urban development and planning challenges such as Kew Cottages. The Bracks government has mismanaged plans for both Kew Cottages and Camberwell Railway station.  We need genuine and effective community consultation to ensure that Melbourne 2030-related and other urban development initiatives benefit everyone, not just developers.

• Channel deepening impacts - the Brack's goverment has not got the business case sorted out for this ill-considered project. The environmental impacts and degradation are considerable. Pandering to the interests of business lobby groups at the expense of our local environment is just not on.

• Water usage and conservation and ensuring adequate environmental flows to keep our rivers and streams healthy.  Mellbourne's appetite for water is impacting regional areas such as Gippsland - large quantities of water are diverted from the Thompson River catchment to Melbourne - which affects the health of the Gippsland lakes.

• The Gunnamatta outfall - we need to stop the pollution and recycle the waste water - not just  doing annual "reviews" of this issue that achieve nothing.  We are swimming in our own effluent at Gunnamatta.

• Protecting our water catchments and old growth forests from logging. The Brack's government continues to allow logging in domestic regional and metropolitan water catchments which impact

• Reducing greenhouse emissions by shifting to renewable energy.  The Bracks government recent extension of the life of the coal burning and greenhouse gas polluting Hazelwood power station is both disingenuous and negligent, as the greenhouse effect is now well and truly upon us. There is no point pretending that brown coal can be green-washed.

• Supporting the adoption of guidelines for the Victorian Native Vegetation Management Framework and provision of funding for public acquisition over time of a visionary conservation reserve network for greater Melbourne

My experience with The Greens

I have good knowledge of the Australian Greens Charter, policies and processes from five years in active roles at branch, region, state and national levels in the party and from campaigning as a candidate – twice for the federal seat of Kooyong (2001 and 2004), once for the state upper house seat of East Yarra (2002) and once for Maling Ward in Boroondara Council (2004).  These campaigns all resulted in significant increases in the Greens primary vote, so I believe momentum is building for the Greens in most of the suburbs and lower house seats within Southern Metropolitan Region.

As a vigorous and dedicated candidate, I have worked hard to represent both Greens policies and processes to the wider electorate.  I have spoken at local schools and campaign launches, participated in public meetings, forums and debates, spoken on talkback radio, issued many media releases and had several letters to the editor published.

I have worked hard to develop my communication and public presentation skills through training and by taking opportunities for public speaking through my profession, at Toastmasters and by speaking on political issues at events. I initiated and organised the successful Glenferrie Greens public forums over the last two years, modelled partly on the very popular Greens Forum held in central Melbourne.

I have been a committed team member with the Victorian Election Campaign Committee (VECC) and the National Election Campaign Committee (NECC) during the 2004 federal election, and with the Eastern Suburbs Region Campaign Committee during the 2001 and 2004 Federal elections and the 2002 State Election.

I have also worked in a leadership capacity on various occasions as the convenor of Eastern Suburbs Region, VECC an NECC.  My work on these committees has included participation in development and approval of campaign strategies, establishing new procedures, and conducting and participating in campaign reviews and conflict resolution.

My considerable Greens involvement has taken place alongside a successful career. I have well developed time management skills. I have balanced my activities with The Greens with professional employment and with my private life.  I have been able to allocate considerable blocks of time during peak campaign periods to the dual tasks of campaigning as a candidate and campaign management.

I have been able to demonstrate and hone my negotiating skills during election campaigns both within the party and during preference negotiations with other parties, including securing the important preferences of Richard Frankland in the Senate in the 2004 federal election.

Why Greens policies and issues need to be at the forefront

I believe it is important for the Greens to initiate debate and to promote many of the issues that the major parties have put in the “too hard basket”.  This includes issues such as investing in and improving public transport infrastructure and services, equitable funding for our health and education systems, improving the liveability and sustainability of our cities and caring for our environment.

It is even more important that the Greens gain a voice in the Victorian Parliament so that real progress can be made on these and many other issues. This will make it much harder for the major parties to “greenwash” themselves during election campaigns, then slack off once they are in office.

Election to the Upper House will mean that Greens can review legislation to ensure environmental and social impacts of legislation are appropriately addressed, via amendments if necessary.   Election to parliament will also mean that Greens can participate in the very important work of review committees.

We need better political leadership on the issues that really matter for our future.  I would like the opportunity to represent and promote Greens policies and values both during the election campaign, and hopefully in Parliament.

What will I do if elected?

• Initiate debate on and promote a whole gamut of issues that the major parties place in the “too hard basket”.  Issues such as investing in and improving public transport infrastructure and services, equitable funding for our health and education systems, improving the liveability and sustainability of our cities and caring for our environment.
• Provide a Green voice in the Victorian Parliament, so that real progress can be made on these and many other issues. This will make it much harder for the major parties to “greenwash” themselves during election campaigns, then slack off once in office.
• Review legislation to ensure environmental and social impacts of legislation are appropriately addressed, via amendments if necessary. 
• Participate on selected review committees such as the Environment and Natural Resources and Rural and Regional Service Development committees
• Provide political leadership on the issues that really matter for our future

What the Greens stand for

• Our vision is for a fair, independent and sustainable Australia
• Our platform is supporting and promoting peace, democracy, care for the environment and social justice. We believe this is important for our shared future in terms of both sustainability and social cohesion.

Why vote Green?

• We need strong green voices in our Parliament for the environment, social justice and peace.
• As support for the Greens increases, more Greens will be elected to either parliament.  Your Green vote helps us to achieve a fair, independent and sustainable Australia.
• The Greens will provide 3rd party insurance to cover the excesses of the major parties
• The Greens offer an optimistic alternative to the major parties.
• The Greens may hold the balance of power, which we will use responsibly to support legislation that is in accord with our policies and principles.
  

Some current national issues

• Terror Laws 2005 - The Howard Government and State Labor governments are cooperating to overturn fundamental human rights in the name of fighting terrorism. The Greens around the country are standing up in parliament and in the community to defend civil liberties.
• Public Education - The Greens view the vitality of public education as fundamental to ensuring a 'fair go' society. Its vital that this education is free, universally accessible, and of the highest quality from pre-school to TAFE and university.
• Climate Change - The twin issues of climate change and energy are set to dominate global politics in the twenty-first century. Already we have seen unprecedented heatwaves that have killed thousands of people in Europe and India.  We need to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and cut emissions.
• Industrial Relations - the Howard government's industrial relations laws will accelerate the growth of the gap between the rich and poor. These IR laws would reflect Australia's credo of 'a fair go' if they included a relationship between all incomes, from the least paid workers to CEOs.
  

Please contact me for further information or to provide input on local and State issues

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