On a regular basis we hear lots of myths about what we believe, or what we advocate.  Here we present some facts to expose those myths:

Fishing

Only care about the environment

Wasted vote

Independent Schools/Private Education

Carbon Tax

 

MYTH: THE GREENS WANT TO STOP FISHING
FACT:   WE WANT SUSTAINABLE FISHING

 

The Queensland Greens want to make sure that recreational fishing is sustainable by creating marine parks. These will give fish a safe place to breed and grow, helping to preserve marine life and the right to fish for future generations, providing a sustainable fishing industry, tourism as well as recreational anglers.

Ultimately we all want the same thing, plenty of fish in the sea.

MYTH: THE GREENS ONLY CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
FACT:   WE CARE ABOUT PEOPLE, WE CARE ABOUT ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES.

    

The Queensland Greens have a strong track record when it comes to advocating for protecting the environment, because we believe that everyone has the right to live in a safe, happy and clean community. So we are about people, place and principles.

We have four founding principles in every one of our State policies, including health, education, the economy, housing, energy, planning, small business, rural and regional Queensland. We are about improving people's lives. Who could disagree with that?

MYTH: THE GREENS ARE A WASTED VOTE
FACT: A VOTE FOR THE GREENS IS THE BEST CHOICE AND MAXIMISES YOUR VOTE IN OUR OPTIONAL PREFERENTIAL SYSTEM

A Greens vote is never wasted. A vote for the Greens is a vote for - responsible government, balanced economic management, fairness, the protection of public assets and services, quality community services, sustainability in planning and transport, and true environmental protection.   
 

If the Greens candidate you vote for is knocked out of the race, your vote is transferred to your next preference at full value.

MYTH: THE GREENS WANT TO TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
FACT: WE WANT ALL CHILDREN TO HAVE A GOOD EDUCATION

Fact:  We believe that all Queensland children deserve a high quality public education system. We recognise the choices and decisions parents make in the best interests of their children and respect that for some, independent and private education schools is their decision.
   
The Greens support a review into schools funding, and agree with many educational experts that the current federal schools funding model is flawed. We welcome a constructive debate on school funding to ensure an equitable funding model that meets all students is implemented.

Carbon Tax

Myth: Carbon Tax will damage business and cost us more.

Fact:

The relevance of the Clean Energy Future (CEF) legislation to state matters is that the Queensland Greens as elected State Greens, we would ensure that Qld Departments maiximise their access to the money available from the various programs under the Fed legislation. For instance, DERM has already had its eye on the Carbon Farming Initiative and the Biodiversity Fund to get farmers and rural landholders excited about planting up. On the Gold Coast where unemployment and failing small business is an issue, we're highlighting the $6500 asset write-off threshhold and ARENA and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to stimulate the renewable energy industry and jobs, jobs, jobs. And then there's the Low Carbon Communities that assists low income households and community groups. The list of benefits goes on and on.
 
So rather than shy away from Greens involvement with the carbon tax, we're trying to break down the mythology and scare campaigns surrounding it and promote it as the saviour of the environment and the local economy.
 
The fact that it is such great legislation is really because it's got the Greens approach all over it, not surprising when Christine Milne was its chief architect. So when the LNP blames us for the carbon tax, we say thanks very much for the credit.
 
There is alot of factual information out there not produced by the Greens, see also carbontax.net.au