Environment report vindicates Greens stance on Bligh government

A report by Queensland conservation groups on the State Labor government’s environmental record vindicates the Greens’ decision last weekend to ask its branches to recommend that Greens voters “just vote 1”.

Greens spokesperson Libby Connors said her party was so disillusioned by the Bligh government it was ready to give up on them and start talking to the Coalition as Queensland’s alternative government.

“This report gives the Bligh government a fail mark on the environment and, when you add to that its failures in other policy areas like government accountability, Indigenous policy and public transport, then this is a government that does not deserve the confidence of the electorate,” Dr Connors said. 

“They are more interested in listening to big business than to their own constituency and are inviting a backlash from voters as a result.” 

The environment report, entitled Paradise Lost, was drawn up by three of the state’s leading conservation groups – The Wilderness Society, Conservation Queensland and WWF-Australia.  It examined the Labor government’s record in the areas of Climate, Water and Biodiversity.  It found that, of the 22 policy areas assessed, the government had done well in only two, had made some progress in nine and had failed in eleven.

Dr Connors said she found the Bligh government’s reluctance to tackle the issue of greenhouse gas reduction the most frustrating of all.  There is no state target for greenhouse gas emission reductions and the recent legislation covering feed-in tariffs for solar panels is designed to have little impact.

The Greens are polling at their highest level in years in Queensland and it is likely their preferences will be vital in the next state election.

Contact:  Libby Connors 0429 487 110 
Saturday 28 June 2008