[Greens-Media] 2020 summit

[Bennett, Ebony (Sen B. Brown)]

Monday, April 14, 2008

2020 summit

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown today released a 12 point plan to
stimulate ideas for the 2020 summit.

	1.	2009 Referendum - YES or NO - to Australia becoming a
republic. 
		2010 Referendum on mode of appointing President
		2011 First Australian President elected

	2.	2009 Australia moves in the United Nations for the
establishment of a bicameral global parliament; lower house based on
'one person, one vote, one value'; upper house based on nation state
representation. Aim for 2020 implementation. Offer Australian site for
Global Parliament.

	3.	2008 $7.1 billion tax rebate idea dumped. Budget ploughs
$5 billion into public education and skills promotion.  Universal
pre-school education. HECS abolished. Australia back in top 10 nations
in per capita education spending.

	4.	2008 Government adopts Greens' EASI plan to retrofit all
8 million Australian homes with insulation and other energy-saving
measures by 2020, the cost recouped through reduced power bills.

	5.	Overtake California and Spain in building baseload solar
power stations and geothermal power ruling out ever building another
coal-fired power station in Australia - or nuclear.

	6.	2008 Peter Garrett announces end to logging and
clearfelling of Australia's native forests - nation's greenhouse gas
output falls by 10%

	7.	$3.6 billion annually spent on the private health
insurance rebate scrapped. Money establishes rural and remote area
health centres and national dental care system

	8.	Kimberly, Arnhem Land and Cape York regional autonomy
returns Aboriginal sovereignty. Australia follows Canadian lead in
remote areas with dominant indigenous population.

	9.	Roads funding swapped for investment in fast, efficient
public transport. GST removed dropping ticket prices 10% overnight. Rail
transport follows existing road traffic routes. One per cent of budget
(as in Holland) goes to bikeways.

	10.	Global bushfire and emergency centre established in
Australia to coordinate technological response to unprecedented fire
threats due to global warming.

	11.	A 10% ($2billion) cut in Australia's defence spending to
stimulate a 'Marshall Plan' to eradicate global poverty. If 10% of world
armament spending (now at $1trillion per annum) was re-allocated to
poverty, all the world's children would have food, clean water and a
school to attend.

	12.	Federal government guarantees 3 gigalitres or 25%
environmental flows to the Murray Darling Basin saving the Murray Cod,
the River Red Gum and bird-breeding marshes.



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Ebony Bennett
Media Adviser
Office of Greens Senator Bob Brown
Mobile: 0409 164 603
Ph: (02) 6277 3170
Fax: (02) 6277 3185	

Visit Bob's new myspace site at:
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