[Greens-Media] Bob Brown - Greens Oppose Fielding Foray

[Kelly, Russell (Sen B. Brown)]

		13 November 2008

	
	Greens Oppose Fielding Foray
	'The only barbeque stopper is climate change'
	
	As Prime Minister Rudd heads to Washington today, the Australian
Greens have announced they will not support Senator Fielding's move to
set up a select committee into whether President Bush knew what the G20
group of nations was.

	If the Senate is to pick a constitutional showdown with the
executive and the House of Representatives, this is not the right issue,
Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today. 

	"The only barbeque stopper in town is what Australia and the US
will do about climate change."

	"While the Prime Minister Rudd needs to ensure a tighter ship
after late evening conversations with foreign leaders, a Senate summons
to Mr Rudd, his staff, attending security guards and reporters will
either fail or end up with a massive stoush between the houses of
parliament."

	"We do no think either President Bush's intelligence on G20 or a
joke at the existing President's expense warrant these prospects.
Senator Fielding has shown poor judgement and might have consulted more
experienced other Senators first.
		
	"I think many Australians would prefer the Senate's overloaded
Committee system to be working for higher national goals," Senator Brown
said.

	"As Prime Minister Rudd travels to Washington today he should be
reading the latest very alarming evidence of climate change and planning
to get international action."

	"The Prime Minister should be getting behind the Greens and
European leaders' plans for a Green New Deal to deliver a jobs rich
environmental boost that will help us out of the global financial
crisis."


	
	Further information: Russell Kelly 0438 376 082.