[Greens-Media] PARNELL: Greens Aim to Sweep Away Discrimination

[Taylor, Sam]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, 14th March 2014
Greens Aim to Sweep Away Discrimination

"South Australians pride ourselves on our history of progressive social laws and policies over many decades.  But how fair are we really?" asks Greens SA Leader Mark Parnell MLC.

In the next term of Parliament, the Greens are committed to pursuing reforms that address discrimination and human rights abuses and make South Australia a fairer and more inclusive State.

"Over the last 8 years, the Greens have been a strong voice for fairness in the Upper House of the SA Parliament. My colleague Tammy Franks MLC and I have always spoken out against discrimination.  In the next term of Parliament, the Greens are committed to working towards a South Australia that is fairer, more inclusive and values diversity.

The Greens anti-discrimination and human rights reforms include:

* Lowering the legal voting age to 16, allowing voluntary voting for 16 and 17 year olds;
* Pursuing same-sex marriage legislation, and work with Federal colleagues to legislate for marriage equality;
* Introducing Voluntary Euthanasia law reforms to enable those suffering intolerably from incurable terminal conditions to be allowed to die with dignity;
* Reforming environmental and planning laws to give residents the same rights of appeal as developers;
* Stop energy companies discriminating against solar panel owners on tariffs;
* Redress inequalities in access to health services in regional South Australia;
* Improving disability access and services;
* Ending discrimination against farmers by protecting farmland from mining and fracking for unconventional gas;
* Decriminalising prostitution and reforming prostitution regulation;
* Reforming adoption laws, to allow single parents and same-sex couples to adopt or foster children without discrimination;
* Re-introducing legislation to ensure that volunteer firefighters have the same legal protections and are treated equally with paid firefighters if they are unlucky enough to contract a work-related cancer;
* Ensuring that refugees and recent migrants in our community can access education and skills-training, including English-language classes;
* Addressing homophobia, especially in schools; and
* Providing a statewide specialised Borderline Personality Disorder service based in Adelaide at the Flinders Medical Centre.
* Work to close the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians, in health, education and justice.

For further information contact Mark Parnell: 0439 215 937






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