{news} US Green Party News Circulator

[Tim McKee]

U.S Green Party News Circulator for 4/11/05-4/18/05

For more Green Party news go to http://web.greens.org/news/

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1) CANADA: GREENS SCRAMBLE TO REPLACE CANDIDATE FOR ELECTION
2) SCOTLAND: LIBDEM PIONEER GOES TO GREENS
3) UTAH: ANTI-WAR ACTIVISTS ATTACK PRO-WAR STANCE OF DEMOS, KERRY
4) NEW YORK: AUDITS OF ERIE COUNTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED LONG AGO
5) WASHINGTON D.C.: ANWR IS A START
6) ILLINOIS: GREEN PARTY OPENS NEW LOCAL WEB SITE
7) IRELAND: HARNEY SAYS DEAL WITH FG, LABOUR NOT RULED OUT
8) TURKEY:  EUP GREEN PARTIES CALL ON PM TO ENHANCE FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION
9) ZIMBABWE: NEW ZEALAND PM JOINS CRICKET BOYCOTT CAMPAIGN
10) AUSTRALIA: GREEN MEETING
11) CANADA: NDP BUOYED BY JUMP IN SUPPORT
12) SCOTLAND: FURY AT GBP 40M LAND PURCHASE AHEAD OF M74 EXTENSION OK
13) ENGLAND: GREENS TARGET FIVE KEY SEATS
14) ENGLAND: GREENS OFFER 'MORE JUST AND SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY'
15) NEW ZEALAND: GREENS JOIN OPPOSITION TO ROTORUA AIRPORT PLAN
16) AUSTRALIA: GREENS CLAIM LOOPHOLE IN LAW ALLOWS GAY WEDDINGS 
SAME-SEX
MARRIAGE BID
17) NEW ZEALAND: GREENS WON'T GAMBLE :500
18) CANADA: GREEN PARTY STILL SEEKING CANDIDATE FOR PROVINCIAL ELECTION
19) CANADA: DUKE POINT POWER PLANT ADVANCES ANOTHER STEP: COURT SAYS
OPPONENTS CAN'T APPEAL UTILITY COMMISSION APPROVAL
20) ENGLAND: QUOTES OF THE DAY
21) IRELAND: GREEN TDS OPPOSE PRE-ELECTION PACT
22) ENGLAND: GAFFE OF THE DAY:
23) ENGLAND: THE EVIL SCHEMES OF THE CUNNING GREENS ROBERT SHRIMSLEY -
NOTEBOOK
24) ALASKA: OPINION- VOTER CHOICE
25) CANADA: GREEN PARTY'S PLATFORM NOT RULING OUT TAX HIKES
26) NEW YORK: NADER ON THE RADAR
27) ENGLAND: GREEN PARTY ADOPTS AN 'ANTHEM'
28) ENGLAND: GREENS GROW; MARK BALLARD ARGUES THAT IT IS WELL WORTH
GIVING THE GREENS YOUR VOTE ON MAY 5
29) ENGLAND: BRITAIN - LUCAS ATTACKS MEPS FOR REJECTING ANTI-FRAUD
MEASURES;
30) IRELAND: STATE 'INFAMOUS' FOR BREACHING EU LAW
31) TURKEY: GERMAN GREEN PARTY'S 'GENOCIDE' BILL CRITICIZED
32) WALES: CAMPAIGN WEB LOGS
33) ENGLAND: SELLAFIELD ACTION CALL
34) ENGLAND: GREENS LASH LESBIAN BIAS

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1) Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia); April 10, 2005

CANADA: GREENS SCRAMBLE TO REPLACE CANDIDATE FOR ELECTION

by Lindsay Kines and Jeff Rud

KLAUS CALL: The withdrawal of Klaus Solterbeck as the Green candidate
for Malahat-Juan de Fuca has left the party scrambling for a 
replacement
with the provincial election just over five weeks away.

Solterbeck informed party chairman Alan Dolan on Wednesday by e-mail
that he was dropping out for personal reasons.

"It's always a concern to have a candidate that withdraws at this point
in the campaign, but we'll find somebody else,'' Dolan said this week.

Tom Cornwall, the Green party's provincial organizer responsible for
candidate search and support, said those interested in running before
Solterbeck was nominated would be approached. "We're essentially
beginning the search process anew.''

It was reported elsewhere that Solterbeck had resigned in the wake of
comments he made during a Green party function Monday night at the
University of Victoria. But Solterbeck couldn't be reached for an 
answer
on that, and Dolan, Cornwall and Green party Leader Adriane Carr all
said they knew nothing about it.

"I don't have any more information than it was for personal reasons 
and,
because those can be sensitive, I haven't asked,'' Cornwall said.

Dolan said that the candidate had mentioned financial reasons for
dropping out when contacted in person.

"I've been told that he has stepped down from running for personal
reasons,'' added Carr, who attended the Monday meeting and said she was
unaware of any comments the former candidate might have made.

"I didn't notice anything at all at that event,'' Carr said. "All of
this is coming as a surprise to me...''

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2) The Sunday Herald; April 10, 2005

SCOTLAND: LIBDEM PIONEER GOES TO GREENS

by Rob Edwards

LIBERAL Democrat hopes of winning one of their target marginal seats in
Scotland have been dented by a former parliamentary candidate deciding
to stand for the Greens.

Stuart Callison, who stood as a LibDem candidate in the 1999 and 2001
elections, is now standing for the Scottish Green Party in East
Dunbartonshire.

 The LibDems need a swing of 6.3-per cent to win the seat from Labour.

Callison is launching his election campaign this weekend with an attack
on the environmental "hypocrisy" of his former party.

He said: "The LibDems have continually failed to put policy into
practice. It has become impossible to regard the Liberals' 
environmental
commitments as anything other than a trick, to be discarded if there is
any electoral advantage to be had from a contrary view."

Callison accused the LibDems of abandoning their manifesto commitment 
to
green taxes on fuel, opposing congestion charging in Edinburgh and
campaigning against clean renewable energy in northeast Scotland.

"And recently we have had the spectacle of another LibDem minister,
Nicol Stephen, approving the M74 extension, in the face of the public
inquiry's clear finding that such a scheme would add to pollution and
traffic congestion, " he said.

Callison joined the Social Democratic Party as a student in 1982, then
stood for the SDP Liberal Alliance against Donald Dewar in Glasgow
Garscadden in 1987. He was a founder member of the Liberal Democratic
Party in 1988.

He contested Paisley South in the 1999 Scottish parliamentary 
elections,
then Glasgow Maryhill in the 2001 Westminster elections. He left the
party in 2003.

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3) Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City); April 10, 2005

UTAH: ANTI-WAR ACTIVISTS ATTACK PRO-WAR STANCE OF DEMOS, KERRY

by Lindsay Iorg

Environmental activist and Green Party organizer Bob Brister said
Saturday a vote for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election wasn't
an effective means to oppose President Bush. Rather, it was a vote for
another pro-war presidential candidate.

"How do we get out of the cycle of choosing between the greater evil 
and
the lesser evil?" Brister asked a small audience at the Anti-war
Activists and Educational Conference in the Salt Lake City Public
Library auditorium.

"Progressives must declare themselves independent from the pro-war
Democratic Party," he said.

Brister, along with local and national leaders of the anti-war 
movement,
expressed dissatisfaction with U.S. domestic and foreign policy. Among
the injustices addressed was the two-party political system, which
raises only a limited set of issues and promotes a narrow way of public
thought, the speakers said.

Brister said the Green Party was betrayed in the 2004 presidential
election when its members adhered to the strategic tactic of supporting
Kerry, hoping to beat Bush. The failed strategy came at the cost of
aligning even closer to the elected president, he said....

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4) Buffalo News (New York); April 10, 2005

NEW YORK: AUDITS OF ERIE COUNTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED LONG AGO

Last fall, the Executive Committee of the Green Party of Erie County
called for both a financial and a personal audit of the county.
Thankfully on March 18, under State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, a 
financial
audit finally got under way.

Had our call for a financial audit been heard, perhaps the county could
have avoided the now infamous red budget process. Perhaps county
legislators would have made the inevitable cuts using best-management
practices or based upon predetermined outcomes if department heads and
legislators had known the true amount of available funds. Instead we 
saw
reductions made with an across-the-board percentage cut to reach the
required bottom line.

The Buffalo News once called the Green Party of Erie County a
"government watchdog." We're still watching and waiting for an
independent personnel audit.

Sandra J. Carrubba, Vice Chairwoman, Green Party of Erie County

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5) The Washington Times; April 11, 2005

WASHINGTON D.C.: ANWR IS A START

by Patrick J. Michaels

Sometimes we have to hand it to our greener friends, especially those 
in
the Green Party. To express their horror about the recent Senate vote 
to
open a teeny section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil
drilling, they raise the global warming specter.

Specifically, the March 22 press release says, "Green Party members
noted that new drilling not only threatened local lands and wildlife in
Alaska, but also risked accelerating the advance of catastrophic global
warming."

Even if we grant all the globe's average annual warming of 0.017 degree
Centigrade in the last 10 years was due to increasing atmospheric 
carbon
dioxide - and that's quite a concession - the numbers on ANWR are a 
drop
in the barrel....

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6) The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois); April 11, 2005

ILLINOIS: GREEN PARTY OPENS NEW LOCAL WEB SITE

BLOOMINGTON --The McLean County Green Party has launched a new Web site
at www.mcgreens.org , hosted by pabn.org (Progressive Alliance of
Bloomington-Normal).

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7) The Irish Times; April 11, 2005

IRELAND: HARNEY SAYS DEAL WITH FG, LABOUR NOT RULED OUT

The Progressive Democrats will go into the next general election open 
to
entering government with Fine Gael and Labour and will not be tied to
the single option of coalition with Fianna Fail, according to Tanaiste
Mary Harney, writes Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent.

In a move which opens up the coalition possibilities after the next
election, the PD leader said yesterday that her party is less concerned
with the personalities who would be in government than with the policy
programme it would agree.

"We would be as open to being in a Fine Gael-led government as a Fianna
Fail-led government," she told The Irish Times.

While the party may contest the next election seeking the return of the
present combination, she said: "We are not tied to a Fianna Fail-only
option." She said she believed her party could serve in government with
Fine Gael and Labour but she ruled out the Green Party, whose economic
policies she described as "crazy". ...

...She insisted hers was a policy-driven party which was open to
different government options so long as they could have a substantial
input into that government's policy. In relation to the Green Party,
however, she said their economic policies were "crazy. . . They are so
fundamentally different to ours that it just wouldn't work."

She said that the Greens favoured "high levels of tax on industry to
protect the environment. We believe that increasing economic activity
will raise the resources to invest in anti-pollution technology."...

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8) Financial Times Information via Asia Africa Intelligence Wire/
InfoProd; April 11, 2005

TURKEY:  EUP GREEN PARTIES CALL ON PM TO ENHANCE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

According to Sabah, the Greens group of the European Parliament this
week sent a letter to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling for
improved freedom of expression in Turkey and an immediate end to a
so-called "hatred campaign" against Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk. 
Daniel
Cohn-Bendit, the EP's Greens group head, Joost Lagendijk, co-chair of
the Turkish-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee, and Cem Ozdemir, a German
Green of Turkish origin, signed the letter criticizing the attitudes of
some Turkish politicians and press organs against Pamuk. They called on
Erdogan to protect freedom of expression in Turkey.

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9) Africa News; April 11, 2005

ZIMBABWE: NEW ZEALAND PM JOINS CRICKET BOYCOTT CAMPAIGN

New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark has urged New Zealand Cricket,
to consider not touring Zimbabwe in August this year.

Speaking after co-leader of The Green Party in New Zealand, Rod Donald,
had revealed that he had petitioned 25 NZC players to consider
boycotting the Zimbabwe tour, Clark said, "I have to say that, if it
were me, I would not be going on the tour both on political and moral
grounds," adding that Zimbabwe had just had elections that no 
reasonable
person would agree were free or fair....

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10) Aberdeen Press and Journal; April 11, 2005

AUSTRALIA: GREEN MEETING

THE Green Party have called a public meeting in the Aytoun Town Hall,
Auchterarder, at 7.30pm on April 11. The meeting will discuss climate
change and flooding; farming and supermarkets; war, peace and local
regiments; energy production and windfarms; transport, planning and the
local community; internation justice, fair trade and the G8. The 
meeting
will be a chance to meet George Baxter, Green Party candidate for Ochil
and South Perthshire, who will address the meeting and answer 
questions.
MSP Mark Ruskell will take the chair.

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11) The Toronto Star; April 12, 2005

CANADA: NDP BUOYED BY JUMP IN SUPPORT

by Bruce Campion-Smith

OTTAWA -- Federal New Democrats have been buoyed by a poll that shows
they're gaining support at the expense of the scandal-plagued Liberals.

Voter support for the NDP is 20.5 per cent, up five points from last
June's election, in the wake of damning allegations from the Gomery
inquiry last week.

But as the NDP woos disenchanted Liberals, party leader Jack Layton
should keep an eye on his rear-view mirror. The Green party got a boost
as well - it's at 5 per cent nationwide, according to a Toronto Star
poll conducted by EKOS Research - and an influx of cash thanks to new
election financing rules.

And in the battle for environmentally conscious voters, each party is
trying to paint itself as the greenest.

Layton says the NDP Kyoto strategy, unveiled in January, has won 
acclaim
from environmental groups, and he touts his own long record on the
issue.

"I've been working on environment issues for 20 years," said the former
Toronto councillor.

But Tom Manley, deputy leader of the Green party, says the NDP
environmental plan falls short.

"They don't have a solution to sustainability any more than the 
Liberals
do," Manley said in an interview.

The Green party is looking to woo support from across the political
spectrum but the NDP in particular feels the pressure, he said. "If
we're going to take a couple of points from them, that hurts," he said.

Manley said new political financing has made a "world of difference" 
for
the growing party. Under election financing laws, each political party
gets $1.75 for every vote it got in the last election, a move that will
pump about $1 million into the Green party coffers this year.

The new cash, up dramatically from the one-time annual budget of
$35,000, has allowed the party to keep a staff on a payroll instead of
having to close up shop between elections, he said.

Still, despite the Green party's optimism, it's the NDP that has been
capitalizing on Liberal misfortunes and is now poised to do
"surprisingly well," said EKOS president Frank Graves.

"They are up slightly since February, but more importantly, they now
lead as the second-choice party for those whose voting intention may
change."

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12) The Scotsman; April 12, 2005

SCOTLAND: FURY AT GBP 40M LAND PURCHASE AHEAD OF M74 EXTENSION OK

by Peter Macmahon

THE Scottish Executive was last night accused of double standards after
it emerged that it spent GBP 40 million buying land for the
controversial M74 extension before the motorway was given the go-ahead.

Chris Ballance, the Green Party MSP, levelled the charge at ministers
after details of the compulsory purchase of land along the five-mile
route emerged, showing that some money was spent even before the 
inquiry
- which rejected the road - had begun.

But last night the Executive strongly defended its actions, citing
previous purchases of land in advance of road schemes and saying that 
it
acted to protect up to 3,000 jobs.

An Executive spokeswoman said that the scale of the purchase was 
unusual
but there were several other examples of land being bought in advance.

The Executive owns land in South Queensferry bought for GBP 6.7 million
in 1995 as part of the planned second Forth crossing. It also owns some
property in Fife for the same reason.

Mr Ballance, the Green Party's transport spokesman, said:

"This once again shows that there is one set of rules for spending on
roads - all the stops pulled out, decisions fast-tracked, large amounts
of taxpayers' money made available - and another for public transport
projects.

"The Waverley Line had its funding capped from the word go, whilst the
Glasgow crossrail sat on the back-burner for years despite it being
simpler and cheaper than the M74."

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13) Press Association; April 12, 2005

ENGLAND: GREENS TARGET FIVE KEY SEATS

by Amanda Brown

The Green Party has set its sights on five key target constituencies 
and
is fielding candidates in 200 seats in the forthcoming General 
Election,
it emerged today.

The party's leading spokesman today urged the public to back them,
insisting a vote for them would not be "wasted".

Greens believe they have a real chance of capturing their first Commons
seat on May 5.

The top target constituencies include Brighton Pavilion, Lewisham
Deptford, Norwich South, Leeds West and Holborn St Pancras.

Councillor Darren Johnson, London Assembly member, told a London news
conference to launch the Green Party manifesto: "Our top target seats
are Brighton Pavilion, where we actually topped the poll in the 
European
elections... and Lewisham Deptford, where I am standing and where we
made it to second place in European elections and the GLA elections 
last
year. We are really pushing hard..."

The Greens want to increase taxes for higher earners to raise £15
billion a year for public services, scrap VAT and replace it with an
"eco tax", halt the Government's road building programme, withdraw the
troops from Iraq and set up a Ministry for Crime Prevention as well as
put social justice and sustainability at the heart of their policies.

The party said there are billions of pounds to be saved.

Mr Johnson told reporters: "We think we can save billions of pounds on
defence spending, we think we can save money through scrapping ID cards
and the road building programme which would free up £30 billion."

Asked if the Greens were deliberately targeting disgruntled Labour
supporters with their manifesto, Mr Johnson replied: "It is not a 
wasted
vote. Our vote has been building up over the years - even after
first-past-the-post we have got local councillors elected.

"A Green vote is not a wasted vote, otherwise the other parties are
going to have it all their own way and there's never going to be any
serious opposition to the three main parties."

Keith Taylor, councillor and prospective parliamentary candidate for
Brighton Pavilion, said: "Every Green vote is sending a message to
Westminster and a message to City Hall that people are fed up with the
politicians who ignore the wishes of the populus.

"How many million people do we have to get on to the streets to protest
about invading Iraq for our politicians to listen?

"And then to be told months later that it was something Mr Blair
believed in, is a wholly inadequate response."

"It is economic policies and seeking to re-distribute wealth and 
seeking
to offer radical and progressive solutions.

"It's all about saving and conserving resources for the future. It's 
all
about getting better value for money and doing more with less.

"We are standing on a platform of economic and social justice with at
the centre of our policies Planet Peace and People, and who could argue
with that?

"The Greens are offering a radical agenda, placing the environment at
the centre, protecting and conserving resources for future generations,
not squandering and polluting.

"We are centring on climate and solutions to combating carbon emissions
and not pretending that there's no problem like the Westminster
parties."

Mr Taylor hit out at Prime Minister Tony Blair's war record, accusing
him of taking Britain into battle "five times in six years, especially
with Iraq there is common agreement that the war was illegal and
immoral".

"I for one see no evidence that Tony Blair has learned a single lesson
from that and I am very worried indeed that when George Bush comes to 
us
and says he doesn't like what Iran's doing can we invade them? I am
wondering if Tony Blair has learned any lessons.

"We won't be in power on May 6, but I hope we have demonstrated how
important it is to have strong Green voices at Westminster because you
can bet your bottom dollar that none of the other parties that are 
there
will be championing those issues. They would rather they didn't get
mentioned."

Mr Taylor said climate change was not an issue for the main political
parties and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy was travelling
around the country "in the most environmentally damaging form of
transport - an aeroplane".

"That, we have calculated, is generating one hundred tonnes of carbon.
If the guy is completely ignoring the effect of his own activities, 
what
hope do we have in getting delivery from his party of climate (change)
reduction measures?

"If you look at aviation expansion, the Liberal Democrats are very 
mealy
mouthed about permitting extra runways in the South East of England.
They say once the facilities have been used up we might allow some more
runways. Air transport is the most polluting form of transport.

"The Government has missed its own targets and is going to have a
struggle to meet the Kyoto targets and yet is presiding over a system
that is encouraging the trebling of aviation in 20 years.

"I don't hear the Liberal Democrats challenging that as something that
is not in the community's interests."

Greens believe that local farmers and local food production is the cure
for and not the cause of intensive farming and unhealthy foods.

Their policies, they claim, will put British family farming back at the
heart of food production and curb the monopolistic power of the
supermarkets. Organic food production would be encouraged with a 30%
production target.

Jenny Jones, London Assembly Member, who is standing for the Greens in
South Dulwich and West Norwood, said her party had a message for
consumers.

Greens are not, she said, "condemning people to a life of misery and
imitation".

"What we are saying is just understand your impact on not just your own
life, but the global economy when you shop.

"Nobody ever says that, in fact, if you buy mangoes you are helping the
rest of the world. We accept you are always going to want bananas
regardless of whatever Greens can do."

A Liberal Democrat spokesman responding to the Green Party's claims
about Charles Kennedy's travel arrangements during the election 
campaign
said: "We feel it is important that our party leader is able to meet
voters across the nation, but are very aware of the issue of
environmentally sustainable travel.

"We are making a particular effort to ensure our campaign will have a
neutral impact overall on the environment.

"We contribute to an organisation called 'Climate Care' who fund
projects around the world, to reduce greenhouse gases.

"They run a scheme that enables you to offset any emissions. We use 
this
organisation regularly - for instance to ensure our Party Conferences
are climate neutral.

"When the final mileage of our campaign tour is calculated, we will
donate the appropriate and scientifically agreed amount to 'Climate
Care' to fund projects to reduce carbon emissions by a corresponding
amount.

"We will oppose the construction of international airports on new sites
and also the expansion of airports in the South East."

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14) Press Association; April 12, 2005

ENGLAND: GREENS OFFER 'MORE JUST AND SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY'

by Amanda Brown

The Green Party pledged to put social justice and sustainability at the
heart of its policies which aim to safeguard the environment in the 
long
term.

Keith Taylor, Green principal speaker and Brighton Pavilion candidate
who is to lead today's election manifesto launch in London, said: "The
Green manifesto sets out long-term, realistic and radical policies for 
a
more just and sustainable society which places people and the planet at
its heart.

"For the past five years the big three parties have followed agendas of
privatise and pollute which have left carbon dioxide levels soaring,
local economies decimated and public services sold off to profiteering
private companies.

"Meanwhile, successive Governments' neglect of the public transport
network has left essential services out of reach to many.

"The Green Party proposes real change, such as progressive tax reforms
that will raise billions for public services and £30 billion saved from
scrapping the Government's roadbuilding scheme - to rebuild and repair
Britain's public transport network.

"Meanwhile, we will use money from eco-taxes to invest in the renewable
energy industry and create more skilled manufacturing jobs.

"Green Party policies are policies for people all about reforging the
links between government and the community. They are about recognising
that we only have this planet and it must meet our needs as well as
those of generations to come. Only the Greens are at the forefront of
peace, justice and sustainability."

The Green Party said its progressive "eco taxes" will cut carbon
dependency and fund a massive investment in renewable energy. Meanwhile
better air quality will benefit every citizen and help to cut down on
NHS bills. It manifest:

Green Taxation.

Phase out VAT, replace with eco taxes such as aviation fuel tax, 
plastic
bag tax.

Scrap council tax for a Land Value Tax, levied also on speculative
property.

Scrap employers' National Insurance Contributions to stimulate more
employment.

Develop community banks that would invest in the local economy.

Replace Uniform Business Tax with a Land Value Tax that is much fairer
to small businesses.

Raise income tax for higher earners, introduce more tax bands.

Energy and Climate Change.

Set "20% by 2010" CO2 emissions reductions targets.

Set "60% by 2010" recycling target for domestic waste.

Establish two million square metres of solar panels and two million
small-scale wind energy systems.

Use funds from eco-taxes to invest heavily in renewables.

Introduce a carbon tax, weighted to protect small households.

Real Progress on Public Services.

 Health.

 Restore the NHS to its founding principles, opposing PPPs and
foundation hospitals.

Increase funding to at least the pre-2004 EU average - £90 billion per
year by 2008.

Phase out prescription charges.

Education.

Increase education funding, especially post-16 and pre-school.

Abolish SATs, move towards more individualised learning plans.

Scrap tuition fees, restore student maintenance grants.

Real Progress on Transport.

Raise £30 billion for public transport by scrapping the Government's
roadbuilding scheme.

Return rail and tube networks to public ownership.

Re-regulate the bus network.

Invest in and improve the rural bus network.

Use progressive town and city planning to promote within reach local
services and priorities buses, pedestrians and cyclists.

Increase fuel duty and abolish the tax disc.

Introduce a UK tax on aircraft emissions for domestic flights, increase
airport passenger duty.

Crime Prevention.

Set up a Ministry for Crime Prevention.

Oppose ID cards, saving £3 billion to plough back into community
policing.

Improve city design to make streets and public spaces safer.

Ensure universal access to high-quality youth facilities.

Introduce tough new legislation on gun crime.

Promote human rights, tackle hate crime.

Farming and Food.

Introduce an organic targets bill, setting an organic target of 30% by
2012.

Fight to reform the CAP and the CFP, to help small and family farmers.

Ban GM foods.

Make the supermarkets code of practice legally binding and monitored by
an independent watchdog.

Peace and Progress.

Decommission the UK's nuclear weapons and work for arms reduction.

Increase the overseas aid budget to 1% of the UK's GDP.

Cancel the UK's debt for the 52 poorest countries.

Withdraw all UK troops from Iraq.

End subsidies and credit for UK arms exports, close Defence Export
Services and Export Guarantee Department.

Work towards replacing the World Trade Organisation with a General
Agreement on Sustainable Trade.

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15) The New Zealand Herald; April 12, 2005

NEW ZEALAND: GREENS JOIN OPPOSITION TO ROTORUA AIRPORT PLAN

The Green Party has joined Labour in opposing international flights 
from
Rotorua Airport.

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons met Rotorua Mayor Kevin
Winters yesterday to confirm the party's opposition to the airport's
extension and plans to handle transtasman flights.

Labour has already indicated it will oppose the move and the airport
will be one of the matters Prime Minister Helen Clark will discuss with
Mr Winters when the two meet this evening.

"We agree with the Government that this airport plan should not 
proceed,
though our reasons may be somewhat different," Ms Fitzsimons said.

Among the Greens' concerns are the impact transtasman flights could 
have
on the environment and rising oil prices.

Ms Fitzsimons said with the skyrocketing price of the world's oil
supplies it was an inappropriate time to spend millions of dollars on
more airports.

"I believe it could be a white elephant. Instead, they should reinstate
the rail link to Auckland so tourists can fly into Auckland then hop on
the train to Rotorua."

Biosecurity was also a huge issue which had not been properly
considered, Ms Fitzsimons said.

"There are all kinds of subtropical nasties. Do the people of Rotorua
want to be sprayed for the painted apple moth?"

Rotorua Green Party candidate Amanda Reid said the environmental impact
of extending the airport was significant.

She said it would include "unacceptable noise pollution for residents 
on
the flight path, further encroachment on Maori land without resolution
of existing grievances and the destruction of a unique eco-system of
wetlands and kahikatea trees"....

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16) Hobart Mercury (Australia); April 12, 2005

AUSTRALIA: GREENS CLAIM LOOPHOLE IN LAW ALLOWS GAY WEDDINGS SAME-SEX
MARRIAGE BID

by Danny Rose

A LOOPHOLE created during federal reforms of marriage law has opened 
the
door for Tasmania to legislate to allow same-sex weddings, say the
Greens.

The party also announced it had prepared three Bills, to be introduced
to State Parliament today, that would enable Australia's first
recognised gay marriages to be performed in Tasmania.

Franklin Greens MHA Nick McKim said he expected the move to be
controversial. He said he would call for the Bills to be discussed 
first
by a parliamentary committee.

He said this would give the public more of a say and, he hoped, lead to
a "mature and respectful public debate" of the topic.

"The time has come to begin a mature debate on the issue of same-sex
marriage, which I hope will lead to the removal of one of the final
bastions of discrimination faced by same-sex couples," Mr McKim said
yesterday....

***************************************************************************

17) Wellington Weekly News; April 13, 2005

NEW ZEALAND: GREENS WON'T GAMBLE :500

The Green Party has pulled out of the General Election fight in Taunton
- less than six months after announcing Milverton mum Dawn Stephenson 
as
its candidate amid a fanfare of publicity. Local party chairman and
election agent Alan Debenham told the WWN on Monday that the decision
had been taken owing to lack of funds and a shortage of "troops on the
ground".

He added: "It is hard for a handful of people to raise the money for 
the
£500 deposit and pay for leaflets and other material.

"Instead we will be concentrating our resources on the Upper Tone ward,
where Dawn will be standing in the county council elections on the same
day, and where we feel she has a chance of winning." Mrs Stephenson's
withdrawal from the fray could be good news for Liberal Democrat Jeremy
Browne, who is bidding to overtake Tory Adrian Flook's 235-vote 
majority
at the polls on May 5.

Mr Debenham is urging Green Party supporters to switch their vote to 
the
"peace candidate" - a direct reference to the Lib Dems' opposition to
the Iraq war. He also assured us that outstanding bills associated with
the launch of Mrs Stephenson's candidacy last November will be paid
soon.

Money is said to be owed to both Oake Manor Golf Club and the Albemarle
Centre in Taunton....

****************************************************************************

18) The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia); April 13, 2005

CANADA: GREEN PARTY STILL SEEKING CANDIDATE FOR PROVINCIAL ELECTION

DELTA -- The Green party, which managed to attract nearly 17 per cent 
of
the vote in Delta South in the last provincial election, still doesn't
have a local candidate for the May 17 provincial election.

With only a few days to go before the writ is dropped on April 19, John
Hague, who is running for the Greens in Delta North, is still holding
out hope that Delta South independent candidate Vicki Huntington will
wrap herself in the Green banner.

"She could make Canadian history. She could be the first Green party
candidate elected to senior government," Hague said.

Huntington, known as a Conservative federally, has a strong
environmental background on the civic front.

The Delta North candidate, who calls Huntington and himself former
"green Tories," said the party has held off pursuing other candidates
while it continues to court the longtime civic councillor.

****************************************************************************

19) Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia); April 13, 2005

CANADA: DUKE POINT POWER PLANT ADVANCES ANOTHER STEP: COURT SAYS
OPPONENTS CAN'T APPEAL UTILITY COMMISSION APPROVAL

by Andrew A. Duffy

The Duke Point power project is one step closer to breaking ground 
after
the B.C. Appeal Court ruled Tuesday there is no leave for appeal of the
B.C. Utilities Commission's approval of an electricity purchase
agreement between B.C. Hydro and proponent Pristine Power....

...It didn't take long for the Green Party to weigh in and turn the
project into an election issue. Nanaimo Green Party candidate Doug
Catley said the appeal court ruling was another example of a public 
body
failing to protect the public interest.

****************************************************************************

20) Press Association; April 13, 2005

ENGLAND: QUOTES OF THE DAY

"In over 50 years of political life, I have learned at least one
valuable lesson: 'If anyone offers to resign in a huff, accept' It 
saves
time" - Green Party peer Lord Beaumont of Whitley....

***************************************************************************

21) The Irish Times; April 13, 2005

IRELAND: GREEN TDS OPPOSE PRE-ELECTION PACT

by Mark Brennock

Most Green Party TDs are opposed to entering a pre-election pact with
other parties, and the party leader and chairman believe this reflects
the majority view of their membership.

Four of the six Green Party deputies yesterday said they believed they
should fight the next election as an independent party in order to
maximise their number of Dail seats and support for their policies. The
other two TDs expressed reservations about a pact but did not state a
fixed position.

Green opposition to a pre-election deal is a blow to the ambitions of
Fine Gael and Labour to form a tripartite alliance with that party in
advance of an election, expected in 2007.

Most Green TDs said yesterday that although the logic of their
opposition to this Government was that they wanted the Coalition 
parties
replaced, they did not believe in a formal opposition alliance. All 
said
they wanted to be in government.

The party's annual conference in Cork next month will debate motions
calling on the party to fight the next election independent of 
alliances
with other parties.

Deputies Dan Boyle, Ciaran Cuffe, Paul Gogarty and John Gormley said
yesterday their personal view was that they should contest the election
as an independent party. Eamon Ryan TD said he too had doubts about a
pre-election pact but remained "open to persuasion".

Party leader Trevor Sargent did not express a personal view but said he
believed most members were currently against a pact, a view shared by 
Mr
Gormley.

Mr Sargent said there was a danger in pre-election pacts, which was 
that
the identity of smaller parties became blurred. Party members would
first have to agree on a policy platform, an approach to government
negotiations, and what minimum number of seats was necessary to ensure
it had enough influence in a government.

"After that comes the decision on whether to fight as a totally
independent party", he said.

They would be seeking commitments from potential coalition partners on
investment in public transport, mechanisms to stop industry from 
burning
scarce fossil fuels, care services for the elderly and childcare.

Mr Gormley said the Green Party "has a clear identity independent of
other parties" and he believed it should fight an election
independently.

"Look at the history of the PDs," he said. "They had a pact with Fianna
Fail in 1997 and they were almost wiped out."

Mr Cuffe (Dun Laoghaire) said his personal view was that the party
should fight the next general election on issues, and should not enter
any formal voting pact.

"We are issues-based. It comes down to what parties we can do business
with on transport, healthcare, childcare and other issues. The crucial
question is what parties would implement our policies," Mr Cuffe said.

Mr Gogarty (Dublin Mid-West) said he believed the Green Party should
contest the next election independently of other parties. "I believe we
will get more Green seats if we put forward a distinctive platform."

Mr Boyle (Cork South Central) also expressed a preference for fighting
the election as an independent party. He said that, historically, "it
has been better for the electoral strength of small parties to go into
an election without a pact and then to negotiate afterwards".

Responding to Ms Harney's description of Green Party economic policies
as "crazy", Mr Boyle said: "The feeling is mutual."

***************************************************************************

22) The Independent (London); April 13, 2005

ENGLAND: GAFFE OF THE DAY:

Keith Taylor, one of the principal speakers of the Green Party. The
former beer importer from Essex told the BBC that the environment was a
'minority interest' issue. The party banner fell off the stage during
their manifesto launch and their policy on eating local fruit fell flat
when their spokeswoman Jenny Jones admitted that 'people are always
going to want bananas'.

****************************************************************************

23) Financial Times (London, England); April 13, 2005

ENGLAND: THE EVIL SCHEMES OF THE CUNNING GREENS ROBERT SHRIMSLEY -
NOTEBOOK

by Robert Shrimsley

The first thing one has to acknowledge about the Greens is that they 
are
nice people; really nice people; the kind of people you would want
living next door to you as long as you could cope with the smell of 
pigs
and the sound of chickens. So, er, perhaps make that the kind of people
you would want a few roads down. But definitely nearby.

Maybe a five-minute drive away - although obviously that would be a
15-minute walk. If you are asking a Green to babysit your kids for an
hour they prefer you not to bring them round in the back of your 
Hummer.
But that is fine because you would not want to upset them as they are 
so
nice. A tad earnest, but definitely nice.

It is, in other words, very hard to dislike the Greens; very hard, but
still worth a try. It is worth it, not merely out of sheer cussedness -
although that quality is grossly undervalued - but because if you peel
away the layers of niceness the Greens are in fact, the handmaidens of
Satan. For years they have conned us into thinking they are a bunch of
harmless cranks. But we know that can't be true or they would have
joined the Lib Dems instead.

The truth is far more sinister. Oh, they may look harmless in their
bicycle clips and man-made fibres, quietly munching their alfalfa bars.
They may sound well-meaning with all this talk of protecting the
environment, but these people are standing between you and a second 
home
in the Cotswolds. They hate your holiday on Grand Cayman and are in
eternal revolt against imported fruit or your right to drive a 4x4.
Don't be fooled by their unelectability, the carefully erected facade 
of
incompetence which prevents them even choosing a leader. Oh, they may
talk about saving the planet but they'd have your iPod, soon as look at
you.

The combination of the Westminster voting system and their immense
niceness has got them an easy ride from press and public. But deep down
they yearn to destroy the capitalist system if they could. They would
just try to do it courteously.

Yesterday they launched their election manifesto at the Institute of
Civil Engineers in Westminster. They could have gone to the Institute 
of
Mechanical Engineers next door but they opted for the civil engineers -
so much more polite.

There was, as one might expect, a lot of environmental stuff; carbon
taxes, air-fuel duties, greater energy efficiency, more fresh local
produce, an end to road-building and a ban on genetically modified 
food.
There was even an extra Pounds 14bn for the NHS, a 35 per cent rise in
child benefit and the renationalisation of the railways. All we have to
accept in return is a 30 per cent rise in corporation tax for large
companies, 50 per cent income tax for those earning Pounds 50,000 and 
60
per cent for those on Pounds 100,000, a new raft of eco-taxes and zero
economic growth.

Actually Darren Johnson, leader of London's Greens, stressed that zero
economic growth is "frankly a bit of a blunt instrument". In some
sectors negative growth would be better.

Herein is the secret story with the Greens. You vote for them thinking
you are signing up for a bit of saving the planet, solar panels, 
organic
tomatoes and nettle wine. It turns out you have voted for the British
economy circa the 1970s with the added bonus of Tony Benn as 
chancellor.

Porritts to the Pounds

The manifesto in fact reveals that the Greens don't really believe in a
national economy at all. They believe in lots of "self-sufficient" 
local
economies with a range of barter schemes or even new local currencies
for those regional economies.

In their ideal world then, Britons will be trading in Porritts and
Oddies as they cycle to the local farm for that night's dinner on their
way home from a hard day's work at the blacksmiths.

Not that everything will be different. We may not be flying off on
holiday any more but we will still need Travelexes to convert our
Porritts into Monbiots for the annual trip to Wigan.

It should be stated that they do not want a complete cultural 
revolution
with all of us living in shanties and mud huts. For one thing that 
would
be Maoist; and for another they would never countenance such a huge
programme of construction with the earth's scarce resources.

Of course, the Greens do not expect to implement their policies. They
admit that even winning one seat would be a breakthrough. So this is
more of a wish list of ideas.

But there's plenty more where they came from. Jenny Jones, another
candidate, said yesterday that we should all act as if we had our own
personal allowance of environmentally unfriendly actions. So, look, if
you want to eat a mango, well that's fine, but that's your limit for 
the
day. If you want another one you should trade for a bit of someone
else's allowance.

Of course this would be voluntary. We are not going to have squads of
green police bursting into people's homes and carting them away for
excessive mango munching or loitering with intent to consume bananas.
That would not be nice. And as we know, the Greens are terribly nice.

***************************************************************************

24) Anchorage Daily News (Alaska); April 13, 2005

ALASKA: OPINION- VOTER CHOICE

by Matt Zencey

Skip the political machinations on ballot access questions

When is a political party large enough to deserve a regular spot on
Alaska's election ballot? The Legislature is pondering that question,
and -- what a surprise -- the answer may depend more on political
considerations than on enlightened notions of democracy and voter
choice.

In the Republican-run state House, the State Affairs Committee worked 
up
criteria that give the Green Party a slot on the next statewide ballot
while keeping the Libertarians off. (The measure is HB94.) Politically,
that would help Republicans. Conventional wisdom is that the Green 
Party
siphons votes from Democrats while Libertarians draw from those who are
more likely to vote Republican.

The House Judiciary Committee took a more inclusive approach. It 
changed
the standard so both the smaller parties would be on the ballot.
(Numerically speaking, the change was subtle. Instead of requiring a
party to get 3 percent in a statewide race, the Judiciary Committee
dropped the threshold to 2 percent.)

There's no guarantee the more inclusive version will survive though to
final passage. It is the product of a rare bipartisan amendment in
committee. All too often in Juneau, power is wielded by partisans who
think that what's best for their party is automatically what's best for
Alaska.

It's a quirk of the American two-party system that the two major
political parties get to decide the rules for letting smaller parties
onto the ballot. There's no golden rule or magic formula that says
whether 2 percent or 3 percent of the vote is the right threshold.

If there's a general principle at work here, rather than crass 
political
considerations, it's that more choice for voters is better than less
choice. Competition helps drive improvement in the marketplace, and it
can do so in Alaska's politics as well.

BOTTOM LINE: When it's a close call about letting a political party 
onto
Alaska's ballot, give voters more choice, not less.

****************************************************************************

25) The Vancouver Province (British Columbia); April 14, 2005

CANADA: GREEN PARTY'S PLATFORM NOT RULING OUT TAX HIKES

by Ian Bailey

Adriane Carr promises the cost of her Green Party's platform will add 
up
even though no figures were released yesterday to go with such pledges
as boosting school funding, taxing junk food and ensuring seniors' care
is provided in communities where they or their families live.

Other pledges in the party's 55-page platform include commitments to:

- Legalize the adult use of marijuana and tax it at a rate similar to
tobacco.

- Re-establish B.C. Ferries as a Crown corporation.

- Assert provincial jurisdiction over the sex trade.

- And hold a public inquiry into the sale of B.C. Rail by the Liberal
government.

Carr said officials have costed out the pledges, but their calculations
were going through a "last-minute" review and would be released next
week as the campaign for the May 17 provincial election officially
begins.

"It does add up to more than a balanced budget," said Carr, going into
her second election as leader. "It's a four-week election. [Voters] 
will
hear those costs. I am confident that people will be patient."

Unlike the NDP and Liberals, Carr isn't ruling out tax hikes. Instead,
the Greens are proposing "tax shifting" and say they'd boost taxes in
some areas -- such as a

10-per-cent junk food tax, five-cents-a-litre "clean air" tax on gas 
and
diesel fuel and taxes on polluters.

"There will be tax increases in some areas, and reductions in other
areas," said Carr.

Carr, running in Powell River-Sunshine Coast, said the party is as
committed to conserving money as resources.

The release of the Green platform coincided yesterday with the release
of the NDP platform.

Carr said the Greens had scheduled their release before learning the 
New
Democrats would be unveiling their platform at the same time.

Carr ruled out delaying the Green plan: "We were geared up and ready to
go with people involved."

The Greens have nominated candidates in 52 of B.C.'s 79 ridings, and
have 11 nominations ready to go, said Carr. The party is aiming for a
full slate of candidates.

They are also not aiming to form the government -- yet.

"We are aiming to break through and elect MLAs so we can be a new set 
of
voices and gain experience to eventually form government," Carr said.

****************************************************************************

26) The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York); April 14, 2005

NEW YORK: NADER ON THE RADAR

by John Mariani

Ralph Nader, who tried to persuade voters that he was the only viable
option to President George W. Bush or Sen. John Kerry, is coming to
Syracuse on Friday and Saturday to help the Green Party organize for
2005 and to raise money to defray his own 2004 campaign expenses.

Nader will appear at a dinner at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Westcott
Community Center, then head to SU's Hendricks Chapel for a rally at 
8:30
p.m. Tickets for the dinner are $50 and are available in advance at the
Southside Newsstand, 2621 S. Salina St. Donations will be accepted at
the door at the rally.

On Saturday, the consumer advocate will help the Greens open its 
two-day
"Organizing to Win" conference at the former Printers Devil building,
307 E. Division St., Syracuse. The conference begins at 9 a.m. and 
Nader
is scheduled to speak at 10 a.m., said Howie Hawkins , the party's
Onondaga County coordinator.

Rebecca Rotzler , deputy mayor of New Paltz, will be the featured
speaker at the Sunday session, which also opens at 9 a.m. Rotzler is a
member of the village board's Green majority.

Fees for the conference range from $10 to $30.

*****************************************************************************

27) North Devon Journal; April 14, 2005

ENGLAND: GREEN PARTY ADOPTS AN 'ANTHEM'

People heard humming a popular 1980s Peter Gabriel smash hit around
North Devon in coming weeks could be forgiven for thinking it has been
re-released. But it is all down to Ricky Knight, the Green Party
candidate for North Devon, who has persuaded the world famous musician
to let the party use Don't Give Up as his campaign anthem.

Mr Knight, a teacher, has re-recorded the song which he thinks is
"ideal" for the Green Party. He explained: "It is not the original song
but is a cover version. It was originally recorded as a wedding gift 
for
a family friend about four years ago." In November last year, Mr Knight
- who confesses to being a huge Peter Gabriel fan - met the man himself
at the wedding of Dominic Greensmith, the drummer with rock band Reef.

Mr Knight said Peter Gabriel gave his permission for the song to be 
used
after he penned the "most preposterously ingratiating" letter to the
artist little more than a month ago.

It was recorded by Mr Knight and it features Julie-Alanah Brighten, the
West End musical star, who was once in his band Geneva, along with Mr
Knight's son Jason, keyboard player with rock band Reef and Dominic
Greensmith, Reef's drummer.

He said: "The song is ideal for the Green Party because the words are
appropriate because it talks the essence of it is about is to keep 
going
and refusing to give up." The song is available in MP3 format and can 
be
downloaded from Mr Knight's website and the national Green Party
website.

*****************************************************************************

28) Morning Star; April 14, 2005

ENGLAND: GREENS GROW; MARK BALLARD ARGUES THAT IT IS WELL WORTH GIVING
THE GREENS YOUR VOTE ON MAY 5

by Mark Ballard

Only six years ago, Greens took a big step forward when Robin Harper 
was
elected as the first Green parliamentarian in the UK. Now, there are
seven MSPs in the Scottish Parliament.

Two UK MEPs join a European Green group of 33 and there are some 60
Green councillors in Britain. Across Europe, Greens hold the balance of
power in several countries and there are Green parties in 70 countries
worldwide.

Against this background, even without making the Westminster voting
system more democratically representative, a Green MP seems almost
inevitable.

Especially when you consider that we are already starting to push to
being the main challenger in some Westminster constituencies.

The 2004 European election results saw the Greens take second place in
two constituencies - Glasgow Kelvin and Edinburgh North & Leith. The
Scottish Green Party will stand candidates in 20 constituencies in the
Westminster election, nearly five times as many as 2001.

A first-past-the-post breakthrough is a challenge of course - but by no
means fanciful. By concentrating our resources on targeted contests,
people will know that their vote could make a real difference this time
round.

We are also living within our means. Unlike other Scottish political
parties, we don't have a burden of debt. As we grow as a political
force, up to a third of Scottish voters will now have the chance to 
vote
for a Green Westminster candidate, many for the first time.

Just as Robin Harper made the breakthrough in Scotland, a Green MP 
would
drive a wedge into politics as usual across the rest of the UK.

We believe that our record over the last six years shows that voting
Green is a serious choice for change.

We have taken our responsibilities very seriously - proposing and
influencing legislation, initiating investigations, leading revolts 
over
issues like government plans for ID cards and bringing pressing issues
to public attention.

 Even columnist George Kerevan, who not often has a kind word to say
about us, recently wrote: "The Greens have proved a tougher political
proposition than I predicted ... they have attempted to cover every
major aspect of Holyrood politics and be serious about legislation."

Our pre-manifesto pledges - centred on the themes of people, planet and
peace - kick off our election campaign, setting out key commitments on
major reserved matters that affect Scots directly.

There are key issues at stake - the erosion of civil liberties, our
changing climate, trade injustice and poverty both here and abroad,
plans for yet more nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants on Scottish
soil, ID cards and a government-sponsored culture of fear and conflict.

For many people, voters and the army of non-voters, things don't look
good.

We stand on a platform that puts peace before war, to promote and
nurture peaceful approaches to reducing conflict.

We put forward solutions to make real progress on the global challenges
of climate change and trade injustice.

We offer an agenda that puts people and the environment first, not just
the interests of big business. Our message that we need to grow an
economy that is sustainable, both environmentally and socially, is
hitting home. We will spell out ways of building and protecting local
economies.

Our pledges will again remind people that Greens are serious about all
aspects of the political agenda - that we are the only party to join 
the
dots between the environment, social justice and the economy.

We could also make progress on one of our key principles - continuing
the process of bringing power closer to the people. We see independence
for Scotland as a means of empowering communities that are currently
trampled over by centralised governments and increasingly powerful
businesses.

Independence should not be a matter merely of territorialism or
sovereignty - that debate and those concepts are now largely 
irrelevant.

Neither is it a matter of naively basing our country's future spending
on a finite fossil fuel. Rather, it is about true devolution that 
brings
politics and politicians closer to the people.

Indeed, putting the interests of big business and corporations before
communities and people has become a hallmark of the Labour/LibDem
coalition - one that will remain in the public mind, be it a Scottish 
or
UK election.

We are confident of taking votes from Lib Dems, in particular, due to
their poor record on the environment and social justice issues - on GM
crops, congestion charging or the Glasgow M74. Any "green" claims that
they or Labour make in this election will sound very hollow indeed.

We'll take SNP votes too - for many, a party of the single issue of
independence is increasingly inadequate.

And, while the "main" parties merge into an indistinguishable morass of
shallow, short-termist point-scoring, it is little surprise that people
are looking for something different from politics as usual.

The problems that face people and the planet need to be tackled much
more seriously - and that requires fresh ideas, courageous policies and
honest politicians willing to take on tough decisions rather than 
tinker
round the edges. For many, this will be the first time that they vote
with conviction rather than settling for a tactical vote to "keep out
the Tories."

Increasingly, people are asking - why vote for the best of a bad bunch
when you can vote Green instead?

It certainly seems like a Green MP is inevitable - our sister party in
England and Wales is standing in 180 seats with some real 
possibilities,
such as in Brighton, to make a breakthrough. But wouldn't it be good to
see a Scot become the first Green member at Westminister?

Mark Ballard is Scottish Green MSP for Lothians and its speaker on
parliamentary affairs.

*****************************************************************************

29) Morning Star; April 14, 2005

ENGLAND: BRITAIN - LUCAS ATTACKS MEPS FOR REJECTING ANTI-FRAUD 
MEASURES;

Green Party Euro-MP Caroline Lucas condemned fellow MEPs yesterday for
rejecting a package of anti-fraud measures which would have prevented
abuse of their expenses and pension schemes.

The European parliament in Strasbourg rejected a series of proposals
that would have introduced stricter controls of their expenses claims
and ended the monthly merry-go-round of alternating business between
Brussels and Strasbourg.

MEPs' expenses are currently paid without the need for receipts to be
produced and flights are reimbursed at a higher rate than the actual
costs of fares, allowing some MEPs to notch up unofficial tax-free
bonuses of up to GBP 10,000 a year.

But the parliament rejected proposals to bring the system in line with
best practice by scrapping the Strasbourg "seat" and making MEPs'
expenses, allowances and pension arrangements clear, transparent and
subject to public scrutiny.

The South-East England MEP said: "MEPs have rejected proposals to put
their own house in financial order by stamping out huge areas of fraud
and waste - and I am absolutely disgusted.

"Their failure to subject themselves to the same rules as everyone else
amounts to the adoption of a cheats' charter," she added.

*****************************************************************************

30) The Irish Times; April 14, 2005

IRELAND: STATE 'INFAMOUS' FOR BREACHING EU LAW

by Marie O'Halloran

The Government needs to "pull its socks up" over breaches of EU law for
which it is "infamous", the Green Party has claimed.

As party leader Trevor Sargent called for an investigation into
continued "maladours" from the Ringsend sewage treatment plant in
Dublin, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said he was amused by the party's
inconsistency.

Mr Sargent "opposes every treaty, but he uses every power that the
treaties give us", Mr Ahern said.

The Green Party leader said Ireland was cited in the second highest
number of legal actions by the EU Commission and in the highest number
of complaints per capita on environmental issues.

He said party chairman John Gormley, in whose Dublin South East
constituency the Ringsend plant is located, had made an official
complaint to the EU about the problem, which continued almost two years
after the plant was opened.

Mr Sargent said the Taoiseach had "presided over and accepted the
plaudits for the opening of the plant, but will he accept political
responsibility and commission an investigation to enable people know
what the problem is and deal with it?"

He said the EU Commission had repeatedly warned the Government about 
the
need for legislation to regulate waste-water plants. People who lived 
in
Ringsend, Sandymount or the southeast area "are faced with problems on 
a
daily basis".

If the problem was not addressed Mr Ahern would be standing over more
than EUR 300 million of misspent taxpayers' money in building the 
plant.

Mr Ahern denied it was a major problem, and said the state-of-the-art
plant had resulted in Dublin Bay being cleaned up. "A wonderful,
magnificent job has been done in the area."

He said the commission had criticised Ireland for not having rules for
odour from waste-water treatment plants, and the draft binding rules
were being finalised by the department to comply with this requirement.

The reality, however, "is that the rules will not prevent odours 
arising
from time to time while a new plant is being commissioned and 
settling".
This was the technical advice they had received.

"Obviously these issues must be addressed by the builders and operators
of the plants, and they are endeavouring to do so."

*****************************************************************************

31) InfoProd via Global News Wire - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire; 
April
14, 2005

TURKEY: GERMAN GREEN PARTY'S 'GENOCIDE' BILL CRITICIZED

According to Turkiye, speaking at a press conference following his
meeting with Fritz Kuhn, the foreign policy spokesperson of the Greens
in Germany, Parliament European Union Harmonization Commission head
Yasar Yakis said that a draft bill prepared by the Greens on the
so-called Armenian genocide was rife with falsehoods, adding that the
measure could harm relations between Germany and Turkey.

*****************************************************************************

32) South Wales Evening Post; April 15, 2005

WALES: CAMPAIGN WEB LOGS

Neath Green Party has vowed to keep its voters closely involved in the
election campaign. Susan Jay, who is standing for the party in Neath,
and Miranda La Vey, who is standing in Aberavon, want to make voters
feel more engaged in politics.

To help them do this, the candidates have established blogspots.

Ms La Vey said today: "A blogspot is available on the internet and is a
shortened version of a web log.

"The blog will be updated everyday and people with limited computer
knowledge will be able to access the blogs and follow our campaign.

"Voters will also be able to use the blogs to post comments and
questions to the candidates and this means getting the answers to
questions about issues that really affect them." Ms La Vey hopes the
blogs will encourage more people to get involved in politics.

*****************************************************************************

33) The Mirror; April 16, 2005

ENGLAND: SELLAFIELD ACTION CALL

THE Green Party yesterday demanded Government action over the damning
warnings on Sellafield.

It emerged the plant may have to operate for 150 years and that more
nuclear waste may be discharged into the Irish Sea.

Green spokesman Ciaran Cuffe said: "We want the Irish Government to
apply pressure on British Prime Minister Tony Blair to speed up the
vitrification of liquid waste at Sellafield."

*****************************************************************************

34) The Mirror; April 16, 2005

ENGLAND: GREENS LASH LESBIAN BIAS

by Neil Cotter

THE Green Party yesterday slammed the Government's "shameful" decision
to contest a lesbian couple's bid to have their marriage recognised here.

Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan, who were married in Canada,
are taking legal action to have their union acknowledged in Ireland.

Greens justice spokesman Ciaran Cuffe said: "This is a human rights
issue. I believe this will cost the Government and the Irish taxpayers
more in the long run if the case is defended."

Ministers fear if the lesbian couple gained tax concessions, the 
state's
77,000 cohabiting couples could do likewise.

The cost of that has been estimated at EUR167million a year.

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