{news} U.S. Green Party News Circulator for 4/18/05-4/25/05

[Tim McKee]

Green Party-CT <greenpartyct at sbcglobal.net> wrote:Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 04:56:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: Green Party-CT <greenpartyct at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Fwd: [media-states] U.S. Green Party News Circulator for 4/18/05-4/25/05
To: Tim McKee <timmckee at sbcglobal.net>



Andy Parx <parx at midpac.net> wrote: From: Andy Parx <parx at midpac.net>
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;
Subject: [media-states] U.S. Green Party News Circulator for 4/18/05-4/25/05
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:29:49 -1000

U.S. Green Party News Circulator for 4/18/05-4/25/05

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

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1) WALES: ELECTION DIARY
2) CANADA: GREENS' LEADER THINKS THERE'S A CHANCE OF WINNING AT LEAST
ONE SEAT -- HER OWN
3) NEW ZEALAND: JONATHAN MILNE: AN UPHILL BIKE RIDE AHEAD FOR THE GREEN
PARTY
4) NEW YORK: COMMUNITY ACTIVIST TO RUN FOR MAYOR
5) NEW ZEALAND: BE FLEXIBLE - OR ELSE!
6) CANADA: COUPLE ENGAGED AS GREENS: RUNNING IN COQUITLAM IN
NEIGHBOURING RIDINGS
7) NEW YORK: NADER PROTESTS WAR IN IRAQ
8) ENGLAND: GREENS REVEAL BURNING ISSUES
9) ENGLAND: GREENS CALL FOR A TICKET TO RIDE
10) NEW ZEALAND: SMALL PARTIES CRY FOUL OVER BROADCAST FUNDING
11) CANADA: FEDERAL GREENS FLUSH WITH $1M WAR CHEST: BUT DESPITE THE
PARTY'S READINESS FOR A VOTE, ITS LEADER SAYS CANADIANS DON'T WANT AN
ELECTION NOW
12) NEW ZEALAND: GREENS AND UNITED FUTURE BACK EVERY CHILD COUNTS'
CAMPAIGN
13) ENGLAND: PANDORA: DOWNING STREET SPIN DOCTOR HEADS FOR GREENER
PASTURES
14) CANADA: GREEN PARTY ATTACKS LIBERALS, NDP: PARTY LEADER ADRIANE CARR
SAYS NDP ARE STILL ON FOSSIL FUEL PATH AND LIBERALS ARE A DISASTER
15) NEW ZEALAND: MORE TAXI DRIVERS TO BE BANNED UNDER WIDENED SCOPE OF
BILL
16) NEW ZEALAND: FITZSIMONS WARNS NELSON OF OIL CRISIS
17) IRELAND: PROBE CALL OVER SEWAGE 'FIASCO'
18) ENGLAND:GREEN CANDIDATE 'FEELS EXCITED'
19) ENGLAND: MY MANIFESTO: STEPHEN TWEEDIE
20) ENGLAND: MY MANIFESTO: BRYAN MELOY
21) ENGLAND:: MY MANIFESTO: MARTIN WHITESIDE
22) SCOTLAND:: GENERAL ELECTION 2005: GREENS' POWER VISION
23) CZECH REPUBLIC: NEO-NAZIS, ANTI-FASCISTS TO MEET ON MAY DAY IN BRNO
- PRESS
24) ENGLAND: GREEN PARTY PLEDGES £30bn TRANSPORT REVOLUTION
25) ENGLAND: GREENS' ENERGY CAMPAIGN
26) NEW ZEALAND: GROWTH 'SHOULD GO UP, NOT OUT'
27) IRELAND: GORMLEY QUERIES CALLELY EVIDENCE
28) GERMANY: GERMANY SET TO JOIN U.S.-LED MISSILE PROJECT ; GREENS PARTY
AGREES TO BACK NEW SYSTEM
29) NEW ZEALAND: TANZCOS DIPS ON PARTY LIST
30) CONNECTICUT: PILLSBURY MAY VIE FOR ALDERMAN
31) CANADA: GREENS TARGET JUNK FOOD, TOBACCO, POLLUTERS, GAMBLING:
POLICY I PARTY PRIORITIES WOULD BE EDUCATION, HEALTH

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1) Wales on Sunday; April 17, 2005

WALES: ELECTION DIARY

Peter Hain may not be rattled by Cannabis Granny Patricia Tabram
standing against him in Neath, but one party is worried. The Green Party
has approached the Legalise Cannabis Alliance asking them to pull out of
several Welsh constituencies.

'The reason that we asked them to step down was because a lot of our
voters would probably share their views,' said Welsh Green spokesman
Martin Shrewsbury.

'Although we're not a single issue party we felt their candidates would
get in the way.'

But the Alliance's Welsh campaign organiser Steve Penk said: 'Our
policy is not to stand down for other parties. We are an established
political party.'...

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

2) Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia); April 17, 2005

CANADA: GREENS' LEADER THINKS THERE'S A CHANCE OF WINNING AT LEAST ONE
SEAT -- HER OWN

by Les Leyne, Lindsay Kines and Jeff Rud

GREEN ACRES: Even Green party Leader Adriane Carr admits that her party
isn't a serious contender to govern after this election, so the fact the
Greens released a 300-promise platform with no costing didn't raise many
eyebrows.

But Carr does maintain this will be the spring the party breaks through
and wins at least one seat in the B.C. legislature. And the best bet for
that seat, she says, is the one she's running for.

"As leader of the party, people around the province want to see me
elected,'' Carr said this week.

Carr is running again in the Powell River-Sunshine Coast riding, which
has a history of electing leaders from smaller parties. Gordon Wilson
was elected there in 1991 as Liberal leader (yes the Liberals qualified
as a small force then) and then again in 1996 as leader of the
now-defunct Progressive Democratic Alliance.

Liberal incumbent Harold Long is not running again and Carr maintains
Long's successor for the nomination, Maureen Clayton, is "not a strong
candidate.''

The Green leader sees her competition coming from NDP candidate Nicholas
Simons, director of health and social development for the Sechelt
Nation.

Carr has a score to settle with the NDP, which she alleges turned its
resources on her riding midway through the 2001 campaign to make sure
she wouldn't win the seat. Long won the riding with 9,904 votes while
Wilson was second at 6,349 and Carr narrowly third at 6,316.

"What if they had helped Carole James's riding [Victoria Beacon-Hill] or
Victoria-Hillside [where Steve Orcherton lost narrowly to Sheila Orr]
instead?'' Carr said.

"Was their goal really to have fewer Liberals elected or just to make
sure that the Green Party leader didn't get elected?''...

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3) The New Zealand Herald; April 17, 2005

NEW ZEALAND: JONATHAN MILNE: AN UPHILL BIKE RIDE AHEAD FOR THE GREEN
PARTY

Just down the road from Green co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons' wind and
solar-powered house is Thames, "Gateway to the Coromandel".

Once known for its gold mines, Thames is now better known for its famous
organic, GE-free strain of marijuana, Coromandel Gold.

Thames is not much of a tourist destination. But then, if its townsfolk
had really wanted to advertise their community, surely they could have
done better than to describe it as the gateway to somewhere else.

The same applies to Fitzsimons' party, whose mantra this year is: "A
party vote for the Greens is a vote for a Labour-led government."

The implicit message to voters? "We don't offer much ourselves but we
are a route by which you can return Labour to government."

Suffice to say, the idealists in the Greens got a harsh lesson in
political pragmatism at the 2002 election. The Corngate allegations
sparked an acrimonious battle with Labour, causing both votes to
crumble.

Fitzsimons lost the Coromandel seat, the party's 7 per cent vote share
fell short of its 10 per cent target, and Labour teamed up with United
Future to lift the moratorium on commercial release of GM organisms.

The Greens swore they could never support a government that lifted the
moratorium, and have voted "no confidence" in Labour ever since.

Until now, that is.

The Green and Labour leaderships met behind closed doors last month and,
unsolicited, the Greens made the offer to abstain on the confidence and
supply votes in the May Budget and June estimates.

It is the start of a new strategy to position the Greens as a solid,
sensible support partner for a future Labour-led government, rather than
the erratic flakes the public perceived in the past. And it will make it
more difficult for Labour to use the John Tamihere crisis to call an
early election, with no threat to its majority.

Yesterday the Greens began hand-delivering 400,000 leaflets headlined:
"Give a damn. Help make a difference."

Despite the ad man's gently provocative language, the message is toned
down from the absolutism of past election campaigns.

In 2002, the party turned away a proffered $10,000 donation from casino
operator Sky City.

This year, they may rue being so picky as they realise their fees from
their 3000 members fall well short of the $700,000 war chest they seek.

The party expects a September election but will still issue its
candidate list this week or next.

Fitzsimons will travel the country in a mini-campaign, seeking to lift
polling above Thursday's meagre 3.8 per cent rating on TV3.

Their biggest weakness may be in Auckland, where they have only one
permanently based MP to woo a third of the nation's voters.

A key message - coming soon to a newspaper advert or billboard near you
- will be of the danger of "peak oil" when global oil production starts
dropping and the world's car, planes and factories begin grinding to a
halt.

Environmentalists say that day is almost upon us; others insist it is 50
years away. But car-loving Auckland may not welcome the offer of
bicycles instead of motorways.

In past elections the Greens have scared out the vote with their dire
warnings of the impact of genetic modification. This time the
newly-pragmatic Greens will be hoping the "peak oil" apocalypse
coincides with election day.

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4) Buffalo News (New York); April 17, 2005

NEW YORK: COMMUNITY ACTIVIST TO RUN FOR MAYOR

Community activist Judith Einach, endorsed by the Green Party, launched
her mayoral campaign Saturday by promising more attention to "fixing the
little things so the big things can fix themselves."

"To build a strong economy we need to include creative or less-tried but
proven methods to generate wealth," she said.

Einach, 57, is project director of Food Ventures, a micro-enterprise
development program.

She spoke to about two dozen supporters outside city-owned historic row
houses at 147-153 Woodlawn Ave., near Masten Avenue, that are in
disrepair.

"We should expect city government to act as a steward and care for our
properties until they are sold to a responsible buyer," she said.

If elected, she promised:

To better spend the millions in aid from the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development revitalizing neighborhoods and housing stock.

To oppose locating a gambling casino in Buffalo.

Parks and eco-tourism projects for the Outer Harbor.

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

5) Waikato Times (Hamilton, New Zealand); April 18, 2005

NEW ZEALAND: BE FLEXIBLE - OR ELSE!

by Michael Herman

Proposed legislation may force companies to offer flexible working
hours. But, as Michael Herman reports, business is wary.

--------------------

AN EMPLOYMENT law put forward by the Green Party introducing mandatory
flexible working arrangements is an unwelcome development, according to
Business New Zealand.

Chief executive Phil O'Reilly says the skills shortage has already
taught employers that embracing flexibility is the best way to retain
staff, making legislation unnecessary.

"We already have laws against discrimination on the grounds of sex,
pregnancy and family status, and the growth in part-time jobs in
response to employee wishes indicates there is already a mind-set of
flexibility among employers."

But Green Party MP Sue Kedgley, sponsor of the Employment Relations
(Flexible Working Hours) Amendment Bill, says surveys show employees are
"chronically" stressed. They complain of having too little time to spend
with their families and are fearful of the consequences of asking for
greater flexibility.

Ms Kedgley says working arrangements are already on political agendas
abroad and European governments are moving to "protect" people who want
more flexible work arrangements.

The parties sitting at opposite sides of the wage table agree on the
value of flexibility and the need to transform traditional ways of
managing people for the modern lifestyle.

But they disagree on how this should be brought about. Legislation is
important, Ms Kedgley says.

Law makers appear to believe that people who want greater flexibly could
be discriminated against by employers who view requests of this kind as
proof they are not sufficiently committed to their jobs.

She cites research showing workers fear management disapproval when
asking for changes to standard working arrangements. "This came through
in a Department of Labour survey that showed most employees are
reluctant to broach their employers for fear they would be penalised in
some way."

However, Mr O'Reilly and businesses his organisation represents maintain
putting more compulsion on employers is "misconceived" and unwelcome.

"Business NZ is already working with the Government on behalf of
thousands of enterprises that are committed to providing family-friendly
workplaces. Employers already know that taking account of staff needs
and diversity are the best way to retain staff in a tight labour
market."

Mr O'Reilly claims Labour knows this legislation is counterproductive
and charges it is only backing the bill to secure support from the
Greens before the election. "The Government is aware of the weight of
research on best practice in this area, which points to the fact that
voluntary arrangements made on-site work better than state compulsion.
Perhaps it is trying not to offend the Greens."...

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

6) The Vancouver Province (British Columbia); April 18, 2005

CANADA: COUPLE ENGAGED AS GREENS: RUNNING IN COQUITLAM IN NEIGHBOURING
RIDINGS

by Kent Spencer

Two betrothed candidates are staking their future on the Green Party in
Coquitlam.

Michael Hejazi and Carli Travers plan to tie the knot Sept. 24 no matter
what happens in the May 17 provincial election.

Hejazi, 22, is running in Coquitlam-Maillardville. Travers, 21, is
running in neighbouring Burquitlam.

Hejazi, who acknowledges that Green poll numbers aren't close to those
of the Liberals or NDP, does not expect to win a seat this time.

"They say it takes 15 years to build a new political party," he said
yesterday. "The first election [the Greens ran a full slate in 2001]
you're introducing yourselves; the next you're making yourselves known;
and the third time you're winning."

He's Iranian by birth; she's a New Westminster girl.

"We're dirt-poor students," he said. "I'm studying sociology and Carli
wants to be a social worker."

Hejazi said he chose to be Green because the party is beholden to no
one. "NDP reads its cards from the unions and B.C. Federation of Labour.
The Liberals are in with the corporate sector. They closed

St. Mary's Hospital and that is not the direction we need to go in an
inflated economy.

"The Green Party is in favour of long-term sustainability in jobs,
health and the environment."

It also wants to reduce the "over-prescription of drugs" and move health
care into the community, where it would "cost less."

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7) Daily Orange (Syracuse University) via U-Wire; April 18, 2005

NEW YORK: NADER PROTESTS WAR IN IRAQ

by Laura Van Wert,

SYRACUSE -- One would think, after losing his second consecutive
presidential election, Ralph Nader would be sitting at home licking his
wounds instead of touring the country spreading his messages to the
American people.

Nader, who ran for president for the Green Party in both the 2000 and
2004 Presidential elections, spoke at Hendricks Chapel on Friday night.
His speech, entitled "Bring Our Troops Home. Stop the Iraq War. Rebuild
Our Communities," focused on the problems that America faces due to the
U.S. occupation in Iraq and how the U.S. presence there takes away from
the needs of American citizens.

The event was free for both students and the community, but organizers
accepted donations requested at $10 for the community and $5 for
students. Nader is touring the country because his most recent campaign
for president left his organization in debt.

Nader spoke to members of both the community and university as part of a
three-day Green Party conference, "Organizing to Win," held by the
Upstate Greens, the local chapter of the Green Party.

The event began with the local teenage youth group Media Unit performing
a labor skit. In addition, several groups such as the Partnership for
Onondaga Creek, the Campus Greens, members of Syracuse University's
Student Environmental Action Coalitions and students from the State
University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
gave brief speeches about their groups' causes and recent activities....

...The evening's events ended with local Green Party member Howie
Hawkins and an additional musical performance from Patti Smith.

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

8) UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Oxfordshire; April 18, 2005

ENGLAND: GREENS REVEAL BURNING ISSUES

The Oxford Green Party launched its county council election manifesto by
burning fake £5 notes to illustrate its claim that the council has been
wasting taxpayers' money.

About 50 of the 73 Green Oxfordshire county candidates gathered outside
County Hall in the town centre for the launch on Saturday.

Craig Simmons leader of the Greens said: "We are standing on five main
issues the first is financial management. There should be no more lost
millions and no more poorly managed schemes such as Cornmarket Street
which wasted huge amounts of taxpayers' money.

"We want better services for vulnerable people better social and health
care services. Disabled people should not have to pay for care let alone
be overcharged as they have been.

"We will tackle the issue of air pollution in Oxford and implement the
10-point action plan for cleaner air. "We stand for better education for
health and well-being. Most schools don't even have kitchens. Pupils
need healthier school meals and better pastoral care.

"The Greens would rule out an incinerator outside Oxford reduce waste
and increase levels of recycling.

"We put in place the real nappies scheme which the county council has
now got rid of."

Their key manifesto policies include:

* More investment in social services and how money can be raised to
fund this without affecting Council Tax.

* Better accounting systems and improved external audit of the
council's accounts alongside more financial training for councillors.

* The county should do more to improve the learning environment for
example providing healthier school meals training on nutrition better
exercise facilities and action to address bullying.

* Expand recycling and introduce waste minimisation schemes and remain
opposed to incineration -- which the county is still pursuing as an
option.

* A shift in transport policy towards traffic reduction lower speeds
and improvements in air quality. This will limit climate change while
improving safety.

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9) The Star (Sheffield); April 18, 2005

ENGLAND: GREENS CALL FOR A TICKET TO RIDE

GIVE us back our buses!

That was the call from Sheffield's Greens as the party launched its
election campaign at the city's Pond Street interchange.

Boosting the quality of public transport is essential if the city's
transport chaos is to be eased - and re-regulating bus services is the
first key step, its candidates argue.

The Greens are standing in three Sheffield constituencies - Hallam,
Central and Heeley, and are setting themselves the initial target of
retaining their deposits.

Nationally the party is hopeful of electing its first member of
parliament, with around five seats targeted.

But initially more important is the war of ideas raging on city
doorsteps, as candidates present their policies to the voters.

"We want to put our bus services back into the hands of the people,"
said Bernard Little, who is fighting Sheffield Central.

"We can't have decent quality public transport if the system is in the
hands of companies whose sole interest is in profit.

"And we will not be able to persuade people to get out of their cars,
freeing our city from pollution and gridlock, if the quality of our bus
services is not improved."

The Greens are highlighting the 50 routes in South Yorkshire which are
set to be cut or reduced later this month, increasing isolation for
pensioners or those without transport who may then be unable to get to
post offices, shops and community centres.

Rob Cole, fighting Hallam, said he had met many disillusioned Labour
voters on the doorsteps, who felt they had been let down over the Iraq
war.

"But we are not just a protest vote - we have alternative policies on
all the key issues which we feel offer a real alternative to the major
parties in this election," he added.

Rob Unwin, who is standing in Heeley, said he sensed a different climate
emerging which would see the Greens making significant progress over the
next few years.

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

10) New Zealand Press Association; April 18, 2005

NEW ZEALAND: SMALL PARTIES CRY FOUL OVER BROADCAST FUNDING

NZPA political reporters

Wellington, April 18 - The Labour Party is satisfied with $ 1.2 million
and United Future has no problems with $ 200,000, but none of the other
political parties thinks the Electoral Commission did a fair job when it
doled out money for election broadcasting.

Reactions today ranged from United Future's very pleased'' to ACT's it's
a rort''.

New Zealand First suspects a plot and wants the commission fired, while
the Greens have crunched the numbers and say the whole thing is unfair.

The commission has handed out a total $ 3.212 million for election
campaign broadcasts on radio and television, and has allocated free air
time for opening and closing speeches.

Labour has been given $ 1.2 million and 18 minutes broadcast time.
National is getting $ 900,000 and the same broadcast time.

ACT, the Greens, NZ First and United Future each get $ 200,000 and 10
minutes broadcast time.

The Maori Party has been given $ 125,000 and seven minutes, and the
Progressive Party $ 75,000 and seven minutes.

The rest of the money has been spread among six parties not represented
in Parliament, each getting $ 10,000 and one minute...

...Green Party co-leader Rod Donald said the total budget had increased
by 60 percent, and Labour's share had jumped 78 percent compared with
the last election.

National's had gone up 46 percent, but the Greens and the other small
parties had only gained a 20 percent increase.

Mr Donald said advertising rates had increased 30 percent in the past
year, and a 20 percent increase meant the small parties were effectively
getting less than last time.

The commission's chief executive, Helena Catt, said the criteria had
been followed and the increased total reflected higher costs.

It considers the number of MPs each party has, votes won at the last
election and opinion poll ratings.

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11) The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia); April 19, 2005

CANADA: FEDERAL GREENS FLUSH WITH $1M WAR CHEST: BUT DESPITE THE PARTY'S
READINESS FOR A VOTE, ITS LEADER SAYS CANADIANS DON'T WANT AN ELECTION
NOW

by Grant Robertson

OTTAWA -- Flush with more cash than it's ever had before, Canada's
federal Green Party says it's ready to fight an election and has more
than 80 per cent of its candidates in place.

But the upstart party that surprised Ottawa by capturing more than
half-a-million votes in last June's federal vote isn't eager to dip into
the $1-million war chest of federal funding it has collected since then.

Green Party leader Jim Harris lashed out at the federal Conservatives
Monday, saying Canadians don't want to go to the polls and accused the
Tories of "self-serving" politics.

"We've moved to political self interest where the opposition parties
smell blood and are working to bring down the government when the polls
are most favourable to them," Harris said.

"Rather than measuring for drapes at Sussex, Mr. Harper and his
colleagues should be focused on the issues that are of concern to
Canadians and in fact everyone in the world -- issues like Kyoto."

The Greens and the New Democrats, who both ran on environmentally
focused platforms in the last election, have separately called on the
government to strengthen its climate-change legislation.

Both parties are concerned allegations of corruption inside the Liberal
government, stemming from the Gomery inquiry into the sponsorship
scandal, will push Canada's Kyoto plan to the periphery.

Should the scandal force Canadians back to the polls, it will prompt a
battle between the Greens and the NDP for the environmentally conscious
voter.

The Greens, who once scraped by on a $35,000 annual budget, have amassed
an almost $1-million bank account thanks to new election financing laws.

Under those new rules, each political party gets $1.75 worth of annual
federal funding for every vote it received in the last election. The
Greens, which ran a lean campaign, have much of that cash on hand.

On Monday, NDP leader Jack Layton acknowledged his party is still in
debt from the last federal election, but is close to getting out of the
red.

"It's practically gone," Layton said of the party's debt. "And we're all
set for the next election. We have our finances arranged and we're ready
to go . . . we'll have a larger campaign than we had last time."

While both parties have enjoyed a bump in polling amid the Liberal
sponsorship scandal, Layton brushed off suggestions the Greens might use
their bank account to erode NDP support.

Meanwhile, the NDP can finance a snap election on the larger number of
votes it can likely expect across Canada, Young said.

The Greens have been on the outside looking in on Parliament Hill and
were refused a few months ago when the party sought to have offices
there because it lacks an MP.

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

12) New Zealand Press Association; April 19, 2005

NEW ZEALAND: GREENS AND UNITED FUTURE BACK EVERY CHILD COUNTS' CAMPAIGN

Wellington, April 19 - The Greens and United Future are backing the call
by children's groups for the needs of young people to be recognised in
the policies of political parties.

The coalition made up of Barnados, Plunket, Save the Children, Unicef NZ
and AUT's Institute of Public Policy today launched its Every Child
Counts campaign.

Because children could not vote they were often ignored in public
policy, campaign spokeswoman Emma Davies said.

Green Party co-leader Rod Donald said there should be a multi-party
accord to end child poverty by 2010.

The Greens back the campaign 100 percent and applaud its call for
children to be at the centre of the election policy debate,'' he said.

This significant coalition of social service agencies is right to call
on political parties to give children the same attention as the grey'
vote.''

Mr Donald said parties had to stop treating children as political
footballs....

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

13) The Independent (London); April 19, 2005

ENGLAND: PANDORA: DOWNING STREET SPIN DOCTOR HEADS FOR GREENER PASTURES

by Oliver Marre

A signal that New Labour is in trouble, despite its resilience in the
opinion polls. In something of a career departure, a former Downing
Street spin doctor is standing as a Green party candidate in the general
election.

James Humphreys " previously Tony Blair's Head of Corporate
Communications " has announced that he is running for the Greens in the
Blairite heartland of Islington South.

'I would have supported Labour in the past,' he tells me. 'My criticism
is that people in Downing Street were always looking for the middle
ground and the marginal constituencies. Labour's record on the
environment has been worse than the Conservatives who were prepared to
take some unpopular decisions.'

Humphreys' candidacy is also bad news for the Lib Dems, who hope to gain
the seat, where the former Labour cabinet minister Chris Smith is
standing down. 'The Lib Dems would support Labour in a hung Parliament
so a vote for them wouldn't send out much of a signal,' he adds....

Humphreys' day job is now at the Department for International
Development, where he assists developing countries to learn the skills
of spin doctoring. Demonstrating a good grasp of his art, he adds,
ominously: 'My old colleagues in Downing Street have been very
understanding about my decision.'

Surely bad news for the Labour high command: if Tony Blair can't rely on
the support of his own communications team, who can he trust?

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

14) The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia); April 20, 2005

CANADA: GREEN PARTY ATTACKS LIBERALS, NDP: PARTY LEADER ADRIANE CARR
SAYS NDP ARE STILL ON FOSSIL FUEL PATH AND LIBERALS ARE A DISASTER

by Glenn Bohn

B.C. Green Party leader Adriane Carr attacked the New Democratic Party's
environmental platform and the Liberals' environmental record in power
as she campaigned Tuesday.

Speaking outside the Capers health food supermarket in the West End --
where the party introduced seven Vancouver candidates -- Carr said
government can control health care costs by investing more in
prevention.

"That starts with a clean and healthy environment," she said. "That
environment is not healthy now. We've got increasing pollution; food
that is not safe. We want to see an environment where the water is
clean, the air is clean, and our food is healthy and safe to eat."

Green Book 2005, the 55-page Green party platform document, proposes
"toxic-free legislation" to eliminate the use of products containing the
most toxic substances, plain language labelling and warnings, a
10-per-cent "toxic tax", and more enforcement of existing laws on
industrial pollution.

Other Green pledges include ones to "phase out fossil fuel-fired
electricity and prevent new ones," like B.C. Hydro's contentious
gas-fired plant at Duke Point near Nanaimo, and a "permanent moratorium"
on offshore oil and gas exploration.

Asked to distinguish the Green's environmental platform from the NDP's,
Carr said "They haven't done anything new or innovative. Same old, same
old."

Carr said the Liberals have been a "disaster" for the environment.

gbohn at png.canwest.com

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

15) New Zealand Press Association; April 20, 2005

NEW ZEALAND: MORE TAXI DRIVERS TO BE BANNED UNDER WIDENED SCOPE OF BILL

Wellington, April 20 - All convicted murderers and serious sex offenders
will be banned from driving taxis if Parliament accepts the
recommendation of a select committee regarding the Land Transport
Amendment Bill.

Parliament's transport and industrial relations committee this week
reported the bill back to Parliament with several changes.

Under the original bill anyone convicted in New Zealand of murder or a
sex offence punishable by more than seven years' prison -- from the date
the bill was passed -- would have been banned from operating taxis.

Those convicted before the law was passed would have escaped the ban....

...The report acknowledged dissent within the committee, with the Green
Party believing the amendment would unfairly discriminate against
drivers who held a serious conviction, but had safely operated a taxi
for the past 20 or 30 years.

The Greens believed the law should allow the director of land transport
to grant exemptions to the ban where they believed the person was no
longer a risk to the public....

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

16) The Nelson Mail (New Zealand); April 20, 2005

NEW ZEALAND: FITZSIMONS WARNS NELSON OF OIL CRISIS

by Dave Williams

Nelson's crucial tourism and deep sea fishing industries could be hit
hard by peak oil predictions and the region needs to build up its
natural advantages to avoid a crisis, Green Party co-leader Jeanette
Fitzsimons warns.

More than 150 people crammed into the Balling Theatre at the Nelson
School of Music last night to hear Ms Fitzsimons and Green MP Mike Ward
speak on peak oil, climate change and urban growth.

Ms Fitzsimons told the meeting that the price of oil would increase as
the world tapped into the second half of available reserves which would
be extracted at a slower rate than the first half.

Some experts believed oil production may have already peaked and demand
was exceeding supply, or that it was just a few years away, she said.

With China and India increasing their use of oil, there would be a
growing mismatch between supply and demand, she said.

Ms Fitzsimons said the cost of a barrel of oil had gone from $ US10 in
the 1990s to about $ US57 today, which just a few years ago had been
predicted to happen in 2030.

She said New Zealand should be looking to carry freight more efficiently
using rail.

The Nelson region was at a disadvantage because it lacked a rail service
but that could be offset by using its port. Nelson was also surrounded
by forests which could be a source of heating fuel from waste wood
products, and it had a benign climate and would be a good region to
harness solar power, she said.

Increasing aviation costs would see less global tourism and Nelson
should concentrate on attracting tourists to stay longer and spend more.

Deep sea fishing was highly energy intensive and more pressure would be
put on coastal fisheries where there was already conflict, which meant
conservation was likely to be the loser.

''Maybe we need to get more reserves in place now, before that
happens.''

Ms Fitzsimons told the meeting that oil products pervaded people's lives
through petrol, roads, food production, synthetic fibres and plastics
and New Zealand needed to prepare for a time when oil was prohibitively
expensive.

She said there was not going to be a ''silver bullet'' alternative and
the solution lay in a variety of energy sources.

People should invest in more efficient home heating and insulation and
buy more efficient cars, and public transport systems would need to be
viable options.

The biggest round of applause came when Ms Fitzsimons suggested people
substitute the word ''oil'' for ''terrorism'' when US President George
Bush talked about the war on terrorism.

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

17) Irish Independent; April 20, 2005

IRELAND: PROBE CALL OVER SEWAGE 'FIASCO'

by Kathy Donaghy

THE GREEN Party last night called for an independent investigation into
the operation of Ringsend sewage treatment plant, after it emerged
Dublin City Council plans to expand the plant's capacity - although it
has not yet formally taken over its running.

Green Party chairman John Gormley TD last night claimed the whole sorry
saga of the Ringsend waste water treatment facility stank and said
Environment Minister Dick Roche must now order an investigation into the
affair.

The plant, which was brought into operation in July, 2003 has been
dogged by bad smells and the City Council has not finished the
commissioning of the plant.

The council last night confirmed that commissioning would shortly be
completed but it was withholding a final payment from the private
company which built the facility until issues including that of drifting
foul smells were sorted out.

The council claims that the original tender for the facility allowed for
expansion and that this had always been intended.

However, Mr Gormley said the matter must now be investigated urgently
and he said it was the case that the City Council had been forced to
admit the plant was to be expanded even though it is still being
commissioned.

"The Taoiseach, the Minister for the Environment and Dublin City Council
officials have had ample opportunity to tell us about these expansion
plans but did not do so because it would highlight their own
incompetence and be highly embarrassing. How could they have got it so
badly wrong?" he added.

Raising the issue by way of adjournment in the Dail last night, Mr
Gormley also claimed that he had evidence that sludge from the plant was
being illegally dumped in Co Carlow.

"Is the Minister for the Environment going to stand by or will he now
act, as the Greens have requested, and investigate these issues as a
matter of urgency?" Mr Gormley asked.

The deputy has also complained to the European Commission about the
affair.

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

18) Grimsby Evening Telegraph; April 20, 2005

ENGLAND:GREEN CANDIDATE 'FEELS EXCITED'

The Green Party's candidate for Grimsby has spoken of his excitement
about the current campaign. Former Havelock School pupil David Brooks
(54), of Manor Avenue, has been involved in Green Party politics "for
many years".

After leaving school, Mr Brooks attended the North East London
Polytechnic, in Walthamstow, and worked as an estate surveyor in Grimsby
and Scunthorpe.

He studied social studies at Ruskin College, Oxford and returned to
Grimsby last summer.

The party's election manifesto claims that climate change is a bigger
threat than terrorism.

The Greens want to replace VAT with a new eco-tax and increase NHS
investment to £90-billion a year by 2008. The party would also invest in
sustainable energy and scrap Labour's ID plan policy.

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

19) The Gloucester Citizen; April 20, 2005

ENGLAND: MY MANIFESTO: STEPHEN TWEEDIE

Party: Green Constituency: Forest of Dean

There are now Green Parties in the majority of countries around the
world and Greens have been making real progress here too, both in local
government and in the recent European elections.

This is because, only the Green Party is taking the future seriously,
going beyond the immediate symptoms to consider the root causes of our
difficulties, and developing policies that really deal with the needs of
the environment.

Enhanced global warming, resource depletion and ecological degradation
all sound like more threats and scares but, in fact, they also suggest
how we are going to resolve our social, environmental and global
problems.

In short, the Green Party wants ecology to be at the heart of our
political agenda. Everything is linked; nothing can be dealt with in
isolation so we must make planned changes now to take account of new
realities, like climate change and the decline in oil production.

In the Forest of Dean, I will work for: A region that aspires to
self-reliance and real sustainability; A thriving local economy based on
clean, renewable technologies; A just society for the environment and
the people within it; A strong democracy with power retained in local
communities; A low-energy strategy moving away from dependence on oil;
An effective transport system with developed bus and train services; A
peaceful world where the arms trade is ended and war is inconceivable.

Being "green" is not just to have an environmental policy; it is to say
that care, restoration and regeneration of ecological systems is
integral to all sustainable social, political and economic activity.
Earth care and people care are inseparable.

Vote Green to support the changes you want to see in the world!

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

20) The Gloucester Citizen; April 20, 2005

ENGLAND: MY MANIFESTO: BRYAN MELOY

Party: Green Constituency: Gloucester

I, like many others, am sorely disappointed by the Labour Government. It
has failed to deliver most of its election manifestos and now looks like
another version of the Conservative Party that we were so pleased to see
the end of in 1997.

Labour's failure made me realise it was time for real politics based on
people working together to get the best for all, including future
generations.

I believe the three main parties offer virtually the same things, and in
standing as Green Party candidate I offer Gloucester another option,
that of politics based on respect, equality and co-operation.

I believe that politics shouldn't be about power at any price and fear,
as the other parties would have it. It should be fun and it should be
about communities that work together, co-operating and agreeing a
consensus. It should be about hope.

With this in view I co-ordinated last year's hugely successful Green
Fayre and have promoted a number of bands in a city pub.

I also helped to collect a petition of 800 signatures (which the Green
Party presented to the county council) asking for a GM-free
Gloucestershire, and organised a number of speakers for open meetings in
Gloucester.

I continue to campaign strongly against the war on Iraq and the Green
Party, unlike the Liberal Democrats, was unequivocal from the start in
our opposition to the immoral, destructive and illegal war on Iraq.

In their "six pledges" Labour totally fail to mention climate change,
that's despite Tony Blair just one week earlier naming it number one
challenge. The Greens offer the only real policies designed to tackle
this problem.

Billions of pounds are being spent on Labour's illegal and immoral wars
- hundreds of thousands of people are dying in them and hundreds of
thousands more being made homeless and stateless.

War has never produced security and understanding.

Only by giving the Middle East fair treatment can we expect to
contribute towards stability in the region.

We should be offering real alternatives based on co-operation, not
intimidation. To help end Iran's nuclear energy programme we should be
signing contracts with them for the transfer of renewable energy
technologies.

We offer a different attitude to other parties and every single Green
vote sends a message that the pantomime politics of Westminster is no
longer good enough.

Voters are fed up with parties whose policy setting is not about
long-term vision or strategic thinking, but more about what marketing
experts have identified will sway them to vote one way or the other.

Look at the race to find scapegoats led by Michael Howard, followed
closely by Charles Clark - immigration, asylum seekers and
gypsies/travellers. The more vulnerable the target the better, there's
less chance of anyone speaking out for them. Except, for the Green
Party.

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

21) The Gloucester Citizen; April 20, 2005

ENGLAND:: MY MANIFESTO: MARTIN WHITESIDE

Party: Green Constituency: Stroud

The Green Party stands for the future - your future and the planets
future. We have carefully worked out policies on the economy, crime,
social justice, health and much more to achieve this.

Climate change is our greatest threat. The other parties say they are
concerned, but their economic globalisation policies will only make
matters worse. Tony Blair says urgent action is needed but under Labour
greenhouse gas emissions have risen. Only the Green Party has a clear
strategy and the political courage for real change.

We can create a fairer world.

All three main parties put free trade and big business profit before
sustainability and ending poverty. They have created a system where a
better quality of life for some comes at the expense of a widening gap
between rich and poor. Green Party policies of fair trade, fairer taxes
and support for the local economy would reverse this trend. Yes, this
will mean a 60% tax band for those earning over £100,000 but we think
that is fair.

Greens support real investment in public services and a halt to their
privatisation by stealth under Labour. Privatisation means money for
shareholders, not for hospital cleaning, school meals, nurses, education
and more.

We will support investment in sustainable transport, renationalisation
of the railways and make Britain a leader in sustainable technologies,
creating an additional 200,000 jobs. We also oppose bad planning
policies which lead to unsustainable housebuilding on green fields.

We can create a safer world. Only the Green Party unambiguously opposed
the war in Iraq from start to finish. We will work with the UN to
promote law and peace, rather than supporting Bush in further wars for
oil, undermining international law and creating a future of distrust,
re-armament, anger and yet more terrorism.

Closer to home, we oppose the erosion of our long-held liberties,
including house arrest without trial, compulsory ID cards and
restrictions on the right to demonstrate. We would treat asylum seekers
more fairly and with dignity - allowing them to use their skills to work
- supporting themselves and our economy.

Greens would promote more local, GM-free and safer food. This would
include an end to factory farming and cruel, long journeys for farm
animals. We support a reformed Europe, with Britain keeping the pound.

Surely a Green vote is a wasted vote? A Green vote is never wasted, as
it sends a strong message that people are demanding change. Over a
million people voted Green in last year's European elections and we have
two Euro-MPs, seven Scottish MPs and a growing number of councillors.

Pressure to vote for a party you don't want, to keep out someone worse,
is just blackmail used to prop up our unfair electoral system. Don't
give in to blackmail. One thing is certain, if you don't vote for what
you really want, you're never going to get it.

We need a political programme that is for at least the next hundred
years, not just the next hundred days.

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

22) Daily Record; April 20, 2005

SCOTLAND:: GENERAL ELECTION 2005: GREENS' POWER VISION

THE Greens yesterday pledged to power Scotland entirely by wind, wave
and solar energy.

The Scottish Green Party launched their manifesto with a promise to rid
the country of nuclear and fossil fuel power by the year 2050.

Co-convener Shiona Baird MSP said: 'This is a manifesto for people
planet and peace. A manifesto for a just society where the interests of
people and the environment are taken seriously.'

They also revealed a raft of controversial policies. They would
decriminalise drugs and replace benefits with a 'citizen's income' for
people not in full -time work

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

23) Czech News Agency; April 20, 2005

CZECH REPUBLIC: NEO-NAZIS, ANTI-FASCISTS TO MEET ON MAY DAY IN BRNO -
PRESS

BRNO, April 20 (CTK) - Neo-Nazis from around the Czech Republic are
planning to meet in Brno on May Day, announcing their demonstration
march through the centre of the city as "The March of Students and
Youth," the south Moravian supplement to the daily Mlada fronta Dnes
(MfD) writes today.

At the same time as the Neo-Nazi demonstration, anarchists from the
Anti-Fascist Initiative plan to demonstrate in Brno against war and
armaments, MfD writes.

The Green Party, Friends of the Earth, and Unbendable civic groups are
trying to find a way to block the Neo-Nazi demonstration.

"Holding such an event in Brno on the 60th anniversary of the end of
World War Two is completely audacious," Friends of the Earth director
Martin Ander said.

A similar opinion is held by the local Green Party head Dita Horova, who
is a lawyer and is now looking for a legal way to stop the march.

The march has already been registered with City Hall and should move
through the centre of the city. "The organisers fulfilled their
announcement obligations and City Hall has very limited ways of banning
the demonstration," City Hall spokesman Roman Burian said.

"We will manage the situation to avoid clashes and we will be
aggressive," a Brno police spokesman said.

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

24) Press Association; April 21, 2005

ENGLAND: GREEN PARTY PLEDGES £30bn TRANSPORT REVOLUTION

BY Amanda Brown

A cut back in road traffic and action to create cleaner and safer cities
is promised today by the Green Party.

Principal Speaker Councillor Keith Taylor will unveil five transport
pledges in his Brighton Pavilion constituency aimed at delivering
progressive transport measures worth £30billion which would also
reconnect urban and rural England.

Mr Taylor said: "Successive governments' obsession with road-building
and their neglect of the public transport network has cut people who
can't drive from their essential services and left Britain with a £43
billion a year road habit that accounts for more than one-fifth of the
UK's greenhouse gas emissions.

"A working, affordable public transport network is key to tackling
climate change and to creating a more equitable society.

"The Green Party will implement five practical measures to rebuild
Britain's transport network, make cities cleaner and safer places and
reconnect rural Britain."

The Five Green Transport Pledges are:

1 Invest £30 billion into rail, bus, cycle and pedestrian transport.

2 Bring rail back into public ownership and reduce train fares.

3 Re-regulate Britain's buses.

4 Reduce road traffic by 10% over five years; scrap the tax disc,
increase fuel duty.

5 End aviation's £9 billion a year tax break.

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

25) North Devon Journal; April 21, 2005

ENGLAND: GREENS' ENERGY CAMPAIGN

It was a colourful campaign opening for the North Devon Green Party.
Number 10 Joy Street, Barnstaple, was packed with people on Saturday
when the political party launched its campaign.

A throng of friends and supporters were there to uncork the Champagne.

North Devon candidate Ricky Knight said one highlight was the appearance
of Green Elvis - unmistakable in his bright green suit, green guitar and
eco-songs.

Mr Knight said: "It's a fantastic advert for the local Green Party, to
have a prime town-centre shop window like this to highlight our
existence and our campaign. It was a glorious opening but now it's heads
down and on with the campaign." The following day the North Devon Green
Party held a sponsored cycle ride from the Hinkley Point power station,
near Bridgwater, Somerset to Fullabrook Down, near Braunton, where there
are proposals to build 22 wind turbines.

Mr Knight said: "We certainly chose a day for it: cold, wind and driving
rain and then down came a mist at Blackmoor Gate.

"But we rose to the occasion, although the original green dozen were
whittled down to seven by the time we had covered 64-miles, and arrived
at Fullabrook Down nine-and- a-half-hours later. The things we do for
love."

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

26) The Nelson Mail (New Zealand); April 21, 2005

NEW ZEALAND: GROWTH 'SHOULD GO UP, NOT OUT'

by Dave Williams

Nelson should build in and up, not out, says Green Party MP Mike Ward,
as the city considers its long term growth options.

Mr Ward and Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons addressed over 150
people at the Nelson School of Music on Tuesday night on peak oil,
climate change and urban growth.

A Nelson City Council study shows projected population growth to over
61,000 people will require 8600 houses, units and apartments by 2051.

Large pockets of undeveloped land have been earmarked for development at
Nelson South near Saxton Field, Ngawhatu, Marsden and Maitai Valleys,
the Brook and Atawhai.

Hira and the Glen have also been identified as possible areas for
development.

Mr Ward said the principle of building housing around transport nodes
was a good one and rural lifestyles sounded attractive, but there were
innovative and creative ways to develop medium density housing in
Nelson.

Mr Ward questioned why the population had to grow as fast as 1 percent a
year and the common wisdom that if you produced more, things would come
right.

''Why buy a house miles from where you want to be, bigger than it needs
to be, less energy efficient with three or four cars in the garage, and
then grizzle about petrol price increases?''

Speaking outside the meeting Mr Ward said zero growth was a difficult
target, but should be aspired to.

But if Nelson expanded out it would lead to further congestion on roads
and Mr Ward said he would like to see more people living in town.

''Building single storey places in the city is a nonsense. We can build
three storeys high some will be accommodation. We still talk about two
acre lifestyle blocks; we need to discourage them.''

Mr Ward said ''great rows of tenements'' scared him, but there were
innovative ways to design higher density housing and good overseas
models should be investigated.

Mr Ward told the meeting New Zealand could be a role model for the world
by building a strong local economy where people sourced quality products
from as close as possible, and lived in warm, efficient houses. ''In a
food producing nation, why are we importing our food?''

''We can make an enormous difference for four million people, and the
planet is looking for role models.''

Submissions to the Nelson City Council urban growth strategy close on
May 13.

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

27) The Irish Times; April 21, 2005

IRELAND: GORMLEY QUERIES CALLELY EVIDENCE

by Mark Brennock

Green Party chairman John Gormley has questioned evidence given
yesterday by Minister of State Ivor Callely to the committee examining
the Travers report.

Mr Gormley says Dail records suggest Mr Callely could not have briefed
the Taoiseach on the issues of charges for nursing-home care when he
said he did.

Mr Callely told the Oireachtas Committee on Health that after a meeting
of senior health managers in Dublin's Gresham Hotel in December 2003
heard of concerns that the charging of long-term residents of state-run
institutions could be illegal, he briefed Bertie Ahern to this effect.

"My recollection is that I informed the Taoiseach in the course of a
Dail vote," he said. He said believed that this was not on the day of
that meeting - December 16th - but on one of the other Dail sitting days
that week - December 17th or 18th.

Mr Gormley said last night that according to the Dail record, Mr Ahern
did not vote in the Dail on either of those days.

He said there was now a need for Mr Ahern and Mr Callely "to explain how
they could have had a conversation during a Dail vote about the
eligibility issue on either the 17th or 18th of December 2003, when in
fact the Taoiseach, according to the Dail records, was not present for
any vote on those particular days."

According to the Travers report, Mr Callely recalled that he spoke to
the Taoiseach on this issue, that the Taoiseach did not respond when he
spoke to him and that the conversation took place during the course of a
Dail vote on an "unrelated matter".

A spokesman for the Taoiseach said last night that Mr Ahern "has never
stated which day Deputy Callely aproached him on this issue". Mr Ahern
told the Dail last month that he had a conversation with Mr Calllely on
the matter, but did not say when.

Mr Gormley said notes taken on the meeting between Department of Health
management and health board chiefs recorded that Mr Callely said he
would speak to Mr Ahern and Minister for Health Micheal Martin.

Attempts to contact Mr Callely last night were unsuccessful.

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

28) The International Herald Tribune; April 21, 2005

GERMANY: GERMANY SET TO JOIN U.S.-LED MISSILE PROJECT ; GREENS PARTY
AGREES TO BACK NEW SYSTEM

by Judy Dempsey


BERLIN-- Chancellor Gerhard Schroder's government approved Wednesday
night the development of an ambitious new air defense system, ending
months of wrangling in his coalition and paving the way for better ties
with the United States.

The decision, which was finalized by Parliament's budget committee, is a
major compromise for the pacifist wing of the Greens party, the junior
partner in Schroder's coalition, which is led by the Social Democrats.

"With the Greens on board, the way should be clear for developing the
system," said Elke Leonhard, a senior Social Democrat, defense expert
and member of the budget committee. "It will provide better protection
for our troops but also send a clear signal to the United States that we
are reliable partners and we do want to work together with them over
this new system."

The Medium Extended Air Defense System, or MEADS, is a joint project
developed and funded by the United States, which holds a 58 percent
stake. Germany holds 25 percent and Italy 17 percent....

Germany's share of the development costs will amount to 886 million, or
$1.16 billion, over eight years, and procurement costs will total more
than 2 billion. Lockheed Martin, a U.S. company; EADS, which is partly
owned by Germany; and MBDA of Italy are the lead companies developing
the mobile surface-to-air missile system.

The Greens had opposed the project for months, despite having initially
supported it.

The party claimed that the costs were too high, particularly at a
sensitive time for the government, which faces crucial state elections
next month in North-Rhine Westphalia. The coalition's popularity has
fallen since it started this year to reduce social welfare payments
while unemployment, at more than five million, reached record levels.

Also, the pacifist wing of the Greens had questioned the need for a
separate air defense system to protect German soldiers in peacekeeping
missions abroad.

However, its biggest concern was that once the system was deployed it
would push the military toward participating in high-combat operations,
which the pacifists strongly oppose.

"It wasn't easy at all for us," said the Greens party leader, Reinhard
Butikofer.

The United States said Wednesday that it welcomed the Greens' support.
"Obviously we are still waiting for the budget decision, but the
agreement with the Greens is a good thing," said an official who
requested anonymity. "We have been pursuing this project for a while
with Italy and Germany. It shows the alliance is working,"...

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

29) The Southland Times (New Zealand); April 22, 2005

NEW ZEALAND: TANZCOS DIPS ON PARTY LIST

ALL eight Green Party MPs planning a return to Parliament have won the
top places on the party's list.

However, its star youth-vote attraction, Nandor Tanzcos, has dropped
several places to No7 -- a place that could put his seat in jeopardy if
the party only just manages to scrape past the 5 percent threshold.

The MP has championed the drive to decriminalise cannabis but there have
been concerns within the party the issue is a potential turn-off to
voters.

Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald are at Nos1 and 2, followed by Sue
Bradford, Sue Kedgley, Keith Locke, Metiria Turei, Mr Tanczos and Mike
Ward. Craig Carson, who is seeking selection in Invercargill, is at 30.

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

30) Yale Daily News; April 22, 2005

CONNECTICUT: PILLSBURY MAY VIE FOR ALDERMAN

by Marcel Przymusinski

New Haven Green Party co-chair and former congressional candidate
Charlie Pillsbury '70 DIV '90 announced yesterday he will run for Ward
19 alderman unless current Ward 19 Alderwoman Alfreda Edwards decides to
seek reelection.

Pillsbury said he will attend community meetings in the coming weeks,
and plans to begin making phone calls and going door-to-door after Labor
Day. He said he decided to run because he thinks the seat will be open.

Edwards did not return phone calls last night inquiring about her plans.

Pillsbury -- who roomed with Gary Trudeau '70 at Yale and was in part
the basis for the comic character Mike Doonesbury -- said he is
interested in local issues such as crime, traffic and schools, but he
would also push for election reform and environmental issues, in
particular clean air.

"I myself contracted asthma while living in this city, and up to 20 or
25 percent of the school-age children in this town suffer from mild or
severe asthma," he said. "That's a major public health issue."

With regard to Yale-New Haven Hospital's cancer center expansion
proposal, which is currently before the Board of Aldermen, Pillsbury
said he would like to see the hospital's employees vote on unionization
before the cancer center is approved.

"We all recognize the need for a world-class cancer facility," he said.
"At the same time, I think the only way to make it world class is to
have an organized labor force."

New Haven Director of Public Information Derek Slap said Mayor John
DeStefano Jr. believes Edwards has been a strong advocate for her ward.

"The mayor understands that she's deciding whether to run right now, and
that's her decision and something that she needs to ultimately make on
her own," Slap said. "The mayor feels that she's done a great job for
her constituents and would certainly support her candidacy … We're just
waiting to see what she's going to do before we go anywhere else."

Ward 1 Alderman Ben Healey '04 said that, as far as he knows, Edwards
has told members of the Board of Aldermen she does not plan to run for
reelection.

Healey said he thinks that Pillsbury has done good work in the community
on clean elections, progressive taxation and environmental causes, in
addition to giving to various local philanthropic causes.

"While I have some disagreements with the Green Party, I feel that
Charlie has excellent values, and I think he would make a great
alderman," Healey said.

Ward 2 Alderwoman Joyce Chen '01 is currently the only Green Party
member on the Board of Aldermen.

Pillsbury said he would not run against Edwards because she is a popular
incumbent among Ward 19 residents.

Pillsbury graduated from Yale in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in Latin
American studies. Since 1989, he has served as executive director of
Community Mediation, a local nonprofit dedicated to enabling individuals
and communities to resolve disputes amicably.

He ran against U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro for Congress in 2002 and lost to
Edwards in the 2003 Ward 19 aldermanic race.

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

31) The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia); April 23, 2005

CANADA: GREENS TARGET JUNK FOOD, TOBACCO, POLLUTERS, GAMBLING: POLICY I
PARTY PRIORITIES WOULD BE EDUCATION, HEALTH

by Glenn Bohn

The Green party says it can raise $700 million to restore slashed B.C.
government programs and boost funding for health, education and other
Green priorities by hiking taxes on junk food, tobacco, pollution and
gambling.

Greens say another $600 million in new revenue would come from higher
royalties and taxes imposed on companies that extract and sell
publicly-owned resources, such as forestry, mining and energy firms.

Those are some of the highlights in the party's first Green Budget, a
three-page summary of how much each of the party's 10 priorities would
cost, and where the money would come from.

Party leader Adriane Carr says the Liberals and New Democrats don't get
their priorities right.

"This is a budget that's tough on polluters and activities that cost our
society and our health," Carr said at a Vancouver news conference.

"The wastefulness of resources, like raw log exports, the pollution and
toxics, like the ones that end up in our air, water and food; we pay for
those costs, in the long run. This budget rewards a lighter footprint,
like energy conservation. Getting on a sustainable path means changing
the way we do business."

The Green budget lists proposed changes to the provincial Liberal
budget.

They would be massive changes, such as $538 million more for public
education and services for children, $369 million for health initiatives
such long-term-care beds and community health clinics, $300 million for
public transit and affordable housing, $270 million for such things as
value-added forestry, eco-tourism, arts and culture and wild fisheries.

The budget looks for almost $1.3 billion in additional tax revenues.
Anyone who buys gasoline, tobacco and junk food would pay more in taxes.
By restoring 2001 tax levels for the top 2.5 per cent of income-earners,
the Greens say the government could take in $460 million. The
second-biggest new stream of tax revenues would come from a
five-cents-per-litre fuel tax. The gambling tax, a 10-per-cent tax on
earnings above $100, would bring in a projected $100 million.

One of the Greens' proposed tax cuts is an end to the provincial sales
tax on made-in-B.C. goods -- a $100-million cut in provincial revenues.

Another proposed tax cut would reduce taxes for small businesses, to two
per cent from the current four per cent, over three years.

Greens also want to cut some of the Liberal government's dearest
projects, including the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver rapid transit line
and the proposed twinning of Port Mann Bridge.

The bottom-line numbers offered by the Greens: total increased revenues
of $2.216 billion; total increased expenses of $1.967 billion; a
projected surplus of $249 million -- money earmarked for debt reduction.

Green party deputy leader Dennis Perry, a retired investment banker,
suggested British Columbians will accept that kind of "balanced"
approach.

"We're going into a new era where we won't have the cheap fossil fuels
that we historically had," he said. "This pushes and motivates us into
going into that new era."

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      THE GREEN PARTY OF CONNECTICUT is the third largest political party in CT. The Greens are also the third largest political party in the US, with 220 Greens officeholders in 27 states. Over 80 countries in world have Green Parties. Wangari Maathai, the 2004 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is Kenya's assistant minister for environment and an elected Green Party member.



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