C'mon John, Give Aussies Something To Celebrate - Greens

Green Media Release. 25th January 2006.

Tomorrow is Australia Day, but John Howard's failure to take any real action on human-induced climate change has given Australians little to celebrate, the Green Party says.

"Australia Day should be a day when all Australians can feel a sense of pride in their country, instead many will be hanging their heads in shame thanks to Howard's continued failure to ratify the Kyoto climate protection treaty and his ongoing efforts to undermine it," Co-Leader Russel Norman says.

"As one of the planet's leading developed nations and biggest per capita polluters, Australia has an obligation to help correct the damage humankind has done to our planet. Instead Howard continues to stick his head in the sand of his drought-stricken country," Dr Norman says.

Dr Norman and Green MP Sue Kedgley, accompanied by a number of John Howard look-alikes and a couple of thirsty wallabies, delivered a letter of protest to the Australian High Commission in Wellington today so that it can be forwarded to Mr Howard in time for Australia Day. At the same time, in Auckland, MP Keith Locke delivered a similar letter to the Australian Consulate.

The letters outline that climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity with the potential to drastically change the planet. It is a global problem that disregards borders and needs a concerted global effort to combat it.

"We have asked the Australian Government to stop ignoring its responsibility to the rest of us and play its part in combating climate change by ratifying the Kyoto climate protection treaty.

"That Government has consistently argued against the Kyoto climate protection treaty and pushed its alternative, the AP6, which has no binding greenhouse gas reduction commitments. It has also promoted dangerous and short-sighted nuclear power," Dr Norman says.

"It's time for this attitude to change. C'mon John, don't come the raw prawn with me, we all know that AP6 is a copout. Ratify Kyoto and work with the rest of the world to tackle this problem," Dr Norman says.

ENDS

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