Greens getting on with the job

Tomorrow, 1 September, marks one year since the Australian Greens signed an historic agreement with Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s Labor Government.

“The Gillard agreement has achieved outcomes for Australians in terms of passage of bills and lack of confrontation between the houses. We have consultation instead of confrontation,” Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

“The agreement was reached after the Greens secured a breakthrough win with Adam Bandt in the lower house seat of Melbourne and a record number of senators, and contains detailed policy and accountability mechanisms. One year on many of these are now in place,” Senator Brown said.

Achievements include:

• The Multi-Party Climate Change Committee has produced a carbon price mechanism with legislation to be introduced into the Parliament shortly.

• The first phase of the high speed rail study has been completed with the second phase to begin soon.

• The Parliament debated Australia’s military commitment in Afghanistan for the first time since troops were sent.

• Parliamentary reform has ensured there is dedicated time to debate Private Members’ Bills and motions in both houses.

• Legislation to establish a Parliamentary Budget Office to improve transparency and accountability in the budget has been introduced.

• A consultation process has begun to provide for the recognition of Indigenous people in our Constitution.

• The Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Local Government has been established and had its first meeting.

• An Advisory Council on Dental Health is being established to advise on the best way forward, with reforms to dental health being a priority for the 2012–13 Budget.

• The Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters is holding an inquiry into the public funding of elections.

• The process of the Greens providing input into the budget has led to significant reform of the tax treatment of company cars, increasing revenue for the government and reforming a scheme that was environmentally harmful.