You can help to turn Kooyong marginal

Senator Bob Brown and Peter Campbell, Greens candidate for Kooyong

Your help in Kooyong handing out "how to vote cards" for me on the 24 November would be greatly appreciated.

While Kooyong is a fairly safe Liberal-held seat, we can change the political landscape by making it marginal. There is even a very slim chance that the Labor candidate Dr Ken Harvey might tip out the Liberal incumbent (Petro Georgiou).

Kooyong has the 10th highest Green vote in the country, with your help we can move further up the ranks and force reaction from both the old parties.

Everyone in Kooyong can benefit from an increase in the Greens vote - if the margin the seat is held by continues to decline the seat will become "marginal" so it will benefit from the largesse that is showered on such seats during election campaigns. Voting 1 Green really does count.

You will notice that Kooyong has received no such attention this campaign. The Howard goverment takes voters in the seat for granted.

If you would like to help with the campaign, please contact me via Facebook or via this web form (which sends an email)

Regards, Peter

Street stalls around Kooyong

We have been out in the community visiting strip shopping centres such as Balwyn, Glenferrie Road and Camberwell. We hand out the Green Times newspaper which has some excellent articles on the problems with WorkChoices, setting climate targets, how to improve public education, forest conservation and West Papua.

Many people have told me they are greatly concerned about climate change, and that the old parties are not doing enough about it.

I think it is becoming increasingly apparent that if you want real action on climate change, both in the House of Representatives and in the Senate, your best option is to vote 1 Green.

Jenny handing out the popular Green Times newspaper in Camberwell

ABC TV Difference of Opinion on climate change

I was in the studio audience of the ABC Difference of Opinion TV program on climate change on Thursday 8 November.

I was lucky enough to be able to make the statement that Australia really should ratify the Kyoto protocol and participate in good faith with international efforts to tackle climate change, then ask Guy Pearce whether we should have shorter term emission reduction targets for 2020. Guy's emphatic answer was "yes, these are essential" You can read the transcript and watch the program on the Internet here

AUDIENCE MEMBER (me): On the issue of Australia's leadership position, I have a question for Guy. If Malcolm Turnbull can lead the world on light globes by saying, let's move to the compact fluorescent light globes and the rest of the world follows California and Europe, surely we can do the same thing, by developing our clean energy and getting it 25% renewable target. And short-term energy targets in place.

GUY PEARSE: I couldn't agree more. APPLAUSE I think what we've seen is a very deliberate attempt to steer clear of the fact that really counts, and that is, that Australia' emissions are on track to rise 70% by mid century. That's the trajectory we're currently on. But, instead we're snowed with a series of press releases about how we're banning the bulb, we need 800 steps of that scale in order to cut our emissions by 60% by mid century. We hear all about our $3.5 billion climate change budget. But, you know, on day one of this election campaign, John Howard gave away 10 times as much in one tax cut, the sixth tax cut in a row. APPLAUSE What really matters is whether we're pursuing those deep cuts in emissions. Right now we're headed in exactly the opposition direction.

Links

• Should Australia ratify the Kyoto protocol and push for binding global emissions?

Peter Campbell, Greens candidate for Kooyong

Peter Campbell has lived in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs all his life. He attended Greythorn High School before undertaking his tertiary education at Latrobe University. Peter is married with 1 child and lives in Surrey Hills in an environmentally friendly renovated house that exports electricity to the grid from twenty solar panels and is self sufficient for water.



Peter works as an IT consultant, and enjoys bushwalking, climbing, kitesurfing, skiing and cycling. These outdoor activities have led him to be active on sustainability and conservation for over 20 years, including the protection of native forest and wilderness areas, the promotion of public transport and cycling, addressing climate change and promoting renewable energy. Peter believes that social justice issues such as education, health and employment conditions are intrinsically linked to environmental issues.

Peter’s local activities include:

• Committee member and former chairperson of Friends of South Surrey Park.
• Membership of the Boroondara Bicycle User Group and promotion of the proposed Eastern Rail Trail
• Field Organiser with Bushwalkers Search and Rescue which assists Police with search and rescue activities throughout Victoria.
• Local climate change campaigning and advocacy
• Founder of Greenlivingpedia.org website for sharing information on sustainable living.

If elected to parliament, Peter will work to:

• Take real action on climate change by setting goals for Kooyong to become carbon neutral and introducing a target of reducing Australia’s greenhouse emissions to 30% below 1990 levels by 2020 and to 80% below by 2050.
• Secure Victoria’s water supply and protect endangered animals by stopping logging in water catchments and our ancient forests.
• Create more childcare places in Kooyong.
• Obtain Federal funding for more safe and convenient bicycle paths and routes for local and commuter use.
• Uphold our freedom of speech, which is essential for democracy and human rights.
• Secure Federal funding for improving public transport so that services are fast, reliable, frequent and well-connected.

Contact Peter Campbell via e-mail kooyong@greens.org.au or mobile 0409 417 504.

About Kooyong
Kooyong is an eastern inner metropolitan electorate covering an area of approximately 49 sq km stretching from Kew and Hawthorn in the west to Balwyn and Canterbury in the east, and from Balwyn North in the north to Hawthorn East and Camberwell in the south. Its suburbs include Balwyn, Balwyn North, Canterbury, Hawthorn, Hawthorn East, Kew, Kew East and parts of Camberwell, Glen Iris and Surrey Hills.

For a more detailed map of the district, visit the Australian Electoral Commission's website

Additional information

Greens historical results in Kooyong:

• 2004: 12.54 % - the 11th highest Green vote in Australia
  
• 2001: 10.72 % - the 10th highest Green vote in Australia
  
• 1994: 28.03% by election, Peter Singer

On 28 May The Age reported poll results of a swing to Labor in Victoria running at 10%, which would meant that if an election was held now the Liberals would lose Kooyong which is held by Petro Georgiou on 9.6%.

Sir Robert Menzies held seat for the Liberals from 1934 to 1966.