[Peakoil] Fwd: [Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE - SENATOR CHRISTINE MILNE - Greens call for strategy to oil-proof Australia in response to high petrol prices

[Antony Barry]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Willis, Katrina (Sen C. Milne)" <Katrina.Willis at APH.GOV.AU>
> Date: 7 August 2006 11:30:29 AM
> To: <media at lists.greens.org.au>
> Subject: [Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE - SENATOR CHRISTINE MILNE -  
> Greens call for strategy to oil-proof Australia in response to high  
> petrol prices
>
> MEDIA RELEASE
>
> Monday, 7 August 2006
>
> Greens call for strategy to oil-proof Aust in response to high petrol
> prices
>
> Prime Minister John Howard needs to stop offering a dim hope of lower
> petrol prices and start working on a strategy to reduce Australia's
> dependence on oil, the Australian Greens said today.
>
> Greens energy spokesperson Senator Christine Milne said that after 10
> years the coalition government had failed to recognise the risk to
> Australia from our increasing dependence on imported oil and the  
> looming
> global crunch posed by Peak Oil.
>
> "Prime Minister Howard has done next to nothing to ready the  
> country for
> the age of dwindling oil supply and high oil prices, and as a result
> Australians are feeling the pinch," Senator Milne said in Canberra.
>
> "High oil prices will flow through the economy, adding to inflationary
> pressures of the recent round of income tax cuts that went mostly to
> high income earners. In the meantime, Australians on low incomes,  
> on the
> edges of cities, and in regional and rural communities are hurting.
>
> "The Greens identified the oil crisis as one of the greatest risks to
> the Australian economy. That's why we pushed for the Senate oil  
> inquiry.
>
> "We need a strategy to oil-proof Australia, not a short-term political
> fix or the misplaced hope that oil prices will fall.
>
> "Prime Minister Howard should immediately:
> 	*	Begin the process to redesign Australian cities, with
> huge investment in public transport.
> 	*	Remove the GST on public transport. This would have the
> added benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
> 	*	Make vehicle fuel efficiency standards mandatory.
> 	*	Provide a rebate to individuals and businesses for the
> cost of converting vehicles from petrol to LPG and natural gas.
> 	*	Invest in the development of alternative fuels, and the
> distribution network to make them easily accessible.
> 	*	Remove the barriers to the importation of electric
> vehicles and convert the government's car fleet to more fuel efficient
> vehicles."
>
> Contact: Katrina Willis 03 6234 4566 or 0437 587 562
>
>
> Katrina Willis
> Adviser
> Senator Christine Milne
> Phone 03 6234 4566
> Fax 03 6234 2144
> Mobile 0437 587 562
> www.christinemilne.org.au
>
> --
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