Greens launch western Sydney campaign

By Sarah Harris

Parramatta — The NSW Greens launched five western Sydney candidates' federal election campaigns at a meeting of 30 people on July 23.

Greens Senate candidates John Sutton and Kath Moore said the Greens were an alternative to One Nation and the two major parties, but found it difficult to get mainstream media coverage.

Sutton noted that the Greens had been more electorally successful in NSW than other states, with 20 local councillors. The NSW Greens are running 50 candidates for House of Representatives seats.

Five western Sydney candidates — three of them recent joiners — spoke: Leslie Edwards for Lindsay, Cindy Taylor for Mitchell, Jamie Thomson for Reid, Peter Wright for Parramatta and Bob Knowland for Chifley. The Blue Mountains group has not yet chosen its candidate.

The Greens will be running on opposing the Badgerys Creek airport, preventing urban sprawl, encouraging recycling, saving Aboriginal sites, abolishing the two-year migrant waiting period for welfare, promoting public transport, cleaning up rivers and opposing the GST.

They also mentioned the importance of reducing consumption to save the environment and having a vision of economic and social justice.

When asked about how to combat One Nation and the Coalition's racist policies, Sutton replied that the Greens have been debating their response and local Greens groups would work out their own tactics.

From GLW issue 327