Bob Brown: 'World needs social justice for all'
By Jim McIlroy
BRISBANE — "Social justice will not have been achieved until everyone in the world has social rights and the right to live", Tasmanian Green MP Bob Brown told a dinner for the Queensland Greens' federal election campaign here on February 2.
"Only when we reach out from our own relatively rich country to help people get the social justice they deserve will we be doing our part.
"The crisis is not only with the environment but sheer economic injustice — not being able to read, to choose how many children to have, clean water, making decisions about our lives."
The economic gap is widening, not only between countries but within countries, Brown said.
The "all-pervading and evil philosophy of economic rationalism dominates on a global scale" right now.
"Unfortunately, both major parties in Australia are imbued with it: Let the market rule, they say.
"Well, the Greens don't believe in this. Governments should be judged by how they treat those on the bottom rung.
"Greens believe in a guaranteed minimum income, to assure everyone of a basic living standard."
Greens are "not just environmentalists", Brown said. "We support the four pillars of the West German Greens: social justice, environment, peace and democracy."
The Greens are fielding candidates in all seats in several states, including Queensland, he added.
"We are at the start of a coming revolution", Brown said, "imbued with optimism that we can change the world as we go into the next century".
Answering a question from the audience about possible alliances in the coming federal election, Brown urged an exchange of preferences to maximise the alternative vote.
However, everyone should work for the party of their choice. "Those people who want to should vote for Labor, for the Democrats, for the Democratic Socialists or for the Greens."