Jess speaks to Australian Services Union

listen to Jess address the meet the candidates meeting organised by the Australian Services Union (ASU) on Thursday July 29. Other speakers were George Takacs (Greens) and Sharon Bird (ALP). Liberal candidate Philip Clifford didn't attend.

Julia Gillard's climate 'plan': more talk while icecaps melt

Jess Moore's climate plan: boost public investment in renewables now

MEDIA RELEASE

Wednesday July 28 - 'Julia Gillard's "new" climate policy is the same as it was under Kevin Rudd: more talk, and inaction', said Jess Moore, Socialist Alliance candidate for Cunningham.

'But delay is denial. The climate crisis demands urgent action now. As Julia Gillard herself said in 2008: "Climate change is the biggest social and economic challenge of our generation. The science is overwhelming and after years of inaction, we can no longer sit on our hands and hope that the problem goes away".

'That’s why I and the Socialist Alliance support a comprehensive plan for stripping carbon emissions out of power generation, like Zero Carbon Australia’s 10-year stationary energy plan (see http://media.beyondzeroemissions.org/ZCA2020_Stationary_Energy_Report_v1.pdf). Immediate large-scale public investment for 100% renewable energy by 2020 is not only essential but would create jobs.'

Moore, a leading renewable energy campaigner in Wollongong, added: 'On July 23, Labor - equally frightened of offending the big polluters and losing marginal seats - joined the Coalition in producing more pretend climate policy, like:

• New coal-fired power stations having to be “ready” to capture carbon-dioxide when 15 coal-fired stations are on line in NSW alone and commercial Carbon Capture and Storage technology doesn’t exist;
  
• $1 billion over 10 years to upgrade Australia's electricity grid for renewable energy when the full cost of the job is about $90 billion;
• Cutting $520 million from renewable energy programs to fund a ‘cash-for-clunkers’ scheme - a handout to the polluting car industry!'

Moore stressed: 'According to Gillard Australia now needs a "citizens assembly" to create a consensus about the seriousness of global warming. This is nonsense! It's a delay tactic that benefits the big polluters while selling out our future.

'The vast majority of Australians want to see a quick transition to climate sustainability. The sticking point is - who’s going to pay the bill.

'But it’s easy to find the resources if we want to. For example, the Zero Carbon Australia plan could be funded by cuts to wasteful military expenditure, subsidies to polluters and private schools and by taxing the corporate polluters and billionaires. This approach would also answer Coalition scare campaigns about "a great big new tax on everything".'

Moore concluded: 'The big parties are selling out our future at this election. People should vote for a climate policy based on the polluters paying and with boosted public investment in renewables at its heart.

'We should also mobilise and demand real action. The August 14 Walk Against Warming provides a great opportunity to do just that.'

Campaign leaflet - what we stand for

To help distribute / letterbox the campaign leaflet, please contact 0425 329 963 or email bendigo1977@yahoo.com.au

Jess speaks about people powered change

Jess interviewed on ABC radio

Listen to Jess interviewed on local ABC radio, Friday July 23, 2010: http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2010/07/seat-of-the-week-cunningham.html?site=illawarra&program=illawarra_mornings

Candidate helps build Aboriginal protest house in remote NT

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday July 22, 2010 - Jess Moore, Socialist Alliance candidate for Cunningham, has just returned from the Northern Territory where she helped put the roof on the Alyawarr people's 'protest house'. The Alyawarr people have walked out of Ampilatwatja, a remote Aboriginal town about 350 kilometres north east of Alice Springs, to protest government treatment and the Northern Territory intervention. They have set-up a camp on their traditional lands just out of Ampilatwatja; the protest house is the first building to be constructed.

‘The Alyawarr people are an inspiration; working on the house was just amazing. They are taking things into their own hands after repeated government failures in the areas of housing, health and education and being supported by solidarity activists and trade unionists. We need to show solidarity with the Alyawarr people and their walk-off', said Moore.

Moore also attended the Defending Indigenous Rights gathering in Alice Springs, which took place over July 6-9 and brought together 200 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people from around the country.

‘The immense poverty and Third World conditions inflicted upon Aboriginal people was a stark feature of the gathering', she said. 'There were stories of communities without doctors, schools or housing, and the inability of remote communities to access fresh fruit or veggies (a lettuce cost $14(!) in one community). This was also very visible in Alice Springs with widespread homelessness among Aboriginal people.'

In Ampilatwatja, Moore could see first-hand the effects of the intervention. The complete lack of real employment for Aboriginal people was striking.

'There are people in the community who desperately want to work. And there is certainly plenty that needs doing. But with the intervention came welfare quarantining, and changes to the Community Development Employment Projects. Aboriginal people now are forced to work for the dole, and half their payment is put onto the Basics Card, which can only be used at certain stores to buy certain things', she said.

'This is nothing more than working for rations, and it’s happening across the Territory. Unless government policy changes more communities will follow the lead of the Alyawarr people. I'll be returning to the walk-off camp again to help out, and plan to organise others from the South Coast to join me'.

'Every election candidate should get out to remote Aboriginal communities and see the impact of the NT intervention for themselves. The gap is not being closed, it's getting wider. And an enormous amount of public money is being spent to starve Aboriginal people off their land.’

'The human impact of the racist NT intervention must be brought to light. Out of sight cannot be out of mind. Aboriginal people are living in Third World conditions in wealthy Australia. We must put an end to this!', she concluded.

Northern Leader profiles Cunningham candidates

Check out these brief profiles of the candidates standing in the seat of Cunningham, including Jess. It provides an excellent summary of what she stands for.

The Cunningham ballot paper

This image from today's Illawarra Mercury. Now that the election has been called for Saturday August 21 we need all hands on deck to build the campaign for a real alternative in Cunningham! Jess is standing for action on climate, jobs, health, education, marriage equality and against racism. Can you help? Please email bendigo1977@yahoo.com.au or ring 0425 329 963 if you can help with any of the following: Letterboxing, fundraising (or make a donation, we need to raise at least $3000, can you donate $100?), staffing a polling booth on August 21, door-knocking, ringing members and supporters to help out, designing/writing/producing leaflets or other media (blog, website etc).

Let's hit the campaign trail!

Jess helps build Aboriginal protest house in NT

Jess has just returned from the Northern Territory, and the remote Aboriginal community of Ampilatwatja, about 350km north east of Alice Springs. She is pictured here drilling roof panels on to the protest house. The Alyawarr people have walked out of Ampilatwatja to protest the NT intervention and government treatment. They have set up camp on their traditional lands and plan to build a sustainable community including permaculture gardens. The protest house is the first solid structure (visit http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/43192 for more info). Jess is helping to organise more work brigades to the walk-off camp in the future, of which hopefully there will be many.

Jess at the Aboriginal rights convergence

Friday July 9, 2010 - Jess (pictured, centre, with other Illawarra participants) has been taking part in the Aboriginal rights convergence in Alice Springs, NT.

The convergence has been a fantastic success, culminating in a 300 strong march and rally through the streets of Alice today. The rally demanded an end to the racist NT intervention and an end to welfare quarantining, among other things.

Participants have heard from a range of inspiring speakers including Aboriginal elders and activists from all over Australia.

What Gillard did to higher education

By Jess Moore

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is seeking to differentiate herself from ousted Kevin Rudd to show her promotion to PM is more than an attempt to re-badge a political party in crisis.

In this context, it is worth looking at her record in government. This is a look at the changes to and proposals for higher education launched by Gillard as education minister in Transforming Australia’s Higher Education System, the government’s proposed 10-year agenda for reforming the nation’s higher education system.

For whole article visit http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/44639