Hello again

If I had regular readers, they would have noticed that nothing has happened here since the state election. I'm thinking of changing things around a bit and kicking something off, but I've been rather occupied by a new job, growing children and, recently, exams and assignments.

But I see ol' mate Possum has leapt off from a twitter exchange we had this morning and asked a very good question of his readership: "Why don't you vote Green". He's kindly included a link to this little ol' blog, so I thought I should rush up a quick "Hello" to anyone who comes over for a squizz.

So, not a lot to see, but post a comment to let me know you've come by. Over the weekend I'll publish some responses to the comments at Possum's. And any that show up here as well!

Help wanted

We're down to the last week now and I'm desperately seeking a few more volunteers to help out on polling day. If you'd like to help Put a Green in Greenslopes, the best possible thing you could do is to help us out hand out how to vote cards on Saturday. A little bit of time in the morning, or at lunchtime (to give someone else a little break) will be a huge help. It's not hard, it's not demanding, but it makes a really big difference to our vote.

If you can help at any time on Saturday, please email volunteers@putagreeningreenslopes.net and we'll sort something out.

Donations are also gratefully accepted and are tax deductible. Email darryl@putagreeningreenslopes.net if you can help us out with some of our costs.

Policies

I've had a link to the Qld Greens' policies over in the sidebar for some time but I think it need promoting a little more, and I'd like to talk about some of the policies as they effect the voters of Greenslopes specifically.

The policies I've been highlighting for Greenslopes are:

Protecting the character of our suburbs

Real protection for character houses. Perserve and increase our green spaces. More community involvement to prevent inappropriate development. There's more in our Planning and Development policy.

Refitting homes for energy efficiency

Our "EASI-Q" plan (Energy Efficiency Access and Saving Initiative - Queensland) will roll out free energy audits in every home across the state, with the Government paying the upfront cost of efficiency upgrades. Households will pay back the cost over 10 years, with monthly payments capped at the amount of energy you are saving. EASI-Q will create 3 200 Green jobs by its fifth year of operation. You can read more about it in this pdf (it's only available in pdf, sorry) in our Climate Change and Energy policy.

Public Transport free for under 21s & seniors

Free travel for under 21s and seniors. New and improved bus routes and public transport reliability to quickly and cheaply get you where you need to do, when you need to go. It's all in our Transport Policy.

Childcare

Create more local jobs in community childcare centres to increase the number of places available. The Greens in the Commonwealth Parliament are also working to amend the Rudd government's Fair Work bill to introduce 26 weeks paid parental leave for all Australian workers.

Better recycling, cleaner environment

Contain deposits – cash back on glass, metal and plastic containers. Modeled on the hugely sucessful South Australian scheme. Nationally, the recovery rate for non-refillable soft rink bottles in 36%, whether glass or plastic, but South Australians recover 74% of plastic bottles and 85% of glass ones! That would be a huge reduction in waste and litter and a big boost to the recycling industry, creating more local Green jobs.

That's a few highlights that I think are particularly relevant to Greenslopes. Here are links to the rest of our policies on the Qld Greens website:

• Biodiversity and the Environment
• Climate Change and Energy
• Democracy
• Economics
• Education
• Food and Agriculture
• Health
• Indigenous Queenslanders
• Industrial Relations
• Planning and Development
• Seniors
• Transport
• Water

About Darryl

There's a short bit about me in the sidebar, but I thought I should write something new and link to it from the top of the site. I guess if people are coming here they'd like to know something about me, and since most visitors are coming from the Queensland Greens website I should write something new for them.

Unfortunately, I really don't like writing about myself, a fatal flaw in a politician perhaps! But here we go anyway.

My name is Darryl Rosin. I'm 37 years old, was born in Maryborough and raised in Wynnum-Manly, where I attended school and lived until I moved out of the family home to live closer to University with friends (as was the fashion at the time). I joined the Greens in about 2001, because they were (and are) the only party that was looking a the big picture challenges of life in the 21st Century, and I thought they could use all the help they could get.

I first stood as a candidate in 2004, in Greenslopes, because I think it's my duty to stand up for what I believe in. Democracy and Elections are all about people taking a public stand and asking people to vote for them. I'm reasonably articulate in public and thought I might have some success as a candidate. I think I've done OK over the years, which have been three times in Greenslopes, once in Griffith against Kevin Rudd in 2004 and as a Senate candidate in 2007. I was third on the ticket but got about 700 votes, which was quite a shock. I don't have 700 friends, but I must have impressed a few people enough to find me on the list, then fill in all 65 boxes.

I'm married with two children and according to my payslip I'm an "IT Professional" at a large University, where I work with researchers in the visual and performing arts, looking after a lot of computer equipment. I've made my career in Higher Education, mostly in the creative arts area, which has been great so far.

That might do for now. I'll write more in a little while.

Website maintenance

I've added some links to the top of my website, and I've come to realise that the easiest way to make them work is to write a blog post for each article, rather than try and make a new page. Despite being an "IT guy" I'm not actually a web developer and I'm also terribly limited by time, so I have to take the simple option. I was actualy in the process of getting a wordpress site up and running when the election was called, but I've stuck with blogger because it was already there.

The one thing I haven't got working that I really wanted was online donations, but I really don't think I can justify the time sorting out the pay pal button (or more significantly, redesigning the site so there's a good place for the pay pal button.) If you do feel moved to donate to my campaign, email darryl@putagreeningreenslopes and we'll work it out.

Anyways, I should get the rest of these posts written before I run out to erect more signs...

Meanwhile...

Wow. That week went fast.

I had the flu last week, which slowed me down terribly. But now my signs are going up and leaflets are being distributed and how to vote cards are being printed.

I was at the Mt Gravatt markets last sunday, which was great fun. Three people volunteered to have signs in their yard and one woman said she would hand out how to vote cards. A nice young woman with a British accent gave me a banana and I saw my friend Chris with his son, and my friend Ward with his wife and daughter. I'm looking forward to going back this Sunday and also after the election, so I can have a better look around.

Now I have some reading I must do before tomorrow morning. I'll write again tomorrow night about my plan for this coming final week.

d

Clean up Australia Day and my anti-pollution policies

I went over to Mott Park in Holland Park on Sunday for Clean Up Australia Day, organized by the Victor Street Scout Troop, where my son has just started attending. His sister is at the Wynola Guides up the road, which is kind of handy. Anyway, it was a great day with much rubbish collected, which means it was also a bad day beacuse there was so much rubbish to be collected. I didn't see the breakdown of what was collected, but I can say with some certainty that the largest volume was recyclable bottles and cans, and one of the most common items was plastic shopping bags.

We also announced some anti-pollution policies and initatives to go along with the day:

Container deposit legislation

Modelled on the ong-standing and highly successful South Australian system, the Queensland system would offer cash back on glass, plastic and metal containers. Reducing litter, doubling items recycled and creating green-collar jobs in the recycling industries. Nationally, the recovery rate for non-refillable soft drink bottles is 36%, whether glass or plastic but South Australians recover 74% of plastic bottles and 85% of glass ones. Why? There's a financial incentive! I remember as a kid taking Tristram's bottles back to the shop for money. It was a good idea then and it's a good idea now

Banning plastic shopping bags

Queenslanders used nearly one billion plastic shopping bags last year last year, most of which end up in landfills or our waterways, presenting a serious threat to wildlife. Fewer and fewer people want them, shops are less willing to give them out, it's time to get rid of them.

An Environmental Protection Authority

A statutory authority with the responsibility to enforce environmental regulation, independent from the government of the day and better able to take on the big polluters. This will create many economic opportunities for companies and environmental experts who will be needed to clean up the acts of many enterprises. Pollution is a huge problem, just look at what's happened with the floods in Queensland picking up toxic waste from the mines. No one likes pollution, everyone wants to reduce it. Waste is unsaleable production, stuff business is paying to produce, but cannot sell. The EPA we are proposing will help businesses better understand what they are produce and provide incentives to reduce the pollution.

If I'm elected, these are three of the pro-active reforms I will be working to introduce. You can help make it happen by voting 1 Darryl Rosin to Put a Green in Greenslopes on March 21