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Liberal candidate for Forde Wendy Creighton banned local Cedar Vale mum Kim Bax from filming her reply to some key questions on Climate Change at a local candidates forum on Tamborine Mountain. "None of the other candidates had a problem," said Kim, "just Wendy, it's a disgrace." Kim is not a member of any political party, and has a history of community campaigns, particularly her fight for school bus seatbelts, when she bluntly criticised the State ALP. "I'm not fussy," she said, "I'll speak my mind to any politician, I expect them all to be accountable." Brett Raguse for Labour, Hajnal Ban for the Nationals and Andy Grodecki for the Greens had all previously agreed to answer Kim's pointed questions on climate in privately filmed interviews, but Wendy refused that too. "It's a great project" Kim said, "I'm going to film local people as well, ask them what they think, then post the results to the web. Not everyone can speak to candidates, and Climate's a crucial issue." Kim's also disappointed Wendy reneged on her public promise to send her answers by email when she got home after the Forum. "I've had nothing" Kim said, "maybe my questions are too hard for her." Kim wants to know:-

. . . and, Kim added, those facts were gleaned from senior Liberal Party member Guy Pearse, in his new book "High and Dry," and not from some far-out partisan publication.

From Wendy, to Kim (10.43am, Fri 7th Sept), with an added link (opens in a new window), to the answers she sent me:- TOP

The email was sent last night as promised, it did not bounce back nor was any error message received.

I trust your apology will be as widespread as your criticism.

Kim replies again to Wendy:-

Subject: RE: From Kim Bax/to Wendy Creighton (cc Forde press)

Wendy, I am not apologising - I simply did not receive your email. I am not lying, neither am I saying you are lying. Obviously, unknown to both of us, something got snarled in cyber space.

You are not responsible for that. Neither am I.

This correspondence (which I'll publish to my website), fully corrects the record - but I don't think I've got anything to "Apologise" for. And further, when are you going to explain (and "Apologise" for), you outright refusal to allow me to film last night?

Regards, Kim TOP

Liberal candidate Wendy Creighton calls my Community Climate Film Project a "Home video," denies "Banning" me, refuses to explain further and accuses me of failing to correct the record . . . Her email to me of Friday 7th Sept 2007, followed by my reply TOP

From: Wendy Creighton's Campaign

Date: 7/09/2007 2:52:53 PM

To: 'WiccedWoman'

Subject: RE: From Kim Bax/to Wendy Creighton (cc Forde press)

Dear Kim

I politely declined your invitation and explained why in the first instance. I have comprehensively answered your questions. While I am standing for public office, I think I still have the right to decide in whose home videos I appear.

I don’t understand why you describe it as a “disgrace” that I declined your invitation to be videoed (I declined an invitation, I did not “ban” anything) and I don’t believe it needs to be explained further. What is a disgrace is sending out an email to all and sundry saying that I reneged on a promise when in fact I hadn’t. If you did not receive the email, a simple courtesy email to myself could have sorted it out before you sent out your widespread defamatory comments.

Your failure to correct the incorrect statements you’ve made about me speaks volumes.

Wendy

And here's my reply:-

From: WiccedWoman

Date: 7/09/2007 3:08:08 PM

To: Wendy Creighton's Campaign

Subject: RE: From Kim Bax/to Wendy Creighton (cc Forde press)

Wendy, last night at the candidates forum I was asked not to film at all, at your request. That is a ban.

Further, I'm creating a great deal more than a "Home video." It will be published to the net, and the local press have indicated they are interested in my project. Further still, none of the other candidates have any objection to appearing in my (as you put it), "Home video."

I did not receive the email you sent out last night with the attached information. You have corrected that mis-understanding, and have published our correspondence in full. I believe that sets the record straight. I have also published your answer to my questions in full, which I'm currently in the process of critiquing (on-line). I'll send you that latter link when it's ready.

Further, the email I circulated this morning also contained a link to my pages, and the press release. Therefore, the later correction, inclusion of your new information and our correspondence is widely available to everyone who cares to look.

I have corrected the record, and your failure to acknowledge that (if I may say so), also speaks volumes.

Warmest wishes, Kim TOP

I'm going to the Federal candidates Forum tonight (Forde), on Tamborine Mountain. Here's the four pages of questions & key facts I'm printing out on Australia & Climate Change, and circulating to all of the candidates, audience and press (links open in new pages):-

I got a wonderful email to-day about building bridges of understanding on Climate Change with my local Liberal candidate Wendy Creighton - and they're soooo right. But I replied with my normal biting honesty . . .

Just sent this pithy 145-word "Letter to the Editor" to 100's of local papers round Australia on APEC & Cimate Change, plus I emailed it to all the State & Federal pollies in Queensland, telling them that . . . TOP

"So little Johnny’s still tagging behind big George at APEC, just like he’s always tagged behind The Shrub and his fossil fuel mates. And desperate to score points on Climate, they chorus on about China and India, when Australia (and the US), spills over four times as much CO2 per person. My Gran always said the proof of the pudding was in the eating, so try this one. Here, the sunniest nation on earth, solar power only saves 476,000 tonnes of CO2 a year, that’s 0.28% of the 170 million tonnes spewed from coal. And Johnny’s spruiked $2.8 billion for Climate? That’s over 25 years, while he pork barrels fossil fuel by $8.9 billion a year. And the Chinese? They’re adding 60 gigawatts of renewable power by 2030. That’s more voltage than our entire country uses. So come on Johnnie, get real. Aussies aren’t stupid." TOP

Forde Liberal Party candidate Wendy Creighton still refuses to talk one-on-one with a local resident on climate change . . . her further email to me of to-day, and my reply.

From Wendy Creighton, to Kim Bax:-

"Dear Kim

Once again, I believe you’ve mis-interpreted what I’ve said. I am not accusing you of political bias, nor any I “whinging about unfairness”.

I simply respect the fact that you have very different views to mine on how to meet the challenge of climate change - and I know there would be little I could do by way of explanation to change them. That’s OK. As I said, I respect that. I hope you will respect my choice not to participate in your You Tube project.

I am happy to outline Howard Government policy directly to local residents – indeed that’s what I’m doing on a daily basis. I am accepting every invitation I get to talk directly to local residents on this and other important issues.

I look forward to meeting you at Tamborine Mountain on Thursday.

Kind regards

Wendy"

And Kim Bax's reply:-

"Dear Wendy,

Thank you for your further reply. Much appreciated.

Though you deny accusing me of bias, it's hard to interpret this sentence in your first reply to me any other way:-

"I get the impression that anything I say to defend or explain government policy will simply be regarded as 'spin' ."

And as for your views on climate change, I wouldn't have a clue what they are (or if they're any different from mine), because I've never discussed the issue with you - and you're currently refusing to talk directly, one-one-one with a "Local resident" (me), on the problem, despite an open invitation to do so. I've lived in the Forde electorate since 1992 (purchasing a house at Cedar Vale), my husband works in the electorate (me too in the past), plus he and my son are long-term members of Woodhill Rural Fire Brigade.

So no Wendy, you are NOT accepting "Every invitation" (as you say), to talk to your local residents on Climate Change - because I'm very much a local resident, and you've definitely snubbed my flexible invitation. Further, neither my family or myself are members of any political party or organisation, and never have been.

And you've not given me any reason for refusing to participate in my You-Tube project, despite the agreement of all the other candidates. As Kay Elson (our current Liberal member), knows I'm very pleasant and don't bite. I'm also professionally qualified as a Registered Nurse, if that helps.

And as far as I'm aware (and going back to you're characterisation of my "Views") :-

CO2 (and other greenhouse gas) emissions urgently need to be cut at least 60% by 2050 (though many experts say it's much more than that).
Various "Climate tipping points" have been identified by many climate experts (which would lead to non-linear, self re-inforcing, runaway climate change). Methane release from melting Artic permafrost is just one example.
The $2.8 billion identified by you as John Howard's fund to fight climate change is to be spent over 25 years.
It's estimated Australia spends $8.9 dollars a year subsidising fossil fuels.
The Government's "Solar Cities Programme," combined with our only solar power station at Mildura, only saves 476,000 tonnes of CO2, which is about 0.28% of Australia's output (of this gas), from burning coal.
The Chinese plan to install 60 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030, and 60 gigawatts is more than Australia's entire (current), electricity use.

. . . So I don't know if I have any particular "Views," rather I'd say I've just stated available facts (to the best of my knowledge), and invited you to comment on them, and/or contradict them. I've not treated you differently to any other candidate in my local electorate.

So it looks like I'll have to catch up with you at the Candidates Forum at Tamborine Mountain. However, all the local press in Forde have been kept fully informed of my intended questions on climate, plus the fair fore-warning and comprehensive information I've given you, plus my invitation to take part in a much more leisurely (and less time constrained), interview at a time and place of your choosing.

Couldn't be fairer than that, could I?

All the best, Kim" TOP

Forde Liberal Party candidate Wendy Creighton refuses to take part in a local You-Tube video project on Climate Change . . .

Here's an email I got from Wendy on Saturday 1st Sept 2007, about my invitation (followed by my reply):-

Wendy"

And here's my reply:-

"Dear Wendy,

Thank you for your reply. And yes, climate change is something I care about very passionately - but I'm not alone. It's the top issue with most Australians too, here's a transcript from the ABC (of just 3 days ago):-

Climate change is biggest concern: Lowy poll

PM - Thursday, 30 August , 2007 18:24:34

Reporter: Leigh Sales

MARK COLVIN: Climate change has overtaken the threat of terrorism as the number one international issue of concern to Australians.

Today, the Lowy Institute for International Policy released its annual poll, charting Australian public opinion on foreign affairs and international issues.

Continued in full here:-

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s2019917.htm

And if you say the figures in Guy Pearse's book are very much out of date, though it's only just hit the book shelves, as his latest blog entry shows (30th Aug 2007):-

http://www.highanddry.com.au/comments.cfm

. . . Then the perfect opportunity for you to make this point would have been via the You-Tube interview I've invited you to.

And Wendy, the "Detailed information" on Co-alition Climate Policy you have offered to send me needs to be personally explained and defended by yourself. You've made a personal decision to represent (or put yourself forward to represent), the people of Forde. The ALP, National and Green candidates have all agreed to go under the public spot light re a local You-Tube Climate Change video project, and none of them (like you), have whinged about "Unfairness." Here's your objection:-

"I get the impression that anything I say to defend or explain government policy will simply be regarded as 'spin' ."

I am not a member of any political party (never have been), and the same goes for my family. In fact, when I applied to join the ALP after my local "Seatbelts on School Buses" campaign (so I could push the issue inside the party), they sent back my money without explanation, reported in our local press and the Courier Mail at the time. Further, my invitation to our local Forde candidates on climate change very clearly put the ALP on the spot too, re their lack Renewable Energy Targets - yet Brett Raguse hasn't complained my "Bias."

Anyway Wendy, I'll be out and about with my camera to-day and next week asking local people all over the electorate what they think about Climate Change, and including rural areas in that survey too. My hubby works in the rural south-west of Beaudesert Shire (and I've worked out there too), plus he and my son are member of our local rural fire brigade - and from personal experience Wendy, I know country people are just as worried about this stuff. I'll also ask them what they think of your refusal to participate in the project.

Lastly, I'll be catching up with you at the candidates forum on Tamborine Mountain soon, along with my digital video camera . . .

Warm regards, Kim" TOP

Well, hating to be unfair to my local Federal candidates (and give them any unexpected surprises), here are the 6 key questions I've sent them to-day on Climate Change - and it's what I'll be asking them in my You-Tube interview . . . (or in the case of Wendy Creighton, Liberal, at the candidates forum on Tamborine Mountain, because she's refused to take part in a one-on-one interview, despite a flexible and open-ended invitation) :- TOP

1. It's agreed that a 60% cut in Global greenhouse gases by 2050 is the absolute minimum to avoid catastrophic climate change (though many expert voices say even this is wildly low). And if you Google:-

. . . you'll get hit in the face by the awesome evidence for that. And as, per capita, Aussies emit more CO2 than any other nation (making our example to the World crucial), by what amount do your party's policies aim to reduce our emissions by then, and can you point me in the direction of the independent, scientifically peer-reviewed evidence for that?

2. Have you heard of "Climate Tipping Points," and can I have your comments on this extremely dangerous phenomenon? And here's a clue, Google:-

3. Here's a quote from Wendy Creighton, Liberal candidate for Forde "The new climate change measures announced in this Budget take the Australian Government’s investment in climate change to $2.8 billion." Is it true that that this $2.8 billion will be spent over 25 years, and do you think it's potentially misleading not to mention that?

4. Sydney University estimates Australia spends around $8.9 billion dollars a year subsidising fossil fuels (which certainly puts spending $2.8 billion over 25 years on climate change into perspective). Here's their paper:-

5. John Howard's new "Solar Cities Programme" (and Australia's only solar powered electricity station at Mildura), will offset about 476,000 tons of CO2 a year - as shown by this Government press release (April 2007), re "Solar Cities":-

. . . and this ABC Lateline programme, re the Mildura Power Station (Oct 2006, quoting Peter Costello):-

Whereas Australia's coal powered electricity stations produce about 170 million tonnes of CO2 a year:-

. . . which means all of the CO2 saved by Australia's Solar Power (added up), only equals 0.28% of the CO2 spewed by coal in this country. What's your response to that?

"According to Li, China's goal to develop renewable energy is to increase its installed renewable energy generating capacity to 60 gigawatts by 2010, about 10 percent of the total power capacity, and 121 gigawatts by 2020, 12 percent of the total."

. . . and 60 gigawatts is more than Australia's entire electricity output. Do you think that proves you can run a modern economy on renewables?

Went to a key Climate Change conference in Brisbane (Parliament House), and also managed to speak face to face to both the Green and Labour candidates (Forde), re doing a You-Tube interview on the subject

Well, it's been a long day. Left home at 6.15am to go to this Climate Change conference, and got home just after 8pm. This morning, I drove to my nearest train stop (about 25 minutes away, Loganlea), and caught the 7am to Brisbane. And who should I bump into at the Station? Brett Raguse ALP candidate for Forde, on the campaign trail. So I said "Hi," and we chatted for a bit. Luckily, I happened to have a copy of Guy Pearse's "High and Dry" on me (an insiders view of Liberal Party spin on Climate Change), so I showed it to him. Brett seemed quite interested in some key facts - like Howard plans to spend $2.8 billion on Climate Change over 25 years, while spending $8 billion a year on the fossil fuel industry, at that it would take 30 Mildura Solar Power Stations to replace even one of our coal fired power ones (of which Australia has 26) - and further, China plans to have 60 gigawats of renewable energy in place by 2030 (more than all of Australia's current electricity production), while Howard's saying you can't run a modern economy on green power. Here's a link to those vital facts (plus more).

Let's just say Brett's interest was piqued, and those key (and shocking), stats certainly raised his eyebrows. So I also reminded him about my invitation to do a You-Tube interview on Climate Change, and got a promise he'd get back to me soon . . . So come on Brett.

Then who should I bump into at the aforementioned Climate Change Conference? Andy Grodecki, Green candidate for Forde. We had a long and pleasant chat, and I mentioned my accidental meeting with Brett Raguse earlier in the morning - and that I hadn't heard from Wendy Creighton (Liberal candidate), re my You Tube "Climate Change" invite (sent to all my local Federal hopefuls). Anyway, Andy mentioned there's a local candidates forum on Tamborine Mountain very soon, so I suppose I could remind Wendy face to face (if I still haven't heard). Andy also said he'd sent me this email accepting my invitation (which I opened when I got home):-

I confirmed with you in our phone discussion on Monday that I happy to be interviewed. I have heavy commitments this week including participation in the 'Leading for the Future - Business and community leaders preparing for the long haul on climate change' Roundtable at Parliament House today, a forum on developing a national strategy for Ecosystem Services on Thursday and a workshop to decide on how to establish a framework for restoring the health of the Logan and Albert (and Lockyer and Bremer) Rivers on Friday.

The Greens have been leading on Climate Change for over a decade - we have been reading the reports and listening to the environmental economists and climate scientists and other experts and it has only been the Greens that have pressed for the re-adoption of MRETs and the introduction of other effective low-cost proven already existing technologies and policy solutions for many years. If you were to examine Hansard (the Parliamentary record) you would see the strong stance Bob Brown and the other Senators have taken on this most pressing of issues.

I suggest you and your visitors Google 'Re-energising Australia' for the Greens' very comprehensive policy position and examination of the immense opportunities for Australia if we adopt the solutions advocated in the report.

I will examine my calendar for next week and contact you to arrange a suitable time.

from Gleneagle near Beaudesert. I pay respect to the Mulunjali people, their ongoing culture and enduring homelands.

From Kim Bax, to Wendy Creighton. I've just spoken to Mark Flack (Albert & Logan News), as detailed below - and also below, is my follow-up email to him. Hope it's of interest. I also rang "The Jimboomba Times" this morning, but both the journalists were out and I left a message for them. I'll also be on the blower to-day to The Tamborine Times, and the Boonah & Fassifern Guardian.

Further, here's a hypothetical "Letter to the Editor" that could very well be written about Co-alition climate policies:-

"Liberal hopeful Wendy Creighton says Howard’s spending $2.8 billion on global warming, but she doesn’t say that’s over 25 years, and he spends $8 billion in just one year backing fossil fuels. Neither does she admit he’s spending 11 times more on Iraq than on climate change adaptation (remember the New Orleans levees? I guess John’s following George’s example), and $6 billion on 24 new fighter bombers (are they good at filling dams?). And of the funds tagged for Howard’s “Greenhouse Programme,” 81% has gone to fossil fuel companies. Further, Howard’s much vaunted “Solar Cities Programme” needs to be 30 times bigger than it is to offset the carbon from even one of our 26 coal fired power stations. And while Howard claims you can’t run a modern economy on renewables, the Chinese will have over 60 Gigawatts a year coming from biomass and wind by 2030. This is more than all of our coal fired power stations put together. But Wendy, I don’t want to be unfair. All these figures come from Guy Pearse, who joined the Liberals in 1989 and has worked at quite senior levels since (though I guess his career's crimped now, after putting Planet before party). Obviously, you can reply in the press, but I’m also happy to publish you (in full), at www.kimspages.org/wendy.htm I’d love to see you shoot me down in flames via peer reviewed science (not funded by the fossil fuel industry). I’m waiting."

But personally Wendy, I don't see these issues as the least bit "Political." As you know, I've never been a member of any formal group - and when I applied to join the ALP, they sent back my money. Rather, the Co-alition's current path (in my view), represents the capture of of the Party by very narrow interests (and a reading of Guy Pearse's book should give you a deeper insight into that) - and their heavily lobbied interests are in direct conflict with the broader business community, and the broader Australian population. There's nothing inherently anti-business and anti-freedom in a clean, green renewable future (you know, a real one - not a conveniently spun mirage of one).

To Mark Flack, journalist, Albert & Logan News - from Mrs. Kim Bax (Cedar Vale, Forde electorate)

Here's my invitation to all our local candidates re a "You Tube" interview on climate change:-

Further, here's some of the KEY facts from Guy Pearse's new book that I'll be asking them about:

PS - and as I also said on the phone, I'll be out and about asking local people (all over the electorate), for their views - and posting the footage on-line

Someone once described me as a "Gadfly" (affectionately), re my ability to keep buzzing round and annoying the-powers-that-be on various issues - so here's my latest pointed missive on climate change (following up on Friday) . . .

From:- Mrs. Kim Bax, 77 Orion Road, Cedar Vale, Qld 4285

To:- cc list below

Re:- News update re my Invitation to my local Federal candidates (Forde
electorate), e.g. Wendy Creighton (Liberal), Hajnal Ban (National), Brett
Raguse (ALP) & Andy Grodecki (Green), to a local "You Tube" interview on
CLIMATE CHANGE

Goodmorning again,

Here's the recent invitation in question:-

http://www.kimspages.org/dailymusings.htm#emailforde

And here's my press release about it:-

http://www.kimspages.org/dailymusings.htm#pressrelease24aug

. . . and Hajnal Ban (National), has already accepted. I look forward to
hearing from Wendy, Brett and Andy soon. Further, I'll be out and about
this week with my camera (talking to local people), and hope to have some
interviews posted on-line by the weekend. I'll also be speaking
(tomorrow), with all the local press in Forde (and thus following up on my
press release), re photo ops of me and others out and about with our
cameras. In the interim, I think this news article to-day is very relevant
to my invitation, and to my circulated press comments (which is why I'm
taking the time to pass it on):-

The Age, Fairfax

Voters 'up for grabs' on climate change
August 27, 2007 - 3:19PM

Swinging voters in marginal seats saw little difference between the
federal government and Labor on climate change policy, a poll has found.

The independent Climate Institute said the survey it commissioned showed
that Labor could not assume it had an advantage on the issue, and gave the
Coalition an opportunity to regain the initiative.

The poll of nine marginal electorates in NSW, Queensland and South
Australia also found a large majority of voters wanted targets set for
greenhouse gas cuts and strongly favoured renewable energy.

Forty-two per cent of respondents thought Labor was the better party for
climate change, compared with 20 per cent for the Coalition and 38 per
cent who believed they were the equal.

But among swinging voters, 68 per cent could not distinguish between the
two sides, while those with a preference favoured Labor by 19 per cent to
the Coalition's 13 per cent.

Fifty-seven per cent of such respondents would support action on climate
change at the ballot box and 58 per cent said their vote would be
influenced by a policy to reduce greenhouse gases within five years.

Institute chief executive John Connor said the poll was a wake-up call for
both major parties.

"It's up for grabs really in some of these marginal seats," Mr Connor said.

"There's a hunger for decisive action on climate change."

Eighty-six per cent believed Australia should set greenhouse targets and
64 per cent said they would be more likely to vote for a party which had
them.

Labor has committed itself to a 60 per cent target by 2050 but has shied
away from fixing shorter-term targets until at least next year.

The federal government said it would not set any targets until economic
modelling was completed in 2008.

"People want to see action and they want to see clear greenhouse pollution
reduction targets in the next five years," Mr Connor said.

He said the message for the government was that aversion to hard targets
was not going to win them many votes.

Labor, meanwhile, appeared to have lost some momentum by failing to come
out with any major climate change policies in the past few months.

"There's no room for complacency in that regard."

Seventy-nine per cent of respondents believed all electricity should come
from clean energy and 62 per cent were likely to vote for party which
ensured that goal.

The poll also showed that climate change would be a major issue at the
federal election, with 62 per cent indicating that it would influence
their vote.

The survey was conducted on August 11-12 on 1,680 voters in the
electorates of Bennelong, Parramatta and Lindsay in NSW, Bonner, Bowman
and Petrie in QLD and Hindmarsh, Kingston and Makin in SA.

It had an indicative margin of error of 2.4 percentage points.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Voters-up-for-grabs-on-climate-change/2007/08/27/1188067004852.html

cc - Hajnal Ban
cc - Wendy Creighton
cc - Brett Raguse
cc - Andy Grodecki
cc - Federal politicians (Qld)
cc - State politicians (Qld)
cc - Various environmental contacts & email lists TOP

Went late night shopping (Garden City, Mount Gravatt), with hubby and daughter yesterday. I spent most of my time in Borders Bookshop (after getting my eyebrows waxed and tinted that is), and picked up a copy of a brand new book on John Howard's response to climate change by a Liberal Party insider (Guy Pearse), called "High & Dry." So far I'm up to page 149, but it's already prompted me to send this email to every politician (State & Federal), in Queensland HERE (opens in a new window), with my short (92 word), sharp "Letter to the Editor" (which editor you might ask? Several hundred local ones, all over Australia . . . ). TOP

My email & invitation to my local Federal candidates (Forde), re interviews on climate change TOP

Invitation to Hajnal Ban (National), Wendy Creighton (Liberal), Andy Grodecki (Green) and Brett Raguse (ALP), re local "You Tube" interviews - (Federal candidates for Forde, Qld)

cc - Federal & State politicians (Qld), plus Peter Garrett - plus various email lists all over Australia to spread the initiative

I've met each of you at some point (except Wendy), and you know my family and I are long term residents of the area.

Yesterday I picked up a new book at Borders in Mount Gravatt, "High & Dry" by Liberal Party insider Guy Pearse, about John Howard and climate change. I'm already a third of the way through, and horrified by what he's written. He says to avoid disaster, we need to reduce greenhouse emissions 60% by 2050, but Howard's trajectory will cause a 70% increase by then.

I personally know that the 60% figure is about right (if not more), as I had the honour of speaking one-on-one to leading climate scientist Dr. Graeme Pearman at The Ethos Foundation (Binna Burra, Beaudesert Shire), earlier this year. I also heard first hand about Dr. Pearman's experience of working under a Howard Government, some of which is documented by Guy Pearse in his book.

Over the next 4 weeks or so I and a few other non-aligned local people will be out and about interviewing other local people re their thoughts on climate change, and with their permission, posting the results on You-Tube. We will also be liaising with all the local press in Forde about this project.

When will you be available to add your voices (and interview), to this fascinating project? My time is flexible, just let me know what would be convenient. I also think it would be helpful if you could make the time to read Guy Pearse's crucial work in the interim. The website is www.highanddry.com.au

And Brett, I would also expect a definitive answer from you on the ALP's "Mandatory Renewable Energy Targets," and it's certainly one of the questions I'll be asking. I rang Peter Garrett's office this morning, and got this email in reply:-

Thanks for your call earlier. I'm sorry I couldn't give you an answer off the top of my head. I actually wasn't sure if we had set one. Unfortunately I still do not have an exact number to give you, because all the ALP has said is that it will be "significally increased".

However, I can assure you that in the lead up to the election a percentage will be released, so keep your eyes pealed!

And then after a Google search, I found these excerpts from an interview with Peter Garrett from almost 3 months ago:-

DAVID MARK: Labor's climate change and the environment spokesman, Peter Garrett, wants the MRETs scheme maintained and expanded, but he's not saying by how much.

PETER GARRETT: We think the idea of abolishing the MRET scheme is a particularly bad idea and is the wrong way to go in terms of getting new investment in clean and renewable energy. It would be Labor policy to maintain the existing MRET but actually increase the percentages because at the moment we have only got a very, very small percentage.

DAVID MARK: You would increase the percentage by what terms?

PETER GARRETT: Well we would put an MRET which is a significant increase on the one per cent that is there and we will certainly be making clear that announcement on MRET on the way to the election.

DAVID MARK: You are not setting a target now?

PETER GARRETT: We will be clearly identifying what we think the MRET target should be before the election.

Local press release (Forde electorate, Qld), re a local Climate Change project/film TOP

Local mum Kim Bax is stunned by the revelations of Liberal Party insider Guy Pearse in his new book "High & Dry." "I was shocked," she says, "he writes that we need to reduce emissions 60% by 2050 to avoid disaster, but Howard's on track to increase them by 70%. So severely rattled, I rang Peter Garrett's office to find out how much renewable energy the ALP plans to put in place, and found they don't know. It's a joke, our politicians are taking us for a ride." But now Kim's determined to put all of them on the spot with a film project asking local people (and local candidates) for their opinion, and posting the results on line. "You Tube is fast becoming the people's media" she said, "it's a way for everyone to have a say. Maybe we can have home-grown Michael Moore's popping up all over the place. I've already sent all our local candidates an open-ended invitation." TOP

National Party candidate for Forde, Hajnal Ban, agrees to a You Tube interview on Climate Change:-

"Hello Kim,

How about Friday 7th September say 3pm? It's a few weeks away but that will give me time to read "High & Dry".

How does that suit you?

Hajnal"

And my reply:-

"Thanks for that Hajnal - you're an absolute gem. Yes, that would be fine. Thank you so much. :-)

I also think you'll find the book a really good read, the guy seems very genuine."

TOP