-----Original Message----- From: Ben Oquist <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Monday, 8 November 1999 21:55 Subject: Greens-Media Referendum Waste 7 November 1999 Referendum Waste Greens Senator Bob Brown, speaking from Nepal today, said that the waste of $20 million on the republic referendum would not have happened had the Greens' initial proposal for an indicative plebiscite been adopted. "Prime Minister Howard manipulated the whole process, but the other parties acquiesced when they all voted in June 1997 to defeat the Greens' motion for a plebiscite on the simple question of whether Australians wanted an Australian to be their Head of State. "By not allowing a plebiscite first and not allowing the supporters of broad constitutional change -- including direct electionists -- a say, a positive outcome for the republic has been defeated. "The Greens will keep campaigning for a republic and a constitution for the twenty-first century, which recognise Indigenous rights and give the Commonwealth the power to protect the environment", said Senator Brown. Senator Brown is in Nepal, where he met the Nepalese Minister for Home Affairs as well as representatives of the newly-formed Nepalese Green Party. He is travelling to Dharamsala tonight, for meetings with the Tibetan Government in exile, following his unofficial visit to Tibet in July. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- GREENS-MEDIA Home Page http://www.altnews.com.au/Greens/ View Msg HEADERS for HELP and OPTIONS available from the ListServer. Tell all your friends about the Australian Greens petition to establish an International Criminal Tribunal for East Timor here: http://www.altnews.com.au/greens/timorpetition/ -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
