There were mixed results in the recent Greens NSW Legislative Council preselections. But, that in itself represents a revival in the fortunes of the more radical (or red-ish) Greens who have suffered a series of losses in such ballots over the past two years.聽Those losses were welcome news to the self-styled 鈥渕ainstream progressives鈥 (or centrists) who lead the Australian Greens and have long chaffed at the presence of Corbyn-like elements in the Greens NSW. Now, writes former convenor of NSW Greens Hall Greenland,聽that losing trend is over.
Dr Mehreen Faruqi
The organised a hastily-called protest against the latest Western bombing raid on Syria on April 18. It condemned the Australian government and Labor opposition that were quick to support to the United States, French and British attack, which was launched in retaliation to the reported Syrian regime chemical gas attack on April 7 in which more than 40 people were killed.
What to make of the NSW Greens preselection result, which delivered a 60鈥40 win for Mehreen Faruqi against Lee Rhiannon?
TThe NSW state government is attempting to carry out the privatisation of its controversial $16.8 billion Westconnex tollway project in relative secret under pressure from the growing calls for it to be stopped.
A submission by the Sydney City Council (SCC) claims the government is planning to separate construction of road tunnels for the third stage of WestConnex from the proposed underground spaghetti road junction at Rozelle in an attempt to 鈥渄e-risk the project鈥 ahead of its sale to private investors.
Sydney bus drivers walked out on May 18 in a 24-hour strike against plans by the NSW Coalition government to privatise public bus services in the city鈥檚 inner-west.
The action, which defied the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (IRC), affected four bus depots: Leichhardt, Burwood, Kingsgrove and Tempe.
Women have again been let down by the majority of MPs in the NSW Legislative Council who voted down a Greens鈥 bill to decriminalise abortion on May 11.
The vote was 25 against and 14 in favour of Dr Mehreen Faruqi鈥檚 private members鈥 bill and it was greeted with cries of "shame" from the packed public gallery.
For years, women have had to endure attempts by a small numbers聽of religious extremists trying to humiliate and shame them outside abortion clinics.
Two聽states and both territories聽have passed laws banning this harassment. Now, New South Wales could be doing the same, as聽two bills are about to be bought before the state parliament.
Supporters of abortion rights gathered outside St Mary鈥檚 Cathedral on March 26 to declare their support for choice.
The action was organised to counter the annual anti-choice 鈥淒ay of the Unborn Child鈥 event, described as 鈥渁 peaceful march to protect preborn babies鈥. In reality, it is designed to perpetrate myths and shame anyone thinking of, or who has had, an abortion.
The misogynist Fred Nile has opportunistically seized the moment 鈥 provided by Tanya Davies, the new NSW 鈥減ro-life鈥 minister for women 鈥 to reintroduce a bill to give foetuses legal rights.
Nile, a NSW MLC, introduced the Crimes Amendment (Zoe鈥檚 Law) Bill 2017 on March 9. The wording is the same as his last attempt.
Nile first tried to push his anti-choice law in 2010. He managed to get it through the Legislative Assembly in 2013 (63 votes to 26) with Davies鈥 support.聽
鈥淩ichard Di Natale, I am a member of Left Renewal and I hope you can hear this because the Greens are my party too,鈥 a woman said to great applause at a meeting of (LR) on January 25.
More than 100 people, including from Newcastle and Wollongong, came to the first public meeting of LR, an anti-capitalist grouping within The Greens, to hear about its aims and objectives.
Unlike the other states and territories, abortion is a criminal offence in New South Wales and Queensland, except under certain circumstances.
The doctor who provides the termination, anyone assisting and the woman herself could all be prosecuted under the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) or the Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld).
In NSW and Queensland, bills have been developed that, if successful, will lead to the decriminalisation of abortion in both states.
To the surprise of many, former Greens leader Bob Brown used the ABC's 7.30 on July 29 to launch a blistering attack on recently re-elected NSW Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon.
Brown told the ABC that Rhiannon had given 鈥済reat service鈥 but that 鈥渢he old guard that runs the office in New South Wales鈥 needs changing.
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