New Zealand and Australian Greens MPs today announced new cooperation that would see trans-Tasman co-operation on two fronts: proportional representation and truth in labelling legislation.
New Zealand Greens MPs have been attending the Australian Greens National conference over the weekend and today met with Australian Greens' state and federal MPs in Canberra.
The New Zealand Greens will assist the Australian Greens in their drive to introduce proportional representation into the House of Representatives as a counter to the Prime Minister's push to remove the Senate's powers.
John Howard's proposed Senate reforms are profoundly undemocratic — allowing a government elected with less than half of the vote to have total control. Proportional representation in the lower house would re-energize democracy in Australia giving the electorate real choice based on one vote, one value.
The new Greens' cooperation across the Tasman will also see a push to have genuine food labelling laws in both countries.
Australia and New Zealand currently administer their labelling laws together through Food Standards Australia New Zealand so the Greens are introducing complementary private members' legislation into both parliaments to insist that contaminants such as GE (genetic engineering) ingredients are identified on food labels.
Senator Brown will introduce his Truth in Food Labelling Bill into the Senate this afternoon.
Current labelling laws are woefully inadequate. New research shows that as much as 10 per cent of soy and corn foods in Australia contain GE matter. However current labelling laws mean that none of this has to be labelled GE because contamination less than one per cent or the GE material has been heavily refined.
The meeting of trans-Tasman Greens MPs also agreed to coordinate their work together across a range of issues including trade, energy and security.
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