Mark Parnell MLC

Mark Parnell is particularly focusing on these campaigns.

For other Greens campaigns see:

The Greens SA web site

The Australian Greens web site

Supporting Workers' Rights

The Greens are the only party prepared to fight for workers’ rights. The Greens will continue to fight for the right of workers to join unions, be represented by them, bargain collectively and take industrial action in workplaces free of individual contracts. We believe that there should be proper processes of conciliation and arbitration as the basis for a strong, independent, fair and effective industrial relations system.

The Greens will work to ensure that we have strong occupational health and safety laws supported by a fair workers' compensation and rehabilitation system. Our priorities should be first, to eliminate workplace accidents and injury and, second, to provide a fair system of compensation to injured workers, followed by good rehabilitation programs and return to safe and suitable work.

Democracy for Sale - political donations reform

The Greens have launched a new webpage that will make it much easier to find out information on donations to SA political parties.

Extending the work of the long running NSW Greens www.democracy4sale.org website, the new SA webpage and database takes the official data released by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) and makes it much easier to search, sort and total up donations by the same company.

Click here to access the new webpage

Prosperity and Jobs

South Australia must make a transition to a cleaner and greener economy that supports job-rich industries and prepares us to meet the challenges of climate change and peak oil.

We need a highly efficient low carbon economy powered mainly by renewable energy within this generation; revitalisation of small business, local economic activity and local communities; just and efficient tax and revenue systems that address our agreed social, economic and ecological goals; and a boom in new, sustainable jobs to replace our declining manufacturing base.

Giving the Community a Voice

Communities rightly expect to have a decent say in the future of their neighbourhoods, and real input into key decisions of Government.

From the Olympic Dam expansion, to Arkaroola, to developments at Penola, Port Hughes, Belair, Port Adelaide, Mt Barker, Gawler, Cheltenham and St Clair the Greens have championed the community’s right for genuine two way consultation.

Uranium mining in Arkaroola

Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is a private sanctuary located in the northern Flinders Ranges, adjacent to the Gammon Ranges National Park. It is 610sq km in size and is of high conservation value. Arkaroola was declared a sanctuary under the National Parks and Wildlife Act by the State Government in 1996. This beautiful and iconic eco-tourism destination and important region for the Adnyamathanha people is now under threat from mining interests.

Ethical Superannuation

The Greens have heard from many SA public servants who do not want their retirement savings invested in areas that do not make a positive contribution to our future, such as in multinational tobacco companies.

So we started a campaign to convince Super SA to:

1.Take a good hard look at where they are investing our money, and
2.Offer an ethical super option for its members

In March 2009, Super SA annunced they would offer an SRI (Socially Responsible Investment), but there is still much work to be done

Stop the SA Solar PV Rip-off!

Electricity companies in SA have used the introduction of the solar feed-in premium laws to make a windfall profit at taxpayers’ expense, at the same time as ripping off households who produce power from the solar panels on their roof.

Some retailers stopped paying their customers for the power they produced when the feed-in scheme commenced on July 1 2008. A Greens Private Members Bill to close the loophole passed the Upper House but was rejected by the Government in the Lower House.

Climate change is the most serious environmental problem facing the world. Leading international scientists agree that human activity is disrupting the planet's climate systems. Fossil fuels, used for energy and transport, are major contributors to the problem. Without significant action to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels we will cause catastrophic damage to Earth's ecosystems, triggering social and economic upheaval.

Murray River, Lower Lakes & Coorong

The Murray River, Australia's largest river system, is dying. The Murray flows through nationally and internationally-list heritage areas such as the RAMSAR wetlands of the Lower Lakes and Coorong. Yet this mighty river is under severe stress. Where, under natural conditions, more than half the water that flowed into the river would flow right through to the Murray Mouth, that has now been reduced to a trickle.

The Greens believe that how we treat our animals is a good indication of the health a society.

Unfortunately, animals are now exploited on an unprecedented scale and with unprecedented intensity. Much of this exploitation is driven by current economic policy and results in abuse of animal welfare.

The Australian Greens believe that:

Animals have intrinsic value, separate from the needs of humans who have a consequent responsibility to ensure that animals' rights are respected.
We have a duty of care to minimise cruelty resulting from human activity and maximise the quality of life for all animals.

Water that doesn't cost the earth

We need a water revolution in Adelaide. Instead of grabbing water from elsewhere, or using crazy amounts of electricity artificially manufacturing it through reverse osmosis desalination, we should be doing better with the clean rain water that falls onto the Adelaide plains.

There is more than enough water for our needs, as long as we invest wisely and plan carefully. By capturing water and storing it underground until we need it, we can help avert major flooding and stop damaging the precious sea grasses that hold our beaches firm. We can turn our problems into solutions.

Voluntary Euthanasia

The time is right for a fresh debate on Voluntary Euthanasia in South Australia. In a recent Newspoll, 81% percent of South Australians said yes to allowing a doctor to provide a lethal dose to end unbearable suffering.

That's why on 12th November 2008 Mark introduced a Greens Private Members Bill into the SA Parliament, to allow the legal option of voluntary euthanasia with the appropriate safeguards, ensuring that all individuals have the right to choose and the right to die with dignity.

The Legislative Council voted on the Bill on the 18th November 2009. To find out more click here.

Olympic Dam Mine Expansion

The Olympic Dam expansion planned by BHP Billiton will have an enormous impact on SA's environment and economy. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) released in May 2009, outlines just how great that impact will be.

Thanks to Greens pressure, the Government extended the public consultation period on the EIS from 8 to 14 weeks. Click here for Mark Parnell's submission on the proposed Olympic Dam expansion.

Mount Barker - ready for urban sprawl?

As a Green and the only state MP with formal qualifications in Planning, Mark takes a keen interest in how decisions are made that affect our cities, towns and communities.

The Greens are concerned about urban sprawl and the endless expansion of suburbia further and further out. Often, the driving force is large property developers rather than genuine public interest. Local communities are often ignored.

Adelaide’s Future – who’s looking after the public interest?

Getting our urban form right will go a long way to determining how well our state will survive the twin challenges of climate change and peak oil, and how cohesive our society becomes.

Unfortunately, the Government’s 30 year Plan for Greater Adelaide - which has now been finalised with very little community input - is not the answer. Despite the rhetoric of transit orientated development (which the Greens strongly support), the reality is the Plan will guarantee a substantial increase in Adelaide’s urban sprawl over the next 20 years.

Cleaning Up Politics

The Greens believe that South Australian politics needs to be cleaned up in three critical ways:

Political Donation Reform
A new system, with much greater transparency and accountability, is needed so that the public can find out where political parties get their money from.

Taxpayer-funded Government Advertising
Changes are needed to the Advertising Policy and Guidelines to prevent whichever party is in government from using taxpayer funds for partisan advertising campaigns.

MPs' Salaries
It is unfair for politicians to receive automatic pay increases, without even asking, while other workers have to fight and campaign for fair wages.

Authorised by M. Parnell, Parliament House Adelaide. Site credits.