On this page you will find media releases from the 3 Greens elected to state parliament in Victoria.
Federal releases for Victorian representatives can be found here.
To see media coverage of our local government elected representatives, visit our Local Media page.
For more Greens news from across Australia go to the Australian Greens press page.
Minister should clarify role of Deputy Chief Psychiatrist
"Following the resignation of Professor Kuruvilla George from the Board of the VHREOC, I have written to the Minister for Mental Health to ask her whether
Guards with guns on train stations is a waste of money
Greens MLC Colleen Hartland is bemused that the Premier's first visit to Footscray was to launch security guards with guns, not investment in the services people need.
"I was at Footscray station catching a train to Parliament as usual when the Premier rolled up in his chauffeured car to launch the PSOs - security guards with guns. I was surprised to see him at Footscray and even more surprised to see him on a train station. They are both foreign territory to him."
"I have never felt unsafe at Footscray Station. It's a big station, there are station staff and it is well lit. We don't need security guards with guns."
"The money would be better spent putting more staff on stations and bringing back conductors on trams."
"This is just a huge diversion from the real safety issue on trains, which is overcrowding. The only cure for that is to increase the services, which means spending money on more trains and train drivers, not guns."
For comment: Colleen Hartland - 9689 6373
Cathy Oke candidate for Melbourne by-election
Greens condemn cuts to Victorian drug and alcohol programs
Australian Greens’ health spokesperson, Senator Richard Di Natale, and Victorian Greens MLC, Colleen Hartland, today condemned the loss of funds for Victorian drug and alcohol organisations.
“The Greens are calling on the Federal Government to fully restore funding to the Victoria’s drug and alcohol programs,” said Senator Di Natale.
“Before entering the Senate I worked as a doctor in the drug and alcohol field, including a stint at Turning Point, an organization that does outstanding work in this sector. But long-standing organisations such as Turning Point, Oddysey House and Moreland Hall will be hit hard by Federal Government funding cuts.
Baillieu budget cuts a massive blow to our public TAFE system
Greens MP and spokesperson on Education, Sue Pennicuik, said in advance of today's rally at Treasury Place that the government has struck a massive blow to Victoria's public TAFE system.
"It is incomprehensible that the state government seems to be determined to destroy our public TAFE system," Ms Pennicuik said. "TAFE has been built up over decades with taxpayer's money and has always been based on the principle of affordable and accessible training for all."
"Some people have described the budget cuts as immoral - it certainly is a deliberate and cynical undermining of the public TAFE system in the interests of 'competition' with the private sector," said Ms Pennicuik.
Greens win for Wyndham dental health
Wyndham will be a big beneficiary with more than half a billion dollars of funding going to dental health in today's Federal Budget after the Greens successfully negotiated a package with the federal government.
"This funding boost will undo Baillieu's neglect and reduce Wyndham's public dental waiting lists. It will also expand the dental workforce," said Victorian Greens health spokesperson, Colleen Hartland.
"The announcement couldn't have come at a more opportune time as last week's state Budget showed an increase in public dental waiting times. In Wyndham people are already waiting 22 months which is unacceptable."
“The Greens insisted on an overhaul of Australia's dental system as part of their agreement with the minority federal Labor government."
Greens agree no justification for stop and search powers
"The OPI’s report of its review into police stop and search powers, released yesterday, confirms what the Greens and other groups have been saying: that there is no evidence to justify these laws", Greens spokesperson on justice, Sue Pennicuik said.
"The OPI found that there is no evidence to suggest that these powers have had any discernible impact on the rates of armed robbery, or the type of weapon used", she said.
"Any increase in police powers must be proportionate to the risk but the evidence just isn’t there to support these powers," said Ms. Pennicuik.
"The OPI also found that Victoria Police is not able to meet the legislative reporting requirements due to inadequate data collection," Ms Pennicuik said.
Hospital funds won't hit the sides
Greens MLC Colleen Hartland has welcomed the hospitals spending previewed in today's Age but warns that the State Budget will need to include some more maternity and intensive care beds in the west and face up to the need for a new hospital.
"The west is the fastest growing area in the country. If a new hospital materialised tomorrow, we would fill it. So I hope the budget at least includes funding to plan for a new hospital, before the existing services reach breaking point," said Colleen Hartland, Victorian Greens Health Spokesperson.
"Two new maternity beds at Sunshine is a short-term solution, but hundreds of women have given birth on trolleys at Sunshine due to a shortage of maternity beds and Werribee Mercy's maternity unit is at capacity. Would that be acceptable in Box Hill?"
Greens say more sentencing options needed not more prisons
Greens MP Sue Pennicuik has urged the government to invest more in alternatives to imprisonment, rather than spending $500 million on a new prison in Melbourne's outer west.
"While prison terms are necessary for serious crimes, prison should otherwise be a last resort," Ms Pennicuik said. "As a community, we should be aiming to reduce the number of people in prison with greater use of non-custodial sentences."
"It is disturbing that there has been a continued growth in the Victorian prison population, which increased to a daily average of 4586 prisoners in 2010-11, an increase of 2.1 per cent from the 2009-10 daily average of 4492.
Greens say taser roll-out should be stopped
The imminent roll-out of tasers to all police in Victoria should be stopped after the death of a man in Sydney on the weekend, Greens Spokesperson on Police and Corrections, Sue Pennicuik MLC said today.
"It is reported that NSW police used capsicum spray on him, closely followed by a taser," Ms Pennicuik said. "It is also reported that the incident involved a minor theft, which the person may not have been involved in, and the person was not armed, although he may have resisted arrest."
"This tragedy yet again highlights the danger of tasers being inappropriately deployed," Ms Pennicuik said.