Great morning running the Greens Party booth in Kotara, Newcastle today. I set up and convened from 8 -12 midday. First time for me, in this kind of political activity and was very enjoyable. Sunny morning, just a few others running the Labor booth- and no sign of the Liberals whatsoever!
I was thrilled to find that pencils have been replaced by pens in the polling booth. Seems like a very sensible idea, and prevents doubt.
It was a pleasure to meet and chat with so many residents, and to hand out Greens how to vote information, and to become more involved this way.
As I was setting up I had the posters and polling booth boards at the Old Post Office for a couple of days prior, and made good use of the front verandah, and the location of the cottage which is just a few steps away from the busy Adamstown shopping area, and on the street, to show these to good advantage. I realised when I was taking the photographs how green the Old Post Office is, and how well it suits the Greens messages, surrounded by trees which I planted years ago, and ferns at the front of the house which I also planted.
What has driven me to become so involved with the Greens Party this year, is finding out in my research for my books on my family hidden history, and the secret I have uncovered, that the Hunter Valley where my family has lived, is now being raped and pillaged and decimated by open cut mining, with the new threat of a massive mine run by Rio Tinto which has gained tentative acceptance by the government despite being blocked twice through legal channels, and the threat of coal seam gas mining which poisons ground water, the earth and the air. This is destroying the lives and businesses of the people who live and work in the Hunter Valley- it is driving out the world famous international horse studs (The Hunter Valley is one of the leading areas in the world for raising thoroughbreds) ; and destroying the wine industry, as well as local tourism and arts business. The people of the village of Bulga have been told that their village can be moved, to make way for the ravaging Rio Tinto mine, as if their lives are worth nothing.
This is the shocking scenario I have discovered in my research and writing, on the once beautiful Hunter area. The Greens are the only party opposing big mining and its unchecked devastation, and opposing coal seam gas mining.
So I have become involved far more directly than I ever have in politics this year, and will continue this now as it is imperative that big mining and coal seam gas mining are stopped before it is too late- the future of our lives and our children's lives, the future of the human race depends on it.
It is important to vote Greens, a rapidly growing party, as voting Greens strengthens the Greens vital voice in the NSW State parliament, and gives more influence over the other parties, which is more important at this critical time in human history, than it has ever been.What is just as important is support for the arts, and artists, and art education which has been cut back in the Hunter and Newcastle, over the term of the NSW Liberal government, which saw the excision of fine arts courses from the Newcastle art school at Hunter TAFE.
Story and image copyright © Ruth Skilbeck
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