Banking and finance

Banking is not what it used to be. In the digital and deregulated age, it has become bigger, faster and omnipresent. Money can be moved almost anywhere and at any time of any day. Compulsory superannuation has given everyone a stake in the market. Financial advice has become a mainstream service. The new world of banking offers a range of opportunities to consumers. But it also presents new problems. The global financial crisis (GFC) demonstrated how incredibly complicated and interwoven markets have become, and the scale of the problems that this can cause. The Greens recognise that banks provide an essential service. But they have also become too powerful and too greedy.&nbsp

Biofuels and the role of space in sustainable innovation journeys

This paper aims to identify the lessons that should be learnt from how biofuels have been envisioned from the aftermath of the oil shocks of the 1970s to the present,and how these visions compare with biofuel production networks emerging in the 2000s. Working at the interface of sustainable innovation journey research and geographical theories on the spatial unevenness of sustainability transition projects,we show how the biofuels controversy is linked to characteristics of globalised industrial agricultural systems. The legitimacy problems of biofuels cannot be addressed by sustainability indicators or new technologies alone since they arise from the spatial ordering of biofuel production. In the 1970-80s, promoters of bioenergy anticipated current concerns about food security implications but envisioned bioenergy production to be territorially embedded at national or local scales where these issues would be managed. Where the territorial and scalar vision was breached, it was to imagine poorer countries exporting higher-value biofuel to the North rather than the raw material as in the controversial global biomass commodity chains of today. However, controversy now extends to the global impacts of national biofuel systems on food security and greenhouse gas emissions, and to their local impacts becoming more widely known. South/South and North/North trade conflicts are also emerging as are questions over biodegradable wastes and agricultural residues as global commodities. As assumptions of a food-versus-fuel conflict have come to be challenged, legitimacy questions over global agri-business and trade are spotlighted even further. In this context, visions of biofuel development that address these broader issues might be promising. These include large-scale biomass-for-fuel models in Europe that would transform global trade rules to allow small farmers in the global South to compete, and smallscale biofuel systems developed to address local energy needs in the South

Marriage equality

Right around the world, marriage equality is becoming a reality for many LGBTI couples.  We have an exciting opportunity here – let’s work together and get marriage equality in place. With the support of the majority of Australians, the time is right for marriage equality. The community understands that it\u27s an issue of basic fairness. Marriage equality is an important step towards reducing discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex Australians in same sex relationships, and their families. The Greens have listened to the community right from the start and we\u27ve acted. We are the only party that has voted for equality - every Bill, every time. The Greens have put a Private Members Bill before parliament that would remove discrimination from the Marriage Act and give same-sex couples the right to marry and allow for overseas same-sex marriages to be recognised in Australia

Housing: a plan to address the housing affordability crisis

The Australian dream of home ownership has become a nightmare. The Greens are the only party with the courage to take action on negative gearing and other measures to make housing more affordable. Australia is a great place to live but the cost of buying or renting is too high. It’s has become too hard for first home buyers and renters to find quality housing near where they work, play and take their kids to school. This means long commutes, less time and higher transport costs. More and more Australian households are paying more than they can afford on either rent or a mortgage. On any given night 105,000 Australians are homeless – up 17% since 2006.  It’s only going to get worse if we don’t change our system. In 2016 we are building on that work to set out an achievable vision that will ensure housing is within reach for everyone. Reforming Negative Gearing– our proposal that negative gearing for future investments would end, with existing investments grandfathered. This would stop billions of dollars each year being used to unfairly subsidise property investors at the expense of housing affordability. Our plan to phase out Negative gearing would increase the revenue available to address the housing needs of all Australians, and would generate over $42 billion over ten years. Capital Gains Tax Discount Reform- the current 50$74 billion over the next decade, or $127 billion when combined with negative gearing reform

Vide, kas veido cilveku; cilveks, kas veido vidi 4. Zalas logikas konferences referatu krajums

Available from Latvian Academic Library / LAL - Latvian Academic LibrarySIGLELVLatvi

Obesity-related health impacts of active transport policies in Australia - a policy review and health impact modelling study

To review Australian policies on active transport, defined as walking and cycling for utilitarian purposes. To estimate the potential health impact of achieving four active transport policy scenarios.A policy review was undertaken, using key words to search government websites. Potential health benefits were quantified using a cohort simulation Markov model to estimate obesity and transport injury-related health effects of an increase in active transport. Health adjusted life years (HALYs) gained and healthcare cost savings from diseases averted were estimated. Budget thresholds to achieve cost-effectiveness were estimated for each scenario.There is broad recognition of the health-related benefits of active transport from all levels of Australian government. Modelling results suggest significant health-related benefits of achieving increased prevalence of active transport. Total HALYs saved assuming a one-year effect ranged from 565 (95%UI 173-985) to 12,105 (95%UI 4,970-19,707), with total healthcare costs averted ranging from $6.6M (95$1.9M-11.3M) to $141.2M (95$53.8M-227.8M).Effective interventions that improve rates of active transport may result in substantial healthcare-related cost savings through a decrease in conditions related to obesity. Implications for public health: Significant potential exists for effective and cost-effective interventions that result in more walking and cycling