In an historic move members of the community today took control of the Queensland Upper House to table a “People’s Bill” aimed at restoring common rights eroded by the mining industry.
The People’s Common Rights and Provisions Bill 2014 sets a new ‘clean agenda’ for the state and establishes a right to say “no” to mining.
Spokesperson for Coal Free Wide Bay Burnett, Vicki Perrin tabled the Bill in the unoccupied Upper House during a public tour of the parliament and said it would provide a necessary circuit breaker to the current kowtowing to mining interests by the government.
“This Bill sets a new agenda for Queensland that restores balance and challenges the LNP government’s relentless weakening of laws to aid and abet mining industries at the expense of townspeople, farmers, communities and our democratic rights,” Ms Perrin said.
The Bill establishes a framework for:
- The right to say 'no' to mining
- The right to health, livelihood and the quiet enjoyment of one’s home
- The right to be represented in parliament
- The right to our common heritage - the land, water and clean air
- The right to object and have objections heard
- The right to clean politics
A debate on the Bill will be held on October 28 at parliament and following the debate, Queenslanders will have an opportunity to vote on the Bill in a people’s referendum in conjunction with the next state election.
“The Bill aims to bring fairness back, stop corruption and protect this state’s food, water and communities from unsafe mining. If our politicians aren’t going to protect us, we’ll make the Upper House of parliament the people’s chamber, and we’ll start the job ourselves,” Ms Perrin said.
To view the Bill as tabled in parliament today, click here: http://tinyurl.com/QldPeoplesBill2014
To back the Bill, and find out more about this exciting new campaign visit: http://www.lockthegate.org.au/qldpeoplesbill