Historic Green win to Lower House of Western Australia State Parliament

For only the second time ever, an Austra­lian Green has been elected in a single member parliamentary electorate, and the first time ever by finishing with more primary votes than the Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidate. The victory came in a May 16th by-election (special election), in the Western Australian (WA) lower house electorate of Fremantle, where the ALP had held onto the seat since 1924. This time Green candidate Adele Carles defeated the ALP political machine’s handpicked candidate and nine other candidates.

Lower house elections are conducted in Australia by what is called preferential voting and in the United States is called Instant Run-Off Voting. Carles received 45 percent of the primary vote (first preferences) to Labor’s 38 percent, and 54 percent to Labor’s 46 percent, after the transfer of other preferences.

The electorate centers on the historic port city of Fremantle, located 12 miles southwest of Perth, the state capital, and includes Perth’s famous fun spot, Rottnest Island. The electorate features a diverse, multi ethnic population, and an above-average proportion of rented dwellings (43 percent), a broadly mixed-class of professions, combined with high unemployment. Fremantle has long been a stronghold for the Greens, usually returning their highest vote in elections. The suburb of Fremantle itself is known for its arts and culture, and this has made it particularly attractive to Green voters. The electorate also includes a very wealthy section to the northeast, which traditionally votes conservative, and Labor voting areas to the south.

Greens vs. Labor

With the conservative Liberals declining to contest the seat, the election in 2009 became a contest between the Greens and the ALP. Voters clearly chose the Greens. On election night Carles said the ALP had moved too far to the right. “This is a victory for the people of Fremantle and for democracy” she declared. “We have forever shattered the two-party myth in Australia. People have dared to look beyond the old parties that have continually let us down. What has happened in Fremantle makes history but it is also the shape of the future.”

Reference page:

http://gp.org/greenpages-blog/?p=1265

ECOLO Japan challenged for the National Election 2009

Japanese Green Network “ECOLO Japan” officially supported the election campaign of their committee member, Mr. “Masa” Kato, who was running for the national election (held on August 30) for the Lower House in Japan.
He ran from one constituency (electoral district) in Yokohama City, where he was living.

He has been contributed to advising our policy encyclopedia: “Green Sustainable Manifesto” of the group, as well as helped them greatly with our public actions to widely extend Green politics all over the country.

He was walking around the city area to talk about his Green philosophy and democratic policies: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”.

They started his supporting campaign, calling for donations, advertising his
personal achievements to the public.

As a result, unfortunately he could not win the seat, but got totally more than 20,000 votes (7.85%) in his own constituency of Yokohama City, lanking the Nr. 3 position.

Regarding ECOLO Japan, this is the first case we are involved in national election campaign. They hope that this time's trial could be the first step to found a genuine Green Movement all over the country.

Green Party Taiwan challenged for by-Election of national Parliament

Calvin Wen, Secretar-General of Green Party Taiwan challenged
as a candidate for national by-election from the Taipei City No.6 District,
held on March 28.

The result of the District was that the candidate from the ruling party
(Taiwan National Party)got 46% and won the seat. The first opposition
Democratic Progress Party lost by 38% voting rate.
Calvin Wen, Green Party won 1,058 votes (1.12%).

Results:
http://www.nownews.com/2009/03/28/11490-2429106.htm

Queensland Greens celebrated most successful Election Campaign

For the first time ever, the Queensland Greens (Australia) had a candidate in every seat at the State Election on March 21 - all 89 electorates had a Greens candidate to choose.
State-wide, one in twelve Queenslanders (8.2%) voted "1" for the Greens.
Unfortunately the Queensland electoral system means that these voters will remain unrepresented in the Parliament.
In two seats, the Greens candidate received over 20% of the vote - Ronan Lee in Indooroopilly received 25.5% and Larissa Waters in Mount Coot-tha received 22.9%.

The Candidates for State Election 2009 in every district
http://qld.greens.org.au/election/candidates

The Greens Election Launch 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMyh0-VdUxs

Green Party Taiwan Protested against Removal of Old Trees

On 27 February, Mr. Calvin Wen, Secretary-general of Green Party Taiwan and its official candidate for the Taipei City No. 6 District by-election, spent 26 hours in a camphor tree on the site of the Old Songshan Tobacco Factory in Taipei to protest and prevent its removal.

The protest began on Friday afternoon as Green Party Taiwan members discovered the last tree was about to be removed.

Calvin was able to climb the tree with assistance from several other Green Party members who were then removed from the site by police. An agreement was later reached with police to allow four people to accompany Calvin at the base of the tree. The Green Party argued that the removal of the tree was illegal as the the second environmental impact assessment for the site had not yet passed.

The detail article is :

http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/2009/03/green-party-protests-to-save-tree/

Mongolian Green Party won a seat in the National Parliament

Mongolia, where national election was held in June 2008, thereafter only the seat of 25 election constituency was still not determined due to the suspicion of false vote count.

However, in January 2009, the tentative result of votes was adopted for 4 seats, and D.Enkhbat, the leader of Mogolian Green Party won the last seat officially.

In the last year's national election of Mongolia, Mongolian Green Party made a coaliton with Civil Movement Party, then they did the campaign under the name of "Civil Movement Coalition".

http://ubpost.mongolnews.mn/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1343&Itemid=37

Article of D. Enkhbat's media interview (english) :

http://www.mongolia-investment.com/news/political-news/interview:-mr.-d.-enkhbat:-it's-a-real-danger-when-ruling-parties-consolidate/

The Mongolian Green Party declears that they will stand their original candidate for Mongolian Presidential Election, held in May 2009.

http://en.news.mn/news/2239

Reference: the official Website of Mongolian Green Party:

http://www.greenparty.mn/

APGN new Membership was determined in GG2008

Global Greens 2008 in Brazil, held May 1-4 was a big event, where about 1,000 participants from all over the world got together, holding plenary sessions, workshops, regional meetings etc.
There also APGN official meeting was held on the 1st day of the Conference.

According to the review by Membership Panels (consist of 6 members), the following Green groups were adopted as a new Membership qualification.

Full Membership Group

Australian Greens
Green Party of Taiwan
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
Ecolo Japan
Greens Japan*
Kanagawa Network Movement
Korea Greens
Pakistan Green Party ( Pakistan Greens)

* "Rainbow and Greens"(niji to midori) merged with Greens Japan in 2008.

Associate Membership Group

Nature Conservation Party, Nepal
Mongolian National Green Movement
MAOHI GREENS

Friend of the APGN

PNG Greens
CHINA GREEN PARTY
Federation for a Democratic China Australia


The whole process and issues were approved by the participatns of the APGN meeting in Sao Paulo.