Greens MLC at press conference to support local climate change activists

Tomorrow, I'm going along to see a media conference at Newcastle City Hall at which current Greens MLC David Shoebridge, the lead candidate for The Greens NSW Legislative Council ticket for the March election, will be joining well-known author and academic Clive Hamilton, in support of the seven climate activists being pursued for $525,000 in ‘victims’ compensation’ by Port Waratah Coal Services (whose T4 coal loader expansion was recently supported by Newcastle's Labor member, Jodi McKay - see my previous post, "Greens give ticks and crosses for McKay on T4 coal call")

In a media alert for the press conference, David said:

"It is astounding that the NSW Police are being used as debt collectors for these multinational mining giants.

"The NSW State government should not be spending scarce state resources chasing peaceful protestors on behalf of global mining giants.

"For corporations like Xstrata and Rio Tinto to be playing the victim on climate change shows just how distorted the law is in NSW. These corporations are not victims they are directly profiting from damaging our environment.

"This law needs urgent reform to make it clear that the only victims who can claim compensation are people, not corporations," Mr Shoebridge said.

See the Rising Tide media alert here