The Australian and New Zealand Green Parties announced today they will work together to improve food labelling laws in New Zealand and Australia over the next three years, by seeking to introduce parallel legislation in both countries, and other initiatives.

Senator Bob Brown, leader of the Australian Green Party, said food labelling was a unique area for trans-Tasman Green cooperation because both countries share joint food labelling standards, which are developed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) based in Canberra.

"It's time we made food labelling more effective and truthful. At present a lot of food labels are misleading and deceptive and don't tell consumers a lot of information they want to know," Senator Brown said.

Thursday 3 July 2008
Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown is delighted by the release of his friend and Colombian political captive Ingrid Betancourt, who has been held captive by FARC guerrillas in the Colombian jungle for the past six years.
Brown, a friend of Ms Betancourt's, says that she has at times been chained by the leg to trees and otherwise cruelly treated in her six years of imprisonment.
"It is wonderful news," Senator Brown said.
"In Canberra at the inaugural Global Greens conference in 2001 Ingrid's speech against political corruption brought a standing ovation," Senator Brown said.
In 2002 Senator Brown went to Bogota to campaign for Ingrid's release. In April he visited Caracas for talks with the Chavez government which has been negotiating with her captors.
"She is a brilliant spirit and a global inspiration for everyone fighting corruption and cruelty," Senator Brown said.
Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603

A Global Greens secretariat, to exchange information between the world's 80 Greens parties, is likely to be established in Australia, Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said in Sao Paulo today.
 
The Second Global Greens Congress voted Sunday morning in Sao Paulo, Brazil to adopt the Australian initiative for the secretariat, subject to final plans being approved in March 2009.
 
"The Greens agreed on a Global Charter in Canberra in 2001. This Global Secretariat is another big step towards the world's first truly global and democratic political party network. This Secretariat will be an information centre, with translation services to help empower Greens in countries as diverse as Kenya, Pakistan, Taiwan, Japan, Brazil and Australia. We do not have the resources or economic fire-power of global corporations but we are growing as a powerful force for social and environmental decency in world politics.
 
"The secretariat will help the Greens tackle problems like global warming, nuclear proliferation and the spectre of food shortages in an age of unprecedented global wealth", Senator Brown said.
 
The Congress also adopted kidnapped Colombian Greens' Senator Ingrid Betancourt as the Global Greens' Honorary President. The motion condemned the FARC guerrillas who are holding Ms Betancourt hostage. Senator Brown had talks with Ms Betancourt's husband, Juan Carlos and a former Colombian Senator who was released in March after spending four years captive in the Colombian jungle with Ms Betancourt.
 
Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown is in Caracas, Venezuela to meet officials of the Chavez government for news about kidnapped Colombian Greens Senator Ingrid Betancourt.

Ms Betancourt, who is a friend of Senator Brown, has been held hostage in the southern Colombian jungle by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas since 2003.

"President Chavez used his good offices to help win the release of six other hostages, including Ingrid's friend Clara Rojas in March this year. Then the Colombian army bombed the guerrillas and killed their chief negotiator. FARC Commander Ivan Marquez says the possibility of more releases of hostages is 'closed'," Senator Brown said.

"It is important that the worldwide efforts for Ingrid's release are redoubled. She is in horrific circumstances. I want President Chavez to know his efforts to obtain the release of hostages in Colombia are appreciated as far away as Australia", Senator Brown said.

On Wednesday Senator Brown is going to Sao Paulo, Brazil for the second Global Greens Congress. Ingrid Betancourt drew huge applause when she addressed the first Global Greens Congress in Canberra in 2001.
Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603