CANBERRA, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Labor Party has effectively ended its agreement with the Greens, Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne announced on Tuesday in Canberra.
In a speech to the National Press Club today in Canberra, Milne said it has become clear that Labor no longer has "the courage or the will" to work with the Greens on a shared national agenda.
"What has become manifestly clear is that Labor, by its actions, has walked away from its agreement with the Greens, into the arms of the big miners," she told reporters.
"By choosing the big miners the Labor government is no longer honouring our agreement to work together to promote transparent and accountable government, the public interest or to address climate change," She said.
After the 2010 election, the then-Greens leader Bob Brown signed an agreement with Gillard which helped Labor remain in office.
But the relationship between the two parties has been strained by a string of policy disagreements, most recently the push by the Greens to overhaul the mining tax following revelations it raised just 126 million (almost 129.72 million U.S. dollars) in its first six months.
According to her, Australian Greens will not walk away from the undertaking they gave "not only to the prime minister but to the people of Australia. The Greens will not add to the instability that Labor creates every day for itself."
"We are not going to facilitate Tony Abbott or the coalition in generating instability in the parliament," she said.
Christine Milne said she spoke with Gillard shortly before today's speech to warn her of what she was planning to say.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Julia Gillard has released a one line statement in response to Senator Milne's speech. "This is a matter for Christine Milne and the Greens. We will always be the party that puts jobs, growth and work first."
Auto-chat app sparks social skills concern: A littile yellow chicken can talk, really?
Feedback
RSS
