“It is appropriate to mark this occasion by a series of questions to our successors in Parliament as to how the pressing issues of our day, such as our response to climate change and the decline of fossil fuels, played out,” Mr. Chapple said.
The document takes the form of a Parliamentary Question to any Ministers present at the reopening of the time capsule, which date has not yet been determined.
“I thought that this was an opportunity to highlight issues that are rarely considered in the short term thinking that dominates Parliament – issues that go well beyond the election cycle such as Western Australia’s long term capacity to sustain its resources industry.”
“I have also asked how we will ultimately close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous mortality rates – and indeed how a just resolution to the issue of Indigenous sovereignty will be arrived at.”
“These are vital, long term questions that the Greens attempt to tackle with every real Parliamentary Question and policy initiative.”
“I am optimistic that when this capsule comes to be opened, those who read it can say “yes, we did tackle these challenges that faced the State and the planet back in 2010, we did resolve them positively and we are still looking to the future optimistically.””
- Media Contact: Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255
Time Capsule Document
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Question without notice
Monday, 19 April 2010
Robin Chapple (Greens WA) MLC for the Mining and Pastoral Region to the relevant Ministers:
With regards to events occurring after the date of Monday, 19 April 2010, I ask:
1. On what date did non-fossil fuel based and non-nuclear technologies become the principal sources of energy generation in Western Australia?
2. On what date did marriage between two persons of the same gender receive full and equal recognition before Australian law?
3. On what date was a legally binding treaty signed between the States, the Commonwealth (or a future Australian national government) and the Indigenous people of Australia and the Torres Strait Islands?
4. On what date did the Commonwealth of Australia become a Republic?
5. On what date did the mortality, literacy and incarceration rates for Indigenous Australians reach parity with those of non-Indigenous Australians?
6. What is the total annual export tonnage of iron ore from Western Australian ports at the date of this Question’s recovery?
7. What is the total annual export of liquefied natural gas from Western Australian ports at the date of this Question’s recovery?
8. When was the impact of peak oil and gas formally recognised by both the State and Commonwealth Governments?
9. Was the advance of the Cane Toads into the Kimberley halted and if so on what date?
10. If no to the first part of (9.) what is the extent of the Cane Toad invasion into WA and how much funding have successive state governments provided to stop there encroachment?
11. How many native species have become extinct or severely threatened in WA at the date of this Question’s recovery?
12. On what date did Voluntary Euthanasia become lawful medical practice in WA?
13. If Voluntary Euthanasia has not been legalised, why did this not occur?
14. What proportion of WA enjoys full conservation protection and/or heritage protection status at the date of this Question’s recovery?
15. On what date did WA start mining old landfill sites for resource recovery?
16. On what date did it become mandatory for open pit mines to be filled as part of the approvals process?
17. How much has the sea level risen along the WA coastline since Wednesday, 7 April 2010?
18. If no to (12.) why did this not occur?
19. If yes to (13) how many properties were impacted by advancing sea rise and was compensation paid and by whom?
20. How much have global temperatures risen?
21. What are WA’s current CO2e emissions and;
22. In respect of (21) has any mitigation occurred and by how much?
23. At what date did Australia’s government discontinue offshore processing for those seeking asylum and adopt a compassionate approach towards refugees?
24. What is the current population of WA and Australia and is the current population considered to be sustainable in terms of agricultural output, energy consumption, water consumption and other prevailing measures of ecological, social and economic sustainability?
25. What has been the impacts of coral bleaching of the Ningaloo Reef to date and how has this affected Whale Shark migration to the region?
