GREENS senator Lee Rhiannon visited Taree on Wednesday speaking at a Meet the Greens event held at the Bean Bar as well as meeting community groups.
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Senator Rhiannon has a long political history, serving in NSW Parliament for more than a decade as a Greens MP, before entering the Senate and pursuing reform in the areas of environment, mining, education and public transport.
They were some of the issues addressed at her function, with a range of local and federal topics canvassed.
Talking to the Times, Senator Rhiannon shared the view points of the Greens on everything from asylum issues to political accountability.
"It's essential that one stands up for the rights of people who have every right to seek asylum in this country," Senator Rhiannon said after Labor leader Bill Shorten announced its policy turn around on asylum seekers last week.
"I do believe when the history of this period is written, people will be asking how did this happen? How did we get to this point?"
In the light of coal seam gas controversy in the Gloucester region, the senator said environmental protection was also a key point.
"In a big country like Australia, we argue that we need environmental protection at all levels of government," she said, stating that the current federal government was attempting to shift responsibility onto the states, leading to "the degrading of environmental protection."
Senator Rhiannon said that the Taree visit was part of a concentrated push into regional areas of Australia.
"People are looking for a third alternative to the two major parties," she said.
"We want to get the message out that we see ourselves as the third genuine alternative in Australia."