The Byron Greens believe that diversity of belief is critical for a healthy society and democracy.
We support the right to peacefully protest. We support the option of non-violent direct action to protect the environment, human rights, and our community.
Byron Greens candidates Ian Cohen and Matt O’Reilly have both been arrested protesting against the destruction of the environment, the nuclear industry or while supporting Aboriginal traditional owners.
One core tenant of non-violent direct action is we do no harm to other human beings. This is one reason the Greens do not support the current Federal proposal to legalise the right of religious organisations and churches to discriminate based on faith or sexuality.
The Byron Greens DO support causing economic harm to big business, corporations, and governments when they abuse human rights, the rights of traditional owners, the environment or our individual freedoms.
Causing harm to another human being through our words or actions because we have different beliefs is not acceptable in a modern Australia.
Here in Byron we have lived together side by side with diverse beliefs for decades. At the start it was farmers and hippies living side by side in the 70s. Today it is multi-millionaires living side by side with single mothers living out of their cars (one of the many things the Greens want to change).
As a community we must do more to recognise our common humanity and shared beliefs rather than focusing on what divides us. Whether we are vaccinated or not vaccinated against COVID-19 we all live in this community together and that is bigger than the polarisation that we are currently experiencing.
The Byron Greens will NEVER tell you what to believe. We will never tell you to be a Christian or a Buddhist. We will never tell you who to love. We will never tell you whether to trust or not trust the government. We will never tell you to believe in free market capitalism or to believe in communism or anarchism. We will never tell you to not trust science based modern medicine and we will never tell you to not use natural and alternative medicines.
We will take policy positions based on the best evidence, but we will never ask you to believe what we believe. All we can do is explain our positions to the community and let the community make up its own mind.
A vote for the Byron Greens is a vote for your beliefs and your opinion to be heard.
