South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has launched her campaign for re-election in Adelaide today with guest speakers including former Greens leader Bob Brown and former Secretary of the ACTU Bill Kelty.

“It’s never been more important to have a strong Green voice in the Senate, standing up for what matters,” Senator Hanson-Young said today.

“Tony Abbott is coming after my seat in South Australia because he knows he needs it to get effective control of the Parliament.

The Coalition’s announcement today that it will alert the police when refugees are released into the community is unabashed and unashamed dog-whistle politics, the Australian Greens have said.

“The Coalition’s shameful parade of asylum policy announcements has continued unabated into the final week of the election campaign,” the Greens’ immigration spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Almost three quarters of South Australians want Kangaroo Island to be protected from planned oil and gas drilling, according to polling data released by the Australian Greens today.

A Lonergan poll of 1582 South Australians found only 16 per cent of voters supported the Bight Petroleum proposal for oil and gas exploration in the Kangaroo Island Canyon and Pools.

The Australian Greens will move to curb firearm-related deaths and violent crimes in South Australia by banning semi-automatic handguns in our communities.

“At the turn of the new year Adelaide was rife with gang-related violence, including drive-by shootings, which resulted in death and serious injury. It is unacceptable that 14 South Australians were shot in the first two months of this year alone,” Greens Senator for South Australia, Sarah Hanson-Young said.

South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young will today host a roundtable with small business owners to outline the Greens’ commitment to supporting smaller commercial organisations and companies in SA.

“The Greens are the only party that is really standing up for small business,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“The Greens want a 2 per cent tax cut for small businesses across Australia, which would help 50,000 smaller companies here in SA.

The Australian Greens have launched a television commercial today telling South Australian voters that they need to know where their vote will go at this election.

“South Australian voters need to make sure that they’re not caught out at this election,” South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Australian Greens will take steps to give terminally ill people the right to end their lives on their own terms when it introduces its Dying With Dignity legislation in Federal Parliament.

“More than 75% of Australians are supporting the call for those with terminal illnesses to have the right to control the way in which they die,” Australian Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said.

South Australians will hear that there is another way, a real alternative to the constant negativity of the old parties over the coming weeks, as the Greens launch their first television advertisements of the official election campaign tonight.

“Voters in South Australia will play a huge role in this election and I’m proud to be standing as a strong alternative voice to Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott and their continued race to the bottom,” South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The government must be clear about exactly what it will do to support Holden, and all of the workers in South Australia who rely on the industry for their livelihoods, the Australian Greens have said today.

“The government needs to come clean and let all South Australians know exactly what it will do to support Holden and local jobs before the election, not after,” South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

With only 7 days to get on the electoral roll, Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young is urging the youth of SA to make sure their voices are heard on Election Day.

“The Federal Election has been called and there are 51,000 young South Australians missing from the roll,” the Greens’ youth spokesperson, Senator Hanson-Young said.

“Time is running out for young South Australians to play their part in shaping Australia’s future.