I’m more comfortable discussing social justice issues than environmental issues, so on Saturday I met with Mary Patchett from the Moreton Bay Environmental Alliance to get some information about the local environment.

Yes, The Greens ‘Care for the Earth’ policy is something that’s inherent to being Green, but the environment (though a love of mine) is not yet my area of expertise – something that may take those who feel Greens are just about the environment by surprise.

Interestingly, John Howard today purported that us Greens “try and portray ourselves as a one-issue party” so that no-one talks about our other policies.

Clearly John Howard and I have never met. If we had he’d realise that my campaign is not and never will be a one-issue campaign and I’m very focused and proud of promoting our other wonderful policies. I encourage you to have a read of them at www.greens.org.au.

For example, our ecomonics policy was recently described by respected University of Queensland economics Professor John Quiggin as “the most coherent and intellectually defensible document of its kind ever put forward by an Australian political party.”

Anyway, I digress.

Mary is an inspiring character whose passion for protecting Moreton Bay is unwavering.

Those of you who know me already know that I love boating and I love fishing, so it was extremely difficult to hear from Mary stories about the pollution boats and the people in boats can cause to our Bay.

It was also devastating to learn, in detail, the facts about fish farms or ‘sea cages’. For a detailed list of the possible negative effects fish farms will have in Moreton Bay visit www.qccqld.org.au/savethebay.

Now boats, that’s a different story altogether – and one I will definitely be keen to learn more about thanks to Mary’s inspiring, educational, passionate summary of water pollution, partularly in regards to sewerage and paintwork. Once I hear these things, it’s important to me to try and find solutions.

Thanks Mary for bringing the environment onto the Bonner agenda.