Canada and Australia - Comparing Environmental Policies in 16 Countries - page 159

In Australia the 1967 proposal by the Hydro Electric Commission to dam
Lake Pedder sparked demonstrations in Tasmania and on the mainland.
The Green Bans in the 1970s in Sydney were spontaneous stopping of con-
struction in natural areas. A decade later Tasmania was again the center of
demonstrations, this time opposing the Franklin River Dam.
Canadians and Australians belong to many nature groups: Nature
Canada began in 1948, and Greenpeace began in 1971. Many like WWF,
the Wilderness Society, and the Sierra Club are branches of international
groups. The Australian Conservation Foundation dates to 1964. Like
Canada many are branches of international groups: WWF, the Wilderness
Society, and Greenpeace.
Australia has two political parties much like the United States and
Great Britain (noting that the Liberals are in permanent coalition with the
Nationals). Representatives in the House are elected by the first past the
post system, making it hard for a Green Party to win. However, the Senate
has the option of proportional representation, so Greens frequently have
a few seats. These have twice made the difference in giving a few extra
votes to Labor allowing it to form a government. Labor has consistently
favored environmental protection. In the past the Liberals used to at least
pay lip service, but no longer do. Canada used to have a two-party system
of Liberals versus Conservatives, but this fell apart in 1988. Today, the
Conservatives are in power, although this used to be as a minority. They
pay lip service to the environment, but oppose serious climate change
programs and enthusiastically mine the Athabasca tar sands.
Both Canada and Australia are federations, with greater authority for
mining, water, and air are the province-state level compared to the United
States or Germany. The 1998 dispute between Ontario and the national
level on water exports by the Nova Corporation was intense, finally decided
in favor of the province. In Australia the lack of clarity in the Constitution
as to authority over pollution and natural resources led in 1992 to the
Council of Australian Governments consisting of the national prime min-
ister, the six state premiers, and the president of the Local Government
Association, which signed the Intergovernmental Agreement. Canada
has a Council consisting of the environmental ministers of the 10 prov-
inces plus the federal minister which meets annually. Both Canada and
Australia have similar parliaments based on the Westminster model.
Heads of the cabinet-level ministers are drawn from parliament.
Canada has chosen diplomatic leadership in the environment as a major
initiative. It sponsored the 1987 conference on the ozone layer, known as