Speaking in Orange today Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown called for a national register of foreign purchases of land or water in rural Australia. 

"In the coming century food and fibre production will be a huge issue as the world population soars to 10 billion people or more,” said Senator Brown.

The Greens have launched an ambitious plan to give the national capital a state-of-the-art light rail system, and called for better public transport planning across the country.

"Access to efficient public transport would make a huge difference to millions of Australians daily lives," said Australian Greens leader Senator Bob Brown.

"But public transport is severely lacking for many suburbs in all our capital cities.

"There is a clear role for the federal government to take a better coordinating and funding role," said Australian Greens transport spokesperson Scott Ludlam.

Andrew Forrest should stand for Parliament and test public support for his policies, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Hobart today.

"Clearly the mining industry is split over paying its way. But Clive Palmer, Gina Rinehart and Andrew Forrest should be standing in this election to get public endorsement for their demands that billions be siphoned out of the public purse," Senator Brown said.

"They want more coal trucks for mining companies rather than high speed rail for all Australians. Labor's backdown on the mining tax also means one percent higher tax on small business."

The Australian Greens have called for a levy on junk food and alcohol advertising similar to the levy which has applied in France since 2004.

Launching the policy with Victorian Greens Senate candidate, Dr Richard di Natale in Melbourne today, Greens leader Bob Brown said the advertisers could choose the option of including health information in their advertising or pay the levy.

"This type of levy has been working in France since 2004. Australia should not allow junk food and alcohol companies to make billions at the expense of the health and well being of Australians," Senator Brown said.

"The alcohol industry spends $109 million on advertising per year while fast food companies are among the top 50 advertisers in Australia, spending around $165 million on advertising per year."

"At the same time the costs to individuals and the community as a result of consumption, in terms of health effects, social costs and lost productivity, of these products is enormous. Alcohol use in Australia costs $15.3 billion and obesity costs are estimated to be around $58.2 billion," Dr Di Natale said.

The levy could potentially raise around $4 million in revenue for A Health Promotion Advertising Fund, under the National Preventive Health Agency. It would be used to provide health information to consumers through social marketing campaigns," said Dr Di Natale.

The Greens will introduce legislation to:

• Introduce a requirement to include health information on alcohol and junk food advertising (the standards and nature of the health information to be determined by a National Preventive Health Agency);
• Provide advertisers with an option to pay a 1.5% levy on alcohol and junk food advertising rather than include the information themselves;
• Create a Health Promotion Advertising Fund to allocate the funds for health information and to replace alcohol or junk food sponsorship in community sports clubs.