Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown today urged Foreign Minister Bob Carr to extract Australian combat troops from Afghanistan this year.

"We should be thinking more independently about our foreign policy. My first entreaty to Senator Carr is: do what you can to bring our troops home from this morass in Afghanistan," Senator Brown said.

"All the polls are showing that the people would support the foreign minister if we bring the troops home."

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown spoke to ABC News Radio's Marius Benson this morning about the diminished mining tax and government's headlong rush to try to get it through the Senate.

We're not going to be rushed on this legislation. The government must show the Senate the full mining tax package, Senator Brown said by phone from Hobart.

Bob Katter's out-of-date, tawdry advertisement against equal marriage was also discussed.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says the Gillard government has itself to blame if the Senate delays passage of the mining tax package in coming weeks.

"Where is the government's promised tax cut for small business (from 30% to 29%) due to start in July? It is reasonable to want to see legislation for the small business tax cut before handling the rest of the package," Senator Bob Brown said in Hobart today.

The Australian Greens have congratulated Sea Shepherd for helping end this year's whaling season but condemned the Australian Government for their lack of action.

 "Firstly, congratulations to Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd crews who have single-handedly  saved an estimated 600 or more whales while the Australian and New Zealand Governments did nothing," Greens Leader Bob Brown said today

 "267 whales dead is 267 too many and they would not have been killed if Australia's Minister for the Environment Tony Burke had taken an injunction in the world court and succeeded.

The Tasmanian Greens will celebrate their 40th birthday on March 23rd 2012 in the Hobart Town Hall exactly 40 years after the world's first Greens Party meeting - a tumultuous affair - on March 23rd 1972.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown will give the annual Green Oration. He will be outlining his vision for the future of the Greens and Global Democracy.

The Treasurer’s questioning of charities' tax deductibility status must be matched by questions to business organisations, Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said today.

"The Treasurer’s questioning of certain groups' tax deductibility status shows a bias towards mining and business interests," Senator Brown said.

“I will be asking the Treasurer to ensure that any mining company contributions to business organisations are questioned before any assault on environment groups," Senator Brown said.

Tasmania's birds are in the greatest danger of extinction according to a new a paper from researchers at the Universities of Queensland and Charles Darwin and Birdlife International.

"The researchers took the international 'red list' of all birds that were in danger of extinction and applied it to Australia," Senator Brown said.

After a campaign from the Australian Greens, on 14 September 2011 the Australian Government established an independent inquiry into the Australian media. The inquiry was led by former Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, Mr Ray Finkelstein QC. The inquiry reported to government on 28 February 2012.

Many media outlets have failed to accurately report the findings and recommendations of the inquiry.