Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says the federal minister for regional development Simon Crean's advocacy of Gunns' polluting pulp mill directly contradicts his own call that "Tasmania the clean state - clean energy, clean water, clean food - has enormous potential".

"Mr Crean has a bee in his bonnet called a pulp mill. But he hasn't been to talk with local vintners who say this pulp mill, planned to be one of the biggest in the world, will be plonked into a beautiful valley with 100,000 residents.

"That's not clean green, it's mean of Mr Crean," Senator Brown said.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, alongside Greens Senator Larissa Waters and Queensland Greens candidate for Mt Coot-tha Adam Stone, spoke to reporters in Brisbane today about food and water security, coal seam gas, health, and climate change. Other topics included the Labor leadership saga.

What a year to be Green!

Right from the start, 2011 has been a year of victory for the planet and for a more compassionate, equal Australia. Together we have achieved great things!

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown and mining spokesperson Larissa Waters will attend a rally in Dalby today to support Drew Hutton, President of the Lock the Gate Alliance, in his appearance before the Magistrates Court.

"I have known Drew for 30 years. He is a co-founder of the Australian Greens. His courage and integrity are formidable characteristics when lined up against this money-hungry, invasive coal seam gas industry," Senator Brown said.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown spoke to reporters at Senate doors this morning about protecting the Coral Sea.

Senator Brown also answered questions about the "coup" reports in the Daily Telegraph, and whether individual newspapers should be the subject of scrutiny at the media inquiry. Senator Brown said it would be a good gesture if Mr Murdoch attended the inquiry.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown and mining spokesperson Larissa Waters spoke to reporters in Canberra today about coal seam gas and water security. Other issues included Qantas, mining tax legislation, and Australia's vote against UNESCO's recognition of Palestine as an independent state.

Senator Waters will introduce a bill into the Senate today to protect the nation's water resources from mining, including coal seam gas.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown held a press conference to discuss giving the Commonwealth Ombudsman the same access as the Auditor-General to the Publc Accounts and Audit Committee to overcome the roadblock on the Ombudsman reporting back to parliament.

"Some might call the predicted thousands of trucks descending on Canberra ending up as hundreds (ABC, 21/8/11) a ‘flop', but these Australians have every right to a peaceful presence on the parliamentary lawns," Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"It seems like the prime qualification to be there is to be angry about something - these are Abbott's angry people," Senator Brown said.

"But it seems their views on some issues are fairly shorted sighted, very ‘me-now'."

The Australian Greens will bring a bill into the Senate, in the next fortnight, to require the permission of landholders before companies can explore for, or extract, coal seam gas.

Queensland's new Greens Senator Larissa Waters' bill will use the corporations power in the constitution to require coal seam gas corporations to get written permission before entering a farmer’s land.