The blitz on Australia's native forests and woodlands is to be extended, according to the Rudd government's Minister for Forests Tony Burke in today's Ministerial statement.

"This is an effective go ahead for the pulp mill, with consequent taxpayer subsidies," Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"In the statement the Minister promises millions more to the industry. He is diverting taxpayer dollars to pay forest-destroying corporations to lobby himself. Get ready for much more money to be siphoned across to Gunns Ltd and other woodchip corporations."

Brown responds to loggers' lobby

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown has put logging of Australia's native forests on the negotiating agenda with Prime Minister Rudd and the Minister for Climate Change Penny Wong.

"I have explained to the Prime Minister, in detail, the latest research from the Australian National University showing the carbon emissions from logging native forests in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, could be more than ten times (1000%) above government estimates," Senator Brown said.

Managed Investment Schemes

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown has called on the Rudd government to reveal how many millions of taxpayers' dollars have been lost by failed Managed Investment Schemes.

This follows the collapse of Timbercorp and now Great Southern Plantations. One estimate puts the total effective subsidy to Managed Investment Schemes at $4.7 billion over the last decade, but the amount that has gone into get-rich-quick plantation schemes is not clear.

Gunns' description of a legal opinion by University of Tasmania law lecturer Michael Stokes as "ridiculous" is an attempt to avoid an extremely serious failure of governance which means that the Tamar Valley pulp mill cannot be built, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"It is Gunns which is ‘ridiculous'," Senator Brown said.

"The legal requirements for approval of the mill have not been met.

The proposal by Independent Senator Nick Xenophon to require details of MPs travel to be published within 60 days may actually weaken the existing requirement for reporting within 35 days,
Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"The fact is that all travel paid for other than by the MP themselves has to be notified on the Senate register or to the Senate within 35 days."

"So it seems Senator Xenophon's motion may actually delay, if not weaken, the reporting of any trips which are paid for with potential strings attached."

The Government and the Greens have agreed to amendments to the $42 billion economic stimulus package, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"We have improved this package to create thousands of green jobs in communities across Australia," Senator Brown said.

"These involve approximately half a billion dollars and will create thousands of local green jobs and provide greater assistance to unemployed and low-income Australians."

Greens Leader Bob Brown has responded to a Forestry Tasmania call for mature discussions on the Upper Florentine forest with a call for a peaceful moratorium to allow such discussions to succeed.

"Both sides will need to call a halt. I would ensure that the consequent discussions encompassed all the good options including, if necessary, an independent look at the options to logging the Upper Florentine right now," Senator Brown said.

The imminent logging of the Upper Florentine forest is a national disgrace, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"There is a large convoy of police on its way to the Florentine blockade to coincide with the beginning of logging season," Senator Brown said.

"The Upper Florentine Forest has been deemed of World Heritage value. The imminent logging operation there is a national disgrace.

"Claims by Prime Minister Rudd that native forest logging is sustainable are patently stupid," Senator Brown said.

Under Tasmanian law, there is absolutely no requirement for Tasmania Police to have given the names and addresses of the Triabunna 13 to Gunns Ltd, Greens leader Bob Brown said this evening.

The late afternoon media release from Tasmania Police reveals that Tasmania Police gave Gunns Ltd the names and addresses of all 13, including those who were neither charged nor arrested and complied with all police directions.