Forestry workers have every right to protest, but they should steer clear of violence and harassment if they want community respect, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"Harassment by forestry workers and their supporters this week in Launceston and Huonville should not be tolerated by our political and community leaders.

"I expect those people who have whipped up the misinformation campaign about conservationists over the past few days to renounce any form of violence.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown spoke at Senate doors today about Four Corners, doodling, Tony Burke's attempt to rejig history on the August 2011 Intergovernmental Agreement on forests, and the Greens' defence of universal healthcare and push for more funding for dental care.

Environment Minister Tony Burke has issued a statement rewriting Julia Gillard's 7 August 2011 promise to "immediately" protect Tasmania's iconic forests. Burke enlisted the backing of three other ministers.

In a move paralleling the Legislative Council's self-defeating Franklin Dam breach of precedence in 1980, most Councillors have moved to selectively ban environmental lobbying of overseas companies, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"A High Court challenge to the Council on the right of Australians to free speech would see all 12 Councillors found in breach of the Australian Constitution. It's poorly thought out blackmail," Senator Brown said in Canberra.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, speaking to reporters in Canberra this evening, urged Rob Oakeshott to honour all agreed aspects of the Multi Party Climate Change Committee agreement.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown has today written to Mr Richard Chandler, the new investor in Gunns Ltd, recommending he look at better investment opportunities in Tasmania than the unpopular pulp mill proposal in the Tamar Valley.

"The polluting pulp mill cuts right across Tasmania's ‘clean, green and clever' branding and it is only fair that Mr Chandler knows at the outset that the pulp mill proposal is a dinosaur which should be extinct," Senator Brown said.

The Australian Government has lodged a report with the World Heritage Committee that misrepresents the extent of logging in forest surrounding the Tasmanian World Heritage Area, Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said today.

"The Australian Government is putting forward a submission to an international committee that essentially does not tell the truth about what is happening in Tasmania's forests," Senator Brown said.

In the report to the committee the government claims in relation to the Tasmanian forests intergovernmental agreement:

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, Deputy Leader Christine Milne and Tasmanian Greens Leader Nick McKim outline prospects for an economic transition in Tasmania. Other issues discussed with reporters in Hobart included Labor leadership speculation. Senator Brown also reiterated the Greens' total opposition to the Nauru option and called for asylum seekers to be processed quickly and humanely onshore.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown today launched an analysis of Tasmania's economic potential which finds 3000 jobs could be created from the $120 million fund promised in the intergovernmental forest agreement.
"This fund has the potential to create more than 3000 jobs in regional areas which would largely replace the 3500 jobs lost from forestry since 2008," Senator Brown said.
"But this money will only flow if there is a strong conservation legislative outcome by June this year.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, speaking in Hobart today, launches a report into the jobs potential of the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA), along with the report's authors Naomi Edwards and Jamie Hanson.