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.

Bob Brown releases a background paper on Greens policy on education funding, calling for the decoupling of funding for private and public schools. He comments on the likely success of pokie machine reform and the Greens' proposal for a $1 bet limit and discusses the imminent start of logging in areas due to be protected under the forests intergovernmental agreement. 

The Prime Minister is aping Forestry Tasmania's lines on the breach of her August commitment to immediately protect Tasmania's high conservation value forests, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown says today’s Tasmanian forests “conservation agreement” is a blueprint for the utter destruction of more than 20 square kilometres of high conservation value (HCV) forests.

“That’s 1000 Melbourne Cricket Grounds in area of World Heritage Value forests to be logged and firebombed by Forestry Tasmania in breach of the 2011 agreement,” Senator Brown said.

“Ceasing routine meetings with the Prime Minister over this dishonouring of her 2011 Intergovernmental Agreement is a weak gesture considering the gravity of the matter. 

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown responds to news that government has signed a "conservation agreement" that will destroy an area of Tasmanian forests that is equivalent to more than 1000 MCGs. He also announces that he has written to the Attorney-General to request an investigation into the Japanese whaling ships that were in the Australian whaling sanctuary this week.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown releases private senator's bill which would require Australia to monitor foreign whaling vessels in and around the Australian Whale Sanctuary. He also talks about the governments' failure to protect 430,000ha of Tasmanian forests as part of the intergovernmental agreement and briefly talks about the proposed weakening of national environmental protection laws.  

Prime Minister Gillard and Premier Giddings committed to “immediately” reserve Tasmania’s High Conservation Value forests last August, backed by the logging industry and environmentalists, but since then some 10 square kilometres of the forests have been destroyed and another 10 square kilometres is earmarked for immediate destruction”, Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said.

This includes the coupe under Mt Mueller where Miranda Gibson, in her tree-sit, is keeping vigil.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown speaks to the media about the Japanese whaling vessel entering Australian waters and World Heritage area and calls on the government to send a naval vessel to the area. He also talks about his suspension of regular talks with the Prime Minister in response to the dishonouring of the Tasmanian forests agreement which was supposed to immediately protect 430,000ha of high conservation value forest but instead has seen logging continue.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown and Deputy Leader Christine Milne spoke to reporters in Hobart today amid the growing international furore over Malaysian logging company Ta Ann's destruction of Tasmania's native forests.

Senators Brown and Milne also answered questions about the onshore processing of asylum seekers, calling for the Australian government to adhere to international legal obligations.