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.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, speaking to reporters in Canberra today, outlined the Greens' moves to seek better funding for dental care.

Senator Brown also called for the Syrian embassy in Canberra to be closed as it no longer represents the people of Syria. Other topics included the need for Senator Brandis to recuse himself from the Senate privileges committee; debate on the mining tax; government advertising; and Point Henry.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown today welcomed the support of the Australian Medical Association, which represents more than 27,000 doctors, for regulations to protect children from junk food advertising.

Senator Brown introduced new legislation into the Senate on Monday - the Protecting Children from Junk Food Advertising (Broadcasting and Telecommunications Amendment) Bill 2011 - as self-regulation by the industry has clearly failed.

The Australian Greens will introduce new legislation on Monday to protect children from junk food advertising, after the Gillard Government and the Opposition wasted an opportunity earlier this year when they blocked Greens legislation despite public support for the Bill and recommendations from health experts.

"We have a burgeoning health crisis of childhood obesity and need to curb the relentless advertising of unhealthy foods to children," Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Melbourne.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters, Senators for Western Australia Rachel Siewert and Scott Ludlam, and Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt spoke to the media about the Australian Greens National Conference in Fremantle, WA.

Topics included the allocation of preferences, the environmental threats posed by developments in the Kimberley, and the Nationals' call for a "discussion paper" on coal seam gas. 

1 September marks one year since the Australian Greens signed an historic agreement with Prime Minister Julia Gillard's Labor Government.

The Gillard agreement has achieved outcomes for Australians in terms of passage of bills and lack of confrontation between the houses. We have consultation instead of confrontation.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown and Greens Senator for Victoria Richard Di Natale held a press conference to urge the Coalition to support plain packaging legislation for cigarrettes. Other topics included the proposed media inquiry, the upcoming tax review, coal seam gas mining and the carbon price package.

Transcript is after the break

Ladies and Gentlemen

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the Canberra region and all the Indigenous people of Australia.

This Friday, 1 July, is the 28th anniversary of the High Court judgement which stopped the Franklin Dam. But in the preceding week of 1983, Tasmania recorded the lowest temperatures in history. It snowed heavily to sea level. The bulldozers in the Franklin and Gordon Valley were stopped. So, Mother Nature got into the act ahead of the High Court!