Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says his bill to restore the rights of the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory to legislate on euthanasia will proceed in the Senate.
 
"I am confident it will pass both Houses. The Opposition has agreed to a conscience vote and I expect the Prime Minister will too," Senator Brown said.
 

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown has written to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (letter attached) seeking a multi-faceted campaign tackling alcohol abuse to be funded by the 'alcopops' tax.
 
"The Greens' objection to this tax is a far cry from Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson's. He doesn't want the tax. We do, but only if it helps fund a concerted campaign to reduce the $10 billion per annum cost of alcohol abuse to Australian society," Senator Brown said.
 

Rudd asked to come and see for himself

Greens Leader Bob Brown will move an amendment to the Communications Legislation Amendments (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2008 (CLAMM) in the senate today, banning junk food advertising during children's TV viewing hours.
"The Greens' amendment will introduce a national ban on junk food advertising during children's television. The current advertising regulations are inadequate and no longer meet community needs or standards," Senator Brown said.

Greens Leader Bob Brown has written to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd seeking a conscience vote on voluntary euthanasia legislation, Rights of the Terminally Ill Bill 2008, which Senator Brown will introduce in the Senate next week.
 

Greens Leader Bob Brown says childhood obesity, raising the aged pension, stronger workplace rights and ending logging as a first step to tackling climate change are priorities for the Greens in the new Parliament.
At today's declaration of the Senate election in Hobart, Senator Brown said the Greens' Senate vote had soared from 917,000 in 2004 to 1,100,000 in 2007. The party won official party status and will have five Senate seats from July 1, 2007.
"Rudd Labor will be conservative socially, fiscally and ecologically," Senator Brown said.

With the Coalition supporting the states' plans to give away Australia's genetically-modified (GM) free food status, Rudd Labor should declare its hand, Greens leader Bob Brown said today, campaigning with SA Greens senate candidate Sarah Hanson-Young in Adelaide.
 "GM-free status has been giving Australia's canola producers a premium on world markets. Worldwide, consumers are more and more diligent in avoiding contaminated foods and are increasingly drawn to organic foods," Senator Brown said.

Greens leader Bob Brown today backed the Prime Minister's call for nationally consistent drug laws, but said plans to quarantine welfare payments for people convicted of offences involving hard drugs were problematic.

"Presumably the welfare quarantine will apply to people convicted of offences involving drink driving, prescription drugs and cannabis as well. What about for people convicted of other serious crimes like theft and assault?" Senator Brown asked.

Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown has labelled the tax cuts and spending programs of the Coalition and the ALP as inflationary.
 
"Both John Howard and Kevin Rudd are spending to win the election, not to secure the nation's future," Senator Brown said.
 
"If you inject money in the form of tax cuts into an overheated economy you get inflationary pressure. It is far better to put that money into infrastructure and services such as health, education and public transport instead of tax cuts."
 

 
 
 Greens call for junk food ad ban. 
  
"Prime Minister Howard's new ad-free digital ABC TV option for children will leave most kids splattered by junk-food ads," Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.
 
"The new ad-free channel is a good idea, but it is no antidote to the fact that most kids will still be watching the commercials."