Greens Senator for WA Scott Ludlam, former Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown and NZ Greens spokesperson for Energy Gareth Hughes MP united with key members of the WA renewable energy industry today to warn against an attack on renewable energy policy following Saturday's Federal election.

"Every time Tony Abbott opens his mouth he is costing WA jobs and investment," Scott Ludlam, Greens Senator for Western Australia said at a joint press conference.

What a year to be Green!

Right from the start, 2011 has been a year of victory for the planet and for a more compassionate, equal Australia. Together we have achieved great things!

The Senate today passed a motion moved by Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown that expressed concern over the Rena oil spill in New Zealand.

The motion reads as follows:

That the Senate

(a) requests that the President convey to the people of New Zealand (Aotearoa) the Senate's concerns about the oil spill and other consequences of the stranding of the container carrier ship Rena; and

Communities need to have a say in where mobile phone towers are located, and not depend on the whim of telecommunications companies, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"While Telstra's decision to withdraw its development application for a mobile phone tower at Tinderbox is welcome, people should have more influence in where mobile phone towers are located," Senator Brown said in Hobart.

"Some might call the predicted thousands of trucks descending on Canberra ending up as hundreds (ABC, 21/8/11) a ‘flop', but these Australians have every right to a peaceful presence on the parliamentary lawns," Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"It seems like the prime qualification to be there is to be angry about something - these are Abbott's angry people," Senator Brown said.

"But it seems their views on some issues are fairly shorted sighted, very ‘me-now'."

Greens Leader Bob Brown has condemned both major parties for today voting down his move to have the Productivity Commission investigate options for a sovereign wealth fund.

"Australia is the wealthiest country on Earth per capita in terms of resources and it is being squandered," Senator Brown said in Canberra.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today he will strive to improve the government's proposed mining tax in the coming months.

"By rejecting the Treasury-proposed Resource Super Profits Tax, Mining Minister Martin Ferguson has delivered $100 billion for the big mining companies at the expense of the long-term needs of Australia over the next decade," Senator Brown said in Hobart.

"The budget's corporate tax cut for big business should be shelved, helping to return the federal budget to surplus, and Dr Henry's tax should be adopted."

Greens Leader Bob Brown has welcomed Dick Smith's new book venture Dick Smith's Population Crisis launched today in Sydney.

"I'm looking forward to reading it. Dick makes a great contribution to Australian debate about population and resource pressures in this age of consumerism. We may not always agree with him but welcome his courage, commitment and stimulus to get us all thinking about the big issues of the day," Senator Brown said.

"He's right that exponential growth is clearly not sustainable."

The Australian Greens will push for a sovereign wealth fund to help fund the needs of future generations, as well as seek to improve budget measures in the immediate budget cycle, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"A sovereign wealth fund could underpin Australia's move into a low-carbon future, serving as a source of funding for long-term projects such as high-speed rail and metro light rail," Senator Brown said in Hobart.

Senator Bob Brown outlines the Australian Greens' pursuit of its proposal for a hybrid scheme: a fixed carbon price which increases over time, as a first step, followed by an emissions-trading scheme.

Senator Brown also talks about the good outcomes achieved for solar energy, affordable housing and education after negotiations with the Government on the flood levy that the Greens will support in the House of Representatives and the Senate.