The Australian Greens today outlined their vision for Australia in the new century ahead of the opening of the Balance-of-Power Senate.

Australian Greens Leader, Senator Bob Brown, said a record 1.17 million people voted Greens at the last election, and the five Greens Senators were ready to work constructively with all parties to respond to the challenges of the new century.

"Pollution, poverty, discrimination and the destruction of Australia's forests and precious environments are the legacy of the last century and decades of greed and inaction."

The Australian National University's report on the role of natural forests as Australia's biggest carbon banks underscores the horror of logging in an age of climate change, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson is taking the Coalition out of the political process to determine Australia's climate change trajectory, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.
"Dr Nelson's demand that nothing happen before 2012 dismisses the world's scientists' calls for urgent action to halt climate change," Senator Brown said. 
"The Opposition Leader is putting the wishes of major polluters ahead of the interests of ordinary Australians."

The Greens will lead the national parliamentary debate on climate change, Greens Leader Bob Brown told the Australian Greens national Council meeting in Hobart this morning.
Welcoming new Senators Scott Ludlam (WA) and Sarah Hanson-Young (SA) to the Greens team, Senator Brown said that failure by the Rudd government to maturely lead on climate change will follow if weak targets are set or there is more delay, till 2012, in implementing an Emissions Trading Scheme. The Greens want:

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The collapse of a section of the Wilkins ice shelf in Antarctica, nine times the size of Sydney Harbour, is a warning to the Rudd government, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.
"This is precisely why the Greens have pursued (fruitlessly) the science behind Minister Penny Wong's insistence on a 60% greenhouse gas reduction target by 2050. And her refusal to accept Europe's contention that policy should be based on limiting global warming to 2 degrees maximum," Senator Brown said.

The Rudd government should override the Victorian and NSW governments' decision to lift the ban on genetically modified canola crops, Greens leader Bob Brown said today.
 
"This is a nation- changing decision being made by two state governments. It has huge ramifications across Australia - the Constitution ensures that there can be no confinement of the GM produce to the states involved," Senator Brown said.
 

Australia should establish a World Bushfire Centre for research and management of the worsening bushfire danger due to climate change, Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Hobart today.
 
Senator Brown said a permanent, expert centre could co-ordinate research and assist in the prevention and management of bushfires in Australia and around the world. 
 

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.

Minister for Forests Eric Abetz, will today launch the Coalition's forest policy at the 10,000 hectare Wielangta forest, which he wants to log and burn.
 
The Federal Court ruled against Forestry Tasmania, Senator Abetz and Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull last September and in favour of Senator Bob Brown's challenge to protect Wielangta forest as the habitat of rare and endangered species. The decision is under appeal.
 
Senator Brown said Forest Minister Eric Abetz needed to answer the following questions: