The Government and Opposition closed ranks today to oppose a Greens amendment to the stimulus package that would have limited executive pay packages to no more than $5 million or ten times the Prime Minister's salary of $330,000, whichever is the lesser.

"The Rudd Government has just confirmed that it is all talk and no action on obscene executive pay packages" Senator Brown said.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says that now taxpayers are guaranteeing Australia's banks, the most extravagant CEO pay packages should be clipped in return.

"Macquarie Bank's CEO takes home over $26 million this year. The big 4 bank's CEOs will get multimillion pay - but it is now the taxpayer's responsibility, rather than theirs, to assure depositors," Senator Brown said.

"Perversely, as their responsibility went down, the stock market and their prospective pay went up today.

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown is calling on the Rudd Government to close debt traps which are leading Australians deeper into debt at a time of record high household indebtedness.

"Harvey Norman, for example, is offering the public two years or more non-payment periods, then huge interest rates (around 28%) and default penalties," Senator Brown said.

"Yesterday Gerry Harvey, head of Harvey Norman, said that if the US economy failed to turn around "we are in for a prolonged recession". He also predicted that unemployment would rise.

The Greens have welcomed the MPs pay freeze announced by Prime Minister Rudd today.
 
"The government will now not proceed with regulations needed for any pay rise proposed by the Remuneration Tribunal, so that will be that," Senator Brown said.
 
"We would propose that after 2009, MPs pay hikes be pegged, the same as aged pensions are, to the Consumer Price Index."
 

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 was at Sydney University today to launch the Greens Higher Education Policy for Election 07.
"The Greens policy recognises the urgent need to boost public investment in public universities, to support students and assist researchers to equip Australia to thrive in the 21st Century," Senator Brown said.

Motion by Senator Brown: That the Senate- (a) calls on the Government to ensure that, in the spirit of the open market, no subsidies, payments or escape of taxes or payments be given to the Gunns Limited's proposed pulp mill in Tasmania; and (b) prefers that if taxpayer support for business is available it go to non-polluting, clean, green and environmentally-sustainable business. For Senate division results, see attached pdf. Only the Greens supported this motion.

Greens Leader Bob Brown will today introduce the Greens' terms of reference for an inquiry into the proposed sale of Qantas to Airline Partners Australia (APA) into the Senate.  
The motion to refer the matter to the Regional and Rural Affairs and Transport Committee for inquiry will come to a vote on Wednesday.
 
"Australians are concerned about the sale of this iconic airline, as are the unions and a number of parliamentarians, including Coalition members," Senator Brown said.
 

Greens release Terms of Reference for Senate inquiry into Qantas sale
 
Greens Leader Bob Brown today released the Terms of Reference for the Greens' proposed Senate inquiry into the sale of Qantas.
 
Senator Brown will introduce the following motion into the Senate tomorrow:
 
I move:
1)      That the Senate notes that:
a)      Qantas plays a unique role in the Australian economy and in Australian society.

Ta Ann Holdings, the Malaysian logging company which the Lennon government has welcomed to set up two veneer mills in Tasmania has an appalling record of deforestation and destruction of indigenous people's territory in Sarawak, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.