At this National Press Club I acknowledge the traditional owners of the Canberra region and all the Indigenous people of our nation.

This year will be another milestone in politics for the Australian Greens. The sole balance of power in the Senate and a breakthrough into the House of Representatives are both within reach. Australia's voters are looking for more progressive politics and the stable, experienced leadership which we alone have produced over the past three turbulent years in Canberra.

The Senate has today passed a Greens' motion calling on the government to reverse a decision to close the offices of the National Archives in Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said: "The government should properly consult with the public before closing down valuable public assets such as these. All Australians should have access to the collections in their home state or territory. Researchers in Tasmania, South Australia or the Northern Territory are no less valuable to the preservation of our history and culture."

"This budget is a missed opportunity to transform Australia to a low-carbon economy. It is clear the Rudd government is more interested in propping up the coal industry than investing in the clean, renewable energy jobs of tomorrow," Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said tonight.

The Australian Greens say the Government should not cut thousands of public service jobs or fail to give pensioners and carers an income increase in the upcoming budget.

"The planned multi-Billion dollar increase in defence spending and the tax cuts for the rich, which are now built into the budget, will be unnacceptable if the budget carries severe social penalties and fails to address dangerous climate change," said Greens leader Senator Bob Brown.

Queenslanders will be big winners out of the Local Green Jobs Package negotiated by the Greens as part of the $42 billion Federal stimulus package, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Brisbane today, where he was campaigning with Ronan Lee, Greens member for Indooroopilly.

The Government and the Greens have agreed to amendments to the $42 billion economic stimulus package, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"We have improved this package to create thousands of green jobs in communities across Australia," Senator Brown said.

"These involve approximately half a billion dollars and will create thousands of local green jobs and provide greater assistance to unemployed and low-income Australians."

Pope Benedict's pre-Christmas tirade against homosexuals would have been better directed against enforced celibacy, Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said today.

"Homosexuality is a necessary niche of nature's grand diversity, and the Pope should honour it rather than imply disdain for the Creator."

"However, enforced celibacy was cooked up against the order of nature, causes much unnecessary heartache, and is something the Pope can fix," said Senator Brown.

Greens Leader Bob Brown says that the Prime Minister's call for pensioners, carers and other low-income recipients to get out and spend their $10 billion budget allocation pre-Christmas is poorly framed advice.

"Mr Rudd sees Australia's lowest income earners as a short term economic tool rather than people deserving a break. His call to binge this $10 billion responsibly is like advising people to overeat responsibly. It would have been much wiser to have given the recipients a $30 per week pay increase over the next six months rather than this lump sum.

The Australian Greens will green-up the Prime Minister's $10.4 billion package and extend it to ensure more jobs and local economic stimulus.

The Greens welcomed the package and say they will seek to have the $1.5 billion housing package lead into a four year, $4.7 billion plan aimed at creating thousands of green-collar jobs and assisting all homeowners.

"Countries with green economies are going to be the countries which do best this century. Greed has taken us into this crisis, Green will lead us out," Senator Brown said.