Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown today called on Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to demand Qantas management get the fleet back in the air.

"This lock out is also a sell out of the spirit of Australia," Senator Brown said.

"It is a multi-millionaire's lock out of responsible decent pilots, crew and other staff whose work gives Australia the world's best airline."

"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'."

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown today questioned the cost of Qantas’ advertising blitz in the wake of announcing job cuts.

“Qantas is happy to invest large sums in their Australian advertising, but not their Australian workforce,” said Senator Brown.

“I call on Qantas to release the full costing for the total advertising involved in this campaign including today’s national full page extravagance.”

Bob Brown and Christine Milne press conference at Parliament House's Mural hall regarding fuel and the carbon price

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."

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.

Following his meeting with Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday, Senator Bob Brown spoke about the flood levy, the imminent cyclone in Queensland, and the Greens' proposal for a High-Speed Rail link between Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.

Greens Leader Bob Brown has expressed delight at the Gillard government’s progress towards Australia getting high-speed rail (see Sydney Morning Herald today).

The Greens have led the national campaign for high-speed rail and in the run to the last election, both Labor and the Coalition backed a study for the Brisbane-Newcastle-Sydney-Canberra-Melbourne link.

Greens Leader Bob Brown said today his aim is to give Australia progressive and prosperous governance in 2011, beginning with work towards a Gillard government carbon price to tackle global warming, stimulate the economy and generate new business opportunities.

"Amid more extreme weather events, which are occurring more frequently, the new year gives Australians a chance to think beyond ‘sides' and embrace effective, innovative and green ways of building a future for the developed economy that is most at risk from global warming," Senator Brown said.