Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown has called for a direct, uninterrupted walkway and bikeway from Canberra's Civic city centre to Parliament House.

Parliamentary authorities have said they will look at the proposal.

Describing pedestrian access from Civic to Parliament House as an ‘imbroglio' and ‘a mess,' Senator Brown told a Senate estimates committee this morning that visitors saw Parliament House as the iconic building of the nation's capital and the pivot of democracy, and wanted to visit it.

Greens Leader Bob Brown is calling for immediate action to protect Australia from the threat of a swine flu pandemic.

An outbreak of swine flu, which is transmitted from human to human, has claimed more than 80 lives in Mexico and infected more than 1300 people in Mexico, Texas, California, Kansas and New York. The death toll is mainly made up of otherwise healthy, young people.

“This is obviously a potential cause of huge trauma and misery around the world, including Australia,” Senator Brown said.

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."

New economic direction required

"The Greens welcome the Rudd government's planned investment in education, community and defence housing and energy efficiency programs. Taxpayers' money is much better spent on public services and infrastructure than it is on supporting big banks, big polluters and big developers," Senator Brown said.

"The Greens congratulate the Rudd government on adopting part of the Greens plan to retrofit Australian homes to reduce energy consumption.

The Member for Indooroopilly, Ronan Lee, is Queensland's first Greens MP. Mr Lee resigned from the Labor Party today.

Mr Lee, who won Indooroopilly from the Liberals in 2001 and then retained the seat in 2004 and 2006, says he will provide a strong, sensible response to the climate crisis for Queensland.

Mr Lee said, "Queensland needs to take advantage of its natural advantages to make our state the world's leading solar power economy".

"We also need to focus our infrastructure spending on building a world-class public transport system"

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.

Embargoed until 12.30pm, Wednesday 9 July 2008
**CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY**

"And forests will be crucial" - Brown
The Minister for Climate Change, Penny Wong, is on the right track, but has a lot further to go to reorient Australia's economy and society to tackle global warming, Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said today.
"Minister Wong's speech today is on the right track, but her words are at odds with the government's actions. For example, Peter Garrett's solar rebate fiasco," Senator Brown said.
But post-Garnaut report the real five-way test for government action will be: