The so-called Minister for the Environment, Tony Burke, today turned on environmentalists in Tasmania and backed the logging of Tasmania's native forests, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said.

"He is lambasting Tasmanians who - following a trail of local and foreign loggers - have gone to Tokyo and London to background importers about the iconic forests like the Styx Valley where Mr Burke camped out last year.

"He is converting into an advocate for the chainsaws," Senator Brown said.

Long-term conservationist and campaigner for wilderness, peace and the urban environment, Peter Brain, died yesterday in Hobart aged 82.

The clock is ticking for Tasmania's ancient forests and today people around Australia, and globally, are coming together to stand up for our majestic forests. The actions of one person can be powerful, as is the case with Miranda Gibson.

Please join us.

Forestry workers have every right to protest, but they should steer clear of violence and harassment if they want community respect, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"Harassment by forestry workers and their supporters this week in Launceston and Huonville should not be tolerated by our political and community leaders.

"I expect those people who have whipped up the misinformation campaign about conservationists over the past few days to renounce any form of violence.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown spoke at Senate doors today about Four Corners, doodling, Tony Burke's attempt to rejig history on the August 2011 Intergovernmental Agreement on forests, and the Greens' defence of universal healthcare and push for more funding for dental care.

In a move paralleling the Legislative Council's self-defeating Franklin Dam breach of precedence in 1980, most Councillors have moved to selectively ban environmental lobbying of overseas companies, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"A High Court challenge to the Council on the right of Australians to free speech would see all 12 Councillors found in breach of the Australian Constitution. It's poorly thought out blackmail," Senator Brown said in Canberra.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, speaking to reporters in Canberra this evening, urged Rob Oakeshott to honour all agreed aspects of the Multi Party Climate Change Committee agreement.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown has today written to Mr Richard Chandler, the new investor in Gunns Ltd, recommending he look at better investment opportunities in Tasmania than the unpopular pulp mill proposal in the Tamar Valley.

"The polluting pulp mill cuts right across Tasmania's ‘clean, green and clever' branding and it is only fair that Mr Chandler knows at the outset that the pulp mill proposal is a dinosaur which should be extinct," Senator Brown said.

While bushwalking in Tasmania during his summer break, Senator Bob Brown today said: "I have always vociferously opposed the Three Capes Walk proposal from the Tasmania and federal governments."

"If Barry Prismall of The Examiner doesn't know the difference between a consultant's report and political opinion, after years working for the Liberal party, he should.

"Tasmania's 1,700 km of walking tracks are disgracefully under-funded and the Commonwealth should be putting $30 million in there for a much better economic return."

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown today launched an analysis of Tasmania's economic potential which finds 3000 jobs could be created from the $120 million fund promised in the intergovernmental forest agreement.
"This fund has the potential to create more than 3000 jobs in regional areas which would largely replace the 3500 jobs lost from forestry since 2008," Senator Brown said.
"But this money will only flow if there is a strong conservation legislative outcome by June this year.