The $1 billion Australian taxpayers are spending on private company Serco's detention centre contract would be better off going toward a public denticare scheme, the Australian Greens said today.

"Letting detainees live in the community after initial health and security checks while their protection claims are assessed is 90 percent cheaper and 100 percent fairer compared to a detention centre," Greens' immigration spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said.

The Gillard government should heed the advice of the Wentworth Group's report into the Murray Darling Basin Authority's draft plan and commit to having the flawed science corrected. The government must ensure the parliament is given a legal and credible plan that will deliver a healthy, working river and is environmentally sound, the Australian Greens said today.

The sight of the two big parties exchanging and releasing letters on Tuesday was a performance that gave little hope for a sensible, humane or long-term response to the complex humanitarian issue of asylum seekers.

Australia receives around 2% of asylum applications to industrialised nations - over six months we receive equivalent numbers of unauthorised arrivals that Italy receives in one weekend. Yet political consideration of asylum policy is so warped our leaders were reduced to bickering like note-passing schoolchildren.

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Australia is moving to tackle climate change. Multi-party negotiations, begun by the Greens, delivered a carbon price on major polluters that will cut pollution and make clean energy cheaper. We’ve also secured over $10 billion in renewable energy investment, protection of biodiversity, a review of fossil fuel subsidies and much more.

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The first Greens’ bill to ever pass Parliament means that residents in the ACT and Northern Territory can no longer have their laws struck down at the stroke of a Minister’s pen.

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Tony Abbott's decision to rule out a conscience vote for Coalition members on marriage equality again demonstrates he's out of touch with what most Australians want, the Australian Greens said today.

"Numerous surveys show Australians want their MPs to have a conscience vote on same-sex marriages," Greens' marriage equality spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said today.

"Mr Abbott should stop swimming against the tide of public opinion and let his Coalition MPs have a free vote when the legislation is presented in parliament next year.

Audio from Sarah's doors appearance in the Senate. She spoke about keeping asylum seeker numbers in perspective and a great year for the Australian Greens.

The "year of decision and delivery" is quickly coming to an end and the Prime Minister is determined to get the government's mining tax passed through the House of Representative this week before the summer break of Parliament. The Senate would then deal with the legislation when Parliament resumes in 2012.

The "year of decision and delivery" is quickly coming to an end and the Prime Minister is determined to get the government's mining tax passed through the House of Representative this week before the summer break of Parliament. The Senate would then deal with the legislation when Parliament resumes in 2012.