The Greens today welcomed the Government's progress with bilateral negotiations with Indonesia to improve search and rescue operations in our region, but called on the Government to clarify protocols around how and when Australia will take responsibility for rescued asylum seekers.

The Australian Greens today expressed their sorrow at the recent loss of lives and called for a thorough investigation into improving safety at sea practices and clarifying rescue obligations in law.

"There must be an urgent investigation into the continued delays in responding to distress calls from asylum seeker boats" said Greens' spokesperson for immigration Senator Sarah Hanson-Young in Adelaide today.

The Australian Greens send their congratulations to the Tasmanian Lower House for passing the co-sponsored Marriage Equality Bill and becoming the first Australian house of parliament to legislate for marriage equality.

"This is a historic day for Tasmania and I send my heartfelt congratulations to the Tasmanian Government for taking action on this important reform," said Greens' spokesperson for human rights Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

The Australian Greens today welcomed the introduction of the Tasmanian Marriage Equality Bill, co-sponsored by Tasmanian Greens Minister Nick McKim and Premier Lara Giddings.

"It is wonderful to see true leadership being shown by Tasmania, it is now time for Julia Gillard to do the same," said the Greens' human rights spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young today.

"Congratulations to those in Tasmania, particularly the Greens who have fought long and hard for this issue at a state level.

The Australian Greens have called on the government to make reparations to Indonesian children wrongly imprisoned as adults and bring in urgent legislative safeguards to stop such injustices happening again, after Senator Hanson-Young participated in the Detention of Indonesian Minors in Australia Senate inquiry in Canberra today.

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Subjects: mining, increasing the humanitarian intake, health of asylum seekers in detention, environmental protections, Tony Abbott

With support for marriage equality at its highest ever it is time for Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott to move out of the way and stop delaying the inevitable, the Australian Greens said today.

"Debate will start on the Greens' Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2010 today and I encourage all Senators to get behind this important reform to achieve full equality for same-sex couples," said Greens' human rights spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

The Australian Greens announced today that they will start debate on Senator Sarah Hanson-Young's marriage equality bill in the Senate this Thursday.

"With support for same-sex marriage at its highest ever now is the right time to kick off serious consideration of my marriage equality bill in the Senate" said Greens' human rights spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who announced the move during an appearance on ABC's Insiders program this morning.

The Australian Greens today expressed deep concern that the Prime Minister has picked up the phone to call the President of Nauru but has not called the UNHCR, the organisation the government claims will be advising on welfare protections for people cast offshore for indefinite detention.

"The Prime Minister must inform the Parliament whether she agrees with Mr Abbott that ten years of detention on Nauru is appropriate and how long children will be dumped on the island under the government's new laws.

The Australian Greens will move an amendment in the House of Representatives today to establish a one year time limit on the government's cruel offshore processing bill.

"There must be a limit to the cruelty that the Australian government can inflict on refugees, so a time limit would be one simple way of minimising the damage that offshore processing has on refugees and vulnerable children.