The Greens understand the reasons why journalists from The Advertiser and Channel Seven refused to be part of the visit to Inverbrackie today.

All journalists should be allowed to have access to detention centres and similar facilities without having to grant the Immigration Department's final approval of words, images and sounds.

It's vital that journalists be allowed to see and report freely, rather than what the department wants Australians to see.

The Australian Greens have welcomed the High Court's decision today to let an Afghan teenager bring his family to Australia after authorities claimed his mother was no longer his immediately responsible for him.

"The court's ruling that the Immigration Department made a 'jurisdictional error' shows the department did not follow proper process," Greens' immigration spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said today.

"In cases dealing with unaccompanied minors and young people, the department's communication and processes must be improved.

Australia's new attorney general and home affairs minister should press their respective departments to treat all Indonesian children as minors after the collapse of yet another prosecution, the Greens said today.

"The Commonwealth withdrew charges against another Indonesian who was crew on an asylum seeker boat after his lawyers confirmed his age," Greens' immigration and children spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said today from Melbourne.

Tony Abbott's decision to rule out a conscience vote on marriage equality again shows he is out of step with what most Australians want.

He and his shadow cabinet decided yesterday that the Coalition will not change its position on amending the Marriage Act.

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.

Despite concerns from some quarters, the Gillard government is right to be moving more asylum seekers into the community when they have been assessed as safe to do so, the Australian Greens said today.

"It is cheaper and is decent of the federal government to be moving more fragile people into the community, rather than having them languishing indefinitely in detention centres," Greens' immigration spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said today.

The ACT government's decision to reintroduce legislation on civil union laws is another positive development, but falls short of marriage equality reforms Australians want at the federal level, the Australian Greens said today.

"Real reform will be made when the federal parliament passes marriage equality legislation, which will send a signal that same-sex couples are not considered under federal law as second-class citizens," Greens' marriage equality spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said.

The Home Affairs Minister should have told the Indonesian government that Australian authorities were immediately scrapping wrist x-rays to determine the ages of asylum seeker boat crew, the Greens said today.

"The Greens have a bill before parliament to change the laws so children are not detained and wrist x-rays cannot be used," Greens' immigration and children spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said today.

Audio from Sarah's door stop in Adelaide on the Liberals and a conscience vote on marriage equality.

The Australian Greens have announced today they will reintroduce their marriage equality bill into both houses of parliament when sittings resume in early 2012.

Seizing on the momentum of the ALP's decision on marriage equality, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young invited both Labor and Liberal members to co-sign her bill.

"Marriage equality and fairness for all is about love and should be above politics," the Greens' marriage equality spokesperson said.

"With support from members from all sides, I believe these bills can pass in time for the spring wedding season."