Nation-building is out the window for both Labor and the Coalition who have scared themselves immobile over the ‘great big new tax' bogey, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"While food prices in Australia rose 1.1% in the March quarter, Labor's ‘great big tax' return-fire over Tony Abbott's $2.7 billion scheme for parental leave would raise food prices by 0.5%.

"Similarly Abbott's dubbing of Labor's proposed mining boom tax as a ‘great big new tax' fails to account for the nation-building prospects, for example high speed rail - which the Greens would fund from this tax on resource development," Senator Brown said.

Senator Brown will give a statement on this issue at his press conference at 11 am at Saffron Restaurant, Shop 8, Capitol Theatre Centre, Franklin St, Manuka, ACT.

Media contact Erin Farley 0438 376 082
www.greensmps.org.au