The Senate has today agreed to inquire into the audit reports of both the Tasmanian community forest agreement and the exit forest grants.

The Labor Government supported the Greens, however the Coalition voted against it.

"I am not surprised that Senator Colbeck and Abetz don't want to know about whether this is corruption or incompetence or both" Greens leader Senator Christine Milne said today.

Christine Milne asked Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Joe Ludwig, whether he has referred to the Australian Federal Police the National Audit Office's assessment that millions of dollars in funding was misused in the Voluntary Exit Grants Program for forestry contractors.

Subjects: Greens Antarctic and marine research funding launch, rorts in forest contractor grants

CHRISTINE MILNE: We are here today to launch the Australian Greens' policy on support for Antarctic science and a big injection into the future prosperity, not only of Tasmania but in terms of global science, a major injection into a better understanding of the role of Antarctica and the Southern Oceans in the global climate system.

The scandals continue with the release today of the Australian National Audit Office's report on the administration of the Tasmanian Forest Intergovernmental Agreement Contractors Voluntary Exit Grants Program.

"The big question is, as it was with the Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement, is the Federal or State government corrupt or incompetent when overseeing these grants programs?" Senator Christine Milne said today, announcing she will move for a Senate inquiry immediately.

NOTICE OF MOTION

I give notice that on the next day of sitting I shall move that the findings of the Auditor General's Audit Report No. 22 2012-13, Administration of the Tasmanian Forest Intergovernmental Agreement Contractors Voluntary Exit Grants Program, are referred to the Senate References Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and transport for inquiry and report by  12 April 2013:

Senator Christine Milne

Leader of the Australian Greens

Greens NSW Senator and forests spokesperson Lee Rhiannon has congratulated Front Line Action on Coal for today's action at Whitehaven's Tarrawonga Mine, a proposed development which will destroy 150 hectares of both prime farmland and state forest.

The Australian Greens congratulate and pay tribute to Miranda Gibson for her tireless campaign to protect Tasmania's magnificent forests.

Miranda has been living in the Observer Tree in the southern forests of Tasmania for a record 451 days. This is a significant milestone for conservation and is now the longest running tree sit in Australian history.

The Federal Government is in breach of its own Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) through refusing to rule out further Commonwealth support for the proposed Bell Bay pulp mill.