Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown responds to the Gillard Government's budget update and outlines the Greens' more responsible approach. Speaking to reporters in Canberra, Senator Brown also answered questions about the Gold Pass, the Murray Darling Basin plan and immigration.

"The Gillard Government's plan to balance the books by imposing a higher ‘efficiency dividend', a tired euphemism for public sector cuts, is short-sighted and driven by political constraints," Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

Extending the 40% producer tax offset to games developers, as foreshadowed by Arts Minister Simon Crean today, is a forward-thinking and job-creating step first proposed by the Greens in 2007.

However, claims that the film industry has been ‘saved' by the increased tax offsets are premature, with an urgent need to lift the location offset to match global standards in order to continue to generate jobs and investment, the Australian Greens said today

The Greens have released their SBS budget submission to Government, requesting a sustained funding increase in the 2012-15 triennium.

http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/content/budget-submission-additional-funding-sbs-90-million-annum

The Prime Minister must not trade away vital health and social policies in her enthusiasm to cooperate with the US government in Trans Pacific Partnership free trade agreement talks underway in Hawaii, the Australian Greens said today.

"The United States, which is driving this agenda, is coming back to get what it didn't succeed in getting through the US-Australia free trade agreement," Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown will today invite the Senate to support the Book Industry Strategy Group's recommendation for books to be exempt from GST, bringing Australia into line with most other OECD countries including source countries for many of the books bought online.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown appeared on ABC News Breakfast to discuss the political budget surplus, the Afghanistan conflict, dental care, preferencing of votes, and the Australian Greens National Conference.