The announcement of Sydney as the base for the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, a key plank of the agreement for a carbon price between the Greens and the Gillard government, is good news for jobs, the economy and the climate, the Australian Greens said today.

"The Clean Energy Finance Corporation is one of the most important planks of the carbon price agreement delivered by the Greens and the government," Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said

"Mr Rudd should realise that, not only is a fixed price period designed to give business much greater confidence and certainty, and to provide time for the Climate Change Authority to develop its five year carbon budgets, but that it is the result of an enormous amount of work and good faith negotiation by many people.

Today will be a great day for Australians who have waited years for their government to take our warming planet seriously.

After years of talk and a few backward steps, the Senate will pass a suite of legislation that will put a price on pollution from July next year.

Australians - who in 2007 and 2010 voted for politicians to back widespread community support for taking action - will be able to finally say that most of their elected representatives listened and acted.

Senator HANSON»-«YOUNG» (South Australia) (11:01): It is with great pride that I rise today to commend the Clean Energy Bill 2011 and associated bills to the Senate.

South Australia will benefit from the historic climate action package which finally puts a price on carbon to cut pollution, the Australian Greens said today.

"The Greens went to the 2010 election promising to take action on climate change, and at last we have the results after many months of negotiations," SA Greens Senator, Sarah Hanson-Young, said.

The Australian Greens, the Labor government and the Independent MPs today announced an historic agreement on a climate action package that will put a $23 per tonne price on carbon pollution, as was first proposed by the Greens, support householders and invest billions of dollars in clean, renewable energy.

This package, which the Greens have helped shape, is the first vital step towards tackling the climate crisis and building a cleaner, healthier, more secure Australia for all of us.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott should rethink plans to associate with Lord Monckton, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"Monckton's despicable abuse of Professor Ross Garnaut can't simply be shaken off and accommodated as free speech," Senator Brown said in Canberra.

"Last year, Mr Abbott met Viscount Monckton of Brenchley and he will renew that association next week at a mining conference in Perth. I urge Mr Abbott to think again," Senator Brown said.

Senator Bob Brown and Senator Rachel Siewert urge state and federal leaders to boost mental health services and work towards a national, universal public dental care scheme.

Senator Brown also vows to take on Rio Tinto, whose profit bonanza will benefit its more than 70-percent foreign shareholders, and other heavyweights as companies prepare to fight efforts to develop an alternative to coal and the Greens’ push to put an effective price on carbon.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak today. I am very pleased to be addressing you as the first Greens MP elected to a lower house seat at a general election.

There is no greater leadership required at the moment than that necessary to meet the carbon challenge.

The challenge of how to shift to a zero-carbon economy in Australia contains many pitfalls and hurdles, but also enormous opportunities and possibilities.

But, given the perils we face, we have no choice but to pursue these opportunities.

Speech to All-Energy Australia 2010 Conference in Melbourne

Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak today. I am very pleased to be addressing you as the first Greens MP elected to a lower house seat at a general election. If you cross the river you will be in my electorate of Melbourne, a place that has for much of Australia's history been a centre of movements for change. And there is no bigger set of changes required at the moment than those necessary to meet the climate challenge.