Prime Minister Abbott should immediately stop the clock on negotiations over the secret text of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which threatens to further extend the power of foreign multinational companies.

In the event that Parliament ever resumes, the Australian Greens will move for the Joint Standing Treaties Committee to urgently review what the Abbott Government is proposing to sign us up to.

The Greens welcome the start today of CHOICE magazine's campaign for Fair Use in Australian copyright law.

The Greens communications spokesperson, Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam, currently has legislation before a Senate Committee on comprehensive reforms of Australian copyright law - including a fair use provision - and welcomed the support from one of Australia's leading consumer watchdogs.

"CHOICE's message is simple but on target - ‘Australian copyright law is broken and Fair Use will fix it'. They are asking people to 'pledge' their support for Fair Use.

The Greens have moved to bring common sense and fairness to copyright law with the introduction of the Copyright Legislation Amendment (Fair Go for Fair Use) Bill by communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam.

"Public submissions on our Bill open today. Central to our reforms is the introduction of a ‘fair use' provision. It will make the Copyright Act properly reflect the legitimate expectations of consumers by promoting innovation and fair access to archives and other information stores of public interest," said Senator Ludlam.

Australian Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam paid tribute to late activist Aaron Swartz as the Greens renewed their call for copyright law reform.

On 11 January the 26 year-old Mr Swartz, a celebrated social justice and free internet activist, took his own life in Brooklyn while facing potentially more than 30 years in prison for downloading academic articles.

The Federal Government is hell-bent on a second attempt to lock Australia into a dead-end copyright treaty, Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam warned today.

"The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, if the USA gets its way, will cause huge problems for Australians, but our Federal Government is backing Washington to the hilt.

The Australian Greens will move in the Senate that the Government disclose details of a closed-door anti-piracy meeting held in February between the Attorney General's Department, internet service providers and the film, TV and music industries.

"The Government refuses to reveal almost any information about the attendees, the substance or the outcomes of the meeting.  A Freedom of Information request from a journalist looks like it’s been met with maximum resistance,”1 said Australian Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam.