Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne says the Attorney General must guarantee that privileged legal advice to the East Timor Government regarding proceedings against the Australian Government in The Hague that was seized by ASIO has not been provided to or used in any way by Australia's legal team.

"Australia's spies have seized privileged legal advice given to East Timor. Was the seizure in part to assist Australia in international legal action against us in The Hague? If not, why hasn't it been returned?" Senator Milne said.

The Australian Greens Leader, Senator Christine Milne, uses Question Time to ask the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs about the alleged espionage by spies undercover as aid workers in East Timor and the implication of this allegation on the safety of Australian aid workers around the world.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says the WikiLeaks exposure of a senior Australian diplomat's description of Timor-Leste as "a burden" underscores a mean and unneighbourly attitude in Canberra.

"This is the region's richest country putting down its poorest neighbour," Senator Brown said today.

"Instead, Australia should be fostering 'special nation' status for Timor-Leste and helping it with education, health, transport and renewable solar power."

The Australian Greens have called on the Federal Government to stop funding and training an Indonesian "counter-terrorism" unit linked to a series of human rights abuses.

Call to have Greater Sunrise plant in Timor Leste

In Darwin today, Greens Leader Bob Brown announced initiatives for Australia to help its poorest neighbour, Timor Leste.

"The Greens campaigned for Timor Leste's freedom during its quarter century of occupation by the Indonesian military forces, and we are now campaigning for more and better aid for the new century's rural and medical wellbeing."

The Greens oppose Julia Gillard's proposal for asylum seekers to be processed in Timor Leste.

The Australian Government is holding back Timor-Leste from developing its own energy security, said Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown.

With Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos Horta in Parliament today, Senator Brown called on the Australian Government to commit to assisting Timor-Leste to develop a clean energy future.

“The Australian Government is not supporting a gas pipeline to connect the Greater Sunrise field to Timor-Leste, which would assist the young nation to develop its own fuel source and related industries,” said Senator Brown.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says the Rudd Government should back Timor Leste and insist oil and gas giant Woodside not only provide studies on all the processing options for its Greater Sunrise gas fields, but favour the Timorese unless there is a genuine prohibitive obstacle.

"Timor Leste is one of our poorest neighbours," said Senator Brown.

"The Government of Xanana Gusmao is showing real guts in warning Woodside it would rather shelve the Greater Sunrise project than be sidelined," Senator Brown said.

Media contact: Erin Farley 0438 376 082

Bob has been following the progress of a campaign to have the AFP investigate allegations for torture that had been made about a Timor Leste man, Gui Campos, who arrived in Australia during the Catholic Youth Year celebrations.

He has been urging the government to support the AFP to fully investigate the allegations.

When he learned Mr Campos was going to leave Australia he urged the government to retain him until a decision had been made about whether to prosecute him under Australian anti-torture legislation.