The Greens’ approach to refugees will save lives by offering a safe, legal and humane alternative to dangerous boats – instead of the major parties’ escalating arms race of cruel deterrence measures.

Kevin Rudd’s decision to dump every refugee in Papua New Guinea, one of the world’s most impoverished countries, is shameful. It is no wonder Tony Abbott has welcomed it.

The Labor government's plan to use foreign aid grants to win the agreement of Pacific nation leaders to settle asylum seekers in PNG and Pacific Islands is the abusive action of a colonial power, Greens foreign aid spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said today.

The Greens care about people - that's why we're making better legal protections for Australians a priority.

Neglecting their 2010 election promises to consolidate equality laws, Labor dumped the draft Human Rights and Anti‐discrimination Bill in March, selling some of our most vulnerable citizens short on the legal protection they deserve.

Despite talk of ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) it signed in 2009, the government has failed to do so.

The Federal Government has refused to turn over any documents regarding its plans for a data retention scheme, rejecting in entirety a Freedom of Information request from Greens Senator Scott Ludlam.

Senator Ludlam requested "letters, emails, file notes, records of phone conversations or meetings, memos or reports about the drafting of legislation or regulations on data retention between the Attorney General's Department and the Office of Parliamentary Counsel". It was denied in full this afternoon.

1.30pm - Saturday July 6 Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge.

Speakers include Greens Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam and Electronic Frontiers Australia chair David Cake.

Edward Snowden blew the whistle on an American surveillance program monitoring communications around the world - spying on users of companies including Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple.

Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs

Notice given 17 June 2013

Senator Scott Ludlam: asked the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs on 17 June 2013:

Is United States citizen Mr Edward Snowden listed on the passenger assessment clearance and evaluation system to alert Customs and Border Protection that he is a person of interest and may be subject to intervention.

In the absence of Senate representation arrangements - The Minister for Home Affairs has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

Notice given 17 June 2013

Senator Scott Ludlam: asked the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship on 17 June 2013:

Is United States citizen Mr Edward Snowden listed on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship movement alert list as a non-citizen of concern.

The high cost of housing puts millions of Australians on a budget tightrope that can break easily, the Australian Greens warned today.

"Last night's Four Corners showed cases in which the fall from relative stability to deep poverty happened with shocking speed. ACOSS have demonstrated that the crisis is overwhelming the ability of agencies and service providers to respond," said Australian Greens housing spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam.

Figures released today show two thirds of housing and homelessness services in Australia are struggling to meet growing demand.

Greens housing spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said the findings by ACOSS confirm the need for The Greens' one billion dollar initiative to eliminate homelessness in Australia - Leaving No-one Behind.

Senator LUDLAM: I move

That the Senate-

(a) notes that:

(i) on any given night more than 105 000 Australians are experiencing homelessness, including 7 000 people sleeping rough or without adequate shelter,

(ii) while the rate of rough sleeping fell by 13.5 per cent between 2006 and 2011, in 2012 more than 136 8000 instances for a request for assistance went unmet, and