The Australian Greens said the weak compromise deal on donations reform flies in the face of the Greens-Labor agreement signed after the 2010 election.

The Greens will consider amendments to the bill when it comes to the Senate. 

"This weak deal stitched up by the old parties will not clean up the toxic culture of political donations and is a betrayal of the Labor-Greens agreement in 2010," Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne said.

Christine Milne press conference in Hobart on Gina Rinehart and media ownership, education funding, political donations and more

The following comment has been submitted to The Punch in response to Malcolm Farr's piece:

Malcolm Farr is in such a sour mood! We all go to the press gallery ball and have a good time but he comes up with that anti-Greens grizzle. Yes, I did insist on paying for the tickets - that meant an extra $250 for charity - but Malcolm begrudges it. Though he didn't raise the matter with me at the ball.

Greens Leader Bob Brown today introduced the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Tobacco Industry Donations) Bill 2011 in the Senate to seek an end to Big Tobacco buying influence in Parliament.

"The Greens don't accept donations from Big Tobacco and we commend the ALP for ending its acceptance of money from those peddling these deadly products. If a change of law is required to have the Coalition end donations from Big Tobacco, then that is what this Parliament should do," Senator Brown said.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown held a press conference to discuss the banning of tobacco company donations to political campaigns, the ongoing work by the Multi Party Climate Change Committee to price pollution, the appointment of former ALP secretary Karl Bitar as a pro-gambling lobbyist, and the expansion of the Greens team that will occur on July 1st.

The Australian Greens will move to amend electoral laws to ban donations to political parties by tobacco companies, Greens Leader Bob Brown said.

“We hope the Government’s proposed plain-packaging legislation, which the Greens support, gets through soon. The Greens will also move to ban donations to political parties from tobacco companies,” Senator Brown said.

Graeme Wood is the face of business that can give Australia a world lead in an age of dangerous climate change, forest destruction and loss of biodiversity, Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Hobart today.

"Graeme is an extremely thoughtful and long-sighted character whose sheer common sense has led him to success in business as well as becoming a leader in ecological wisdom in an age where that is badly needed," Senator Brown said.

The current political culture in Australia decrees that if you hand a minister $10,000 in a paper bag marked ''for you'' in return for a talk about your business plans, it is a bribe. But if you hand the $10,000 to a party official to sit next to the minister at dinner and discuss your business plans, that is OK.

The Australian Greens say ending all large political donations would make a tremendous contribution to stamping out corporate influence in politics.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said that the call today by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh for a ban on donations aligned her with the Greens and supported widespread public opinion.

"Donations should only be allowed from individuals and only up to a limit of $1000."

Senator Brown said that elections should be publicly funded, as they are in Canada.

Senate debates: Committees

Senators’ Interests Committee; Report