Today NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon will join Greens second Senate candidate Michael Osborne, Senate candidate Jane Oakley, candidate for Newcastle Dr John Mackenzie and candidate for Paterson John Brown to launch The Greens Jobs Rich Plan for the Hunter.

Download the Jobs Rich Plan for the hunter here. 

Greens New England candidate Mercurius Goldstein and Greens NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon say that the relocation of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to the Northern Tablelands smacks of pork barrelling three weeks before an election.

Mr Goldstein said: "It looks like Barnaby Joyce is relocating jobs to Armidale in an attempt to save his own.

"Mr Joyce should have waited for the results of a cost benefit analysis that we understand is required from the Prime Minister.

The Greens believe that the Illawarra in New South Wales can be a leader in production of low coal steel. Making it here is good for employment, the environment  and the economy.

Following the release of the BIS Shrapnel report on a government procurement plan for steel the Greens have renewed their call for the NSW and federal governments to immediately adopt procurement frameworks for all publicly funded projects.

BIS Shrapnel recommends a minimum requirement of 85 to 90 per cent Australian steel use in all government products. Their report shows that a procurement plan would rescue the Port Kembla blast furnace.

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (16:22): I move:

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (13:29): I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 689 standing in my name for today.

Leave granted.

Senator RHIANNON: I move the motion as amended:

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (15:56): I move:

With the government’s higher education bill set to fail in the Senate this week, the Australian Greens have called on Tony Abbott to withdraw his government’s higher education Bill and pull Education Minister Christopher Pyne into line and confirm funding for Australian research infrastructure.

“Support for fee deregulation is crumbling. The Senate crossbench looks set to join university students, staff, and the community who have already rejected these reforms,” said Greens higher education spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon.

Senator Lee Rhiannon says the proposed higher education reforms look set to be rejected in the Senate again. There is no link in legislation between research money and higher education funding reforms, this is another tactic on behalf of Christopher Pyne to bully the cross bench Senators into supporting this legislation.