Greens Leader Christine Milne says the Prime Minister should immediately intervene with the Egyptian President and consider all diplomatic options regardless of any avenues of appeal being followed by the Greste legal team.

"This has been a shocking show trial. It is a terrible day, not only for Peter Greste and his family but for the free press across the world," Senator Milne said.

"I have zero confidence in the integrity of the Egyptian legal system that has imprisoned journalists for reporting the news, and which sentences protesters to death.

Greens Leader Christine Milne has expressed disappointment at a likely split within the Labor party, on the use of the UN accepted term ‘Occupied Palestinian Territories' for the illegal settlements built after 1967, which contravene the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The Labor party blocked a Greens-Xenophon motion calling on the Foreign Affairs Minister to publically acknowledge these facts.

Greens Leader Christine Milne has called on Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to rule out sending Australian troops to Iraq for a third war.

"Unilateral military action is exactly how Iraq got into this mess in the first place," Greens Leader Christine Milne said.

"Australia under John Howard blindly followed George W Bush into a very bloody conflict that was based on a lie. Tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians and thousands of coalition forces were killed. Killings and conflict continues to this day.

The Australian Greens say the Rajapaksa government must not stand in the way of a UN sanctioned investigation into human rights abuses, in particular at the end of the country's civil war.

"This investigation was agreed to by the UN Human Rights Council. It must be allowed to proceed and Australia must not shield and appease the Rajapaksas any longer," said Australian Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne.

"Prime Minister Abbott must publicly call on the Rajapaksa regime to permit the UN investigator to enter the country and operate unhindered.

As the Prime Minister continues his climate denial tour of the planet, Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne says he's only telling half the story.

"When Tony Abbott says Australia is open for business, jobs and prosperity, he means prosperity for his big-business mates. Tony Abbott's Australia is not open to the clever, 21st century jobs of the clean, low carbon economy," Senator Milne said.

The Australian Greens say Tony Abbott is risking Australia's constructive relationship with the United States by seeking to undo existing climate change policies, refusing to put climate on the G20 agenda and retreating from global action.

"Tony Abbott absolutely has his head in the sand on climate change. It's a national disaster and a global embarrassment as China and the USA get serious about the 2015 treaty," said Greens Leader Christine Milne.

Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne has spoken out against the increasingly weak position of the Abbott government regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine over the occupied territories.

"This is an outrageous backdown by the Abbott government. It is inflammatory behaviour and at odds with the peace process," Senator Milne said.

"The use of the term ‘Occupied Palestinian Territories' is the accepted term used by the UN. The Israeli settlements built after 1967 are illegal. The settlements contravene the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The Australian Greens Leader, Senator Christine Milne, uses Senate Estimates to ask the Department of Foreign Affairs about the Australian Government's failure to stand up for democracy in Cambodia.

As Egyptians head to the polls today, the Australian Greens say it's crucial that Prime Minister Tony Abbott personally intervenes in the case of jailed journalist Peter Greste and his 19 co-accused.

"The Abbott government's efforts must be stepped up during this period of political uncertainty in Egypt," said Greens Leader Christine Milne.

"The next hearing in the trial has been set for after the election, and it's impossible to know how the political winner will approach Peter Greste's case.

The Australian Greens Leader, Senator Christine Milne, introduces a motion calling on the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to increase pressure on Egypt to secure the release of Australian journalist, Peter Greste.