Greens Leader Christine Milne is congratulating Tasmanians who railed against the Liberals' sneaky attempt to change the state defamation laws to silence their critics.

"The Hodgman government has embarrassed itself, and Tasmania, by replicating Tony Abbott's protection of big business at the expense of the community," said Senator Milne.

Press conference transcript: Draft management plan for Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and Abbott's attack on Medicare - Hobart 15 January 2015.

Speakers: Senator Christine Milne and Tasmanian MP Nick McKim

Innovation is Tasmania's future and we cannot let the latest opportunity to improve our information and communications technology sector go past, literally or figuratively.

We should connect to the new data cable that will run past the southern Tasmanian coast.

The ICT industry connects education and training to career paths in Tasmania, offering real opportunities for decent jobs combined with our wonderful quality of life.It is exactly the sort of industry sector that suits Tasmania's natural advantages.

China's commitment to using Australia as an Antarctic gateway is welcome news for Tasmanians working in the science, research and shipping sectors, Greens senators said today.

"The Antarctic and Southern Ocean research sector is worth millions to the Tasmanian economy. China's commitment will help ensure it continues to play a strong role for years to come," Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne said.

The Abbott Government's metadata retention laws are a step too far, writes Christine Milne

IF you're like me, you'll have had no idea until recently what metadata is and why you should care.

But you should care, a lot.

I've had to bring myself up to speed on the issue because it's at the heart of laws the Federal Government wants to change in its latest "war on terror".

There are a couple of different definitions of metadata but the easiest to understand is information that is collected when you use any telecommunications system.

While the flow of taxpayers' money to the logging industry from the 2011 Tasmanian Forests Agreement was guaranteed, there was no legislated up-front conservation outcomes.

In September 2014, the Hodgman government announced $7 million would be available to buy loggers back into the industry. No other Australian workers have had more multi-million dollar payouts to stay in, exit, and stay in than Tasmanian loggers.

BEFORE I was elected to parliament, I spent 10 years teaching at high schools on the North-West Coast.

I grew up in Wesley Vale, just out of Devonport, in a farming family who valued education.

I was sent to Hobart for my secondary and university education.

I returned home, but most people from the North-West who got a university degree didn't. The graduate exodus led to the perception that encouraging education would result in losing your children to Hobart or to the mainland.

The disastrous decision to give accreditation to high-conservation value karri forest logging in Western Australia rings alarm bells for Tasmania, Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne said.

"Major environmental groups have slammed the Western Australian Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) decision," Senator Milne said.

"Environmentalists have been participating in good faith in the current FSC assessment for Forestry Tasmania.

"The WA decision erodes confidence in the FSC process.

Bush Telegraph with Cameron Wilson: 9 October 2014

Our Wilderness World Heritage and national parks are what makes Tasmania special as a place to live and to visit. We live in a state which has been recognised as having places so special they are of outstanding universal value to humankind. We should be proud of that and bend over backwards to look after them.

That's why we need genuine agreement on what sustainable eco-tourism is if we are going to protect our parks in the long-term.