Greens communications policy spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said today that the overreach of covert surveillance agencies had hit a tipping point, with revelations that Indonesian leaders had been directly targeted.

"Are we seriously meant to believe that the President of Indonesia, his wife and his leadership team are a national security threat to Australia?"

"Australian intelligence gathering has been absorbed into the US national security state, which is widely accepted in the US to be out of control and in urgent need of reining in."

Prime Minister Abbott should immediately stop the clock on negotiations over the secret text of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which threatens to further extend the power of foreign multinational companies.

In the event that Parliament ever resumes, the Australian Greens will move for the Joint Standing Treaties Committee to urgently review what the Abbott Government is proposing to sign us up to.

The Australian Greens said today that they remain the only party with effective policies on the table to reduce the incidence of poverty in Western Australia.

The new WA Council of Social Service Cost Of Living Report released today shows that a lack of affordable housing, increased living costs and inadequate levels of income support are driving Western Australians below the poverty line, with job seekers, single parents and families on low or fixed incomes most at risk.

The Australian Greens today launched a national survey to determine where, how, and to what extent tenants and people looking for rental properties are getting a rough deal. The Rental Health Check - http://www.greens.org.au/rental-health-check

"With escalating rents and the shortfall in available rental properties, more and more renters are competing with each other for what can be substandard, over-priced, insecure or inappropriate housing," Greens housing spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said.

The claim by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus that Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning are not whistleblowers shows Labor’s desperation to justify its attacks on privacy, the Greens said today.

Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said the claim by Mr Dreyfus “beggars belief”.

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: