Bob Brown has accused the major parties of being "in the thrall of the largely foreign-owned coal barons," criticising Julia Gillard for failing to mention climate change at Labor's election launch.
Brown told reporters in South Australia that he was disappointed the prime minister had made virtually no mention of climate change or the introduction of a carbon price.
He added that Tony Abbott had no intention of ever introducing a price for carbon, despite growing support for the idea in the electorate.
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The Green's leader also criticised Gillard for failing to mention a national dental-care system and the introduction of same-sex marriage, key areas of concern for his party.
Brown called the Greens “the party of vision for this nation's future,” saying that the other parties were “stuck in the last century”.
Reiterating his party's commitment to policies tackling climate change, Brown said Australians were increasingly concerned about things like the future of the Great Barrier Reef and the Murray-Darling Basin, including a growing number of farmers, helping the “Greens to grow in the bush”.
He said the Greens wanted to build an extended electricity grid across Australia to bring renewable energy online, potentially turning South Australia into a renewable energy exporter.
The plan would include connecting South Australia's electricity grid directly to Queensland, allowing renewable energy to be exported.
Brown also touched on the issue of preferential voting, signalling that he thought it should be replaced by a proportional system, so voters would no longer be forced to choose between “the lesser of two evils”.
Until that time, the Greens leader warned voters: “Don't listen to Mark Latham,” but instead “vote below the line.”
