Hanson-Young sinks teeth into trade patch

After the disappointment of losing responsibility for immigration, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has vowed to shine a light on secrecy around trade deals.

The Greens say battery storage would have helped South Australians during the severe storms. (AAP)

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has shaken off the disappointment of losing party responsibility for immigration to sink her teeth into what she claims is a lack of transparency over free-trade deals.

After taking briefings from economists and trade experts, the senator is shocked by the nation's ballooning trade deficit and says Australia is sleep walking into a multi-billion trade blackhole.

Senator Hanson-Young compared the secrecy around negotiations to offshore immigration detention camps and said more scrutiny was needed, starting with the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership deal.