Senator WRIGHT (South Australia) (13:08):  I want to express the great disappointment of the Australian Greens on the vote that just took place, when the government and the opposition and a significant number of the crossbenchers voted not to refer the citizenship bill, also known as the Allegiance to Australia bill, to the full scrutiny of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee of the Senate.

The Australian Greens say the Abbott Government's citizenship laws outlined today are a cynical attempt to bypass the courts yet again, but will not make Australians any safer.

Spokesperson for Legal Affairs Senator Penny Wright said the Prime Minister had made it clear the power to determine who would lose citizenship still rested with the Immigration Minister, who would decide which terrorist organisations are proscribed under the Citizenship Act.

The Greens say Tony Abbott will prove he is scared of his own Cabinet if he does not explain his citizenship laws before introducing them to Parliament next week.

"The constitution is not a mere inconvenience. If Mr Abbott was truly confident about these laws, he'd be taking them back to cabinet before introducing them," said Greens Legal Affairs spokesperson Senator Penny Wright.

"Only a couple of ministers have seen the legal advice and they won't say whether Abbott's citizenship laws are constitutional or not.

Australian Greens spokesperson for legal affairs Senator Penny Wright says the Abbott Government's proposal to bypass the courts and concentrate power in the hands of the Minister must be stopped.

"It is an extraordinary abuse of power to have one person deciding who gets to be Australian or not," Senator Wright said.

"The decision to remove a person's citizenship - the most fundamental right of our Constitution - must only ever be made by a court of law.

The Greens say Prime Minister Tony Abbott is again desperately trying to distract from his failing government, by embedding himself in an agenda of fear and anxiety, while completely ignoring the need to bring Australians together.

"Tony Abbott is again pressing the terror button in order to shore up his own position. It won't make us safer," Greens Leader Christine Milne said.

"Real leadership will bring people together, not divide them.

"An effort to build our community, rather than to implement divisive new laws, is what's required.