Labor has shot down the Greens' offer of a climate compromise, insisting its policies won't be up for negotiation even if it needs to navigate a hung parliament after the federal election.
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But Greens leader Adam Bandt has tried to cast doubt over Labor's stance by maintaining Anthony Albanese would have to cooperate if he wants to pass his agenda.
The Greens are confident of holding the balance of power in the next term of parliament and want to use that position to dump the Coalition from office and strike up some form of power-sharing agreement with Labor.
Mr Bandt has dangled a deal in front of Labor ahead of the election, offering to help Mr Albanese secure passage of his climate agenda through parliament in exchange for a pause on new coal, gas and oil projects until the next UN climate talks in November.
Mr Bandt, who says he wants to "improve, not block" Labor's plans, has described the temporary freeze on new projects as a modest demand which "no sensible government could reasonably refuse".
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But Labor swiftly rejected the offer on Monday as Mr Albanese declared he wouldn't be "negotiating or doing deals with the Greens" after the election.
Labor's climate and energy spokesman, Chris Bowen, later told Australian Community Media that the party's climate agenda wasn't up for negotiation in a hung parliament.
The two parties' climate policies vary significantly.
Labor wants to legislate a 43 per cent emissions reduction target for 2030 if it wins the election, whereas the Greens want pollution slashed 75 per cent this decade en-route to net zero by 2035.
Mr Albanese's party have no plans to shutter coal or gas plants as part of its so-called Powering Australia plan. In contrast, Mr Bandt is pushing for a "rapid" phasing out of fossil fuels.
"Labor is fighting hard to and can form majority government in May, and Labor's position has been clear from the get-go, we will not be negotiating our climate policies in the event of a hung parliament," Mr Bowen said.
"Labor's Powering Australia plan is the only climate policy that has the backing of industry, climate scientists and farmers - while cutting power bills and adding 604,000 jobs. It's the right plan for Australia - and it's the one Labor will be implementing if successful at the election."
While Labor's public position is clear, Mr Bandt is adamant Mr Albanese would need to come to the negotiating table if the Greens hold the balance of power.
Asked if the Greens would be prepared to block Labor's policies if it rejected its calls for a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects, Mr Bandt said: "I don't think it will come to that".
"Because after the election, when it is seen that there is a very strong desire from people in this country to cut pollution and a strong desire not to open up new coal and gas projects, and everyone will have to work together," he said.
Energy Minister Angus Taylor and Environment Minister Sussan Ley seized on the Greens' offer during a press conference to announce environment approval for the gas-fired power plant in Kurri Kurri, in the NSW Hunter region.
"No one should be in any doubt that those deals are being done now, between the Labor Party and the Greens," Ms Ley said.
"It's not about what happens after the election. It's about where you sit on a ballot paper before the election."
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