Federal Election 2019: Labor takes aim at Greens’ ‘scare campaign’ on climate change

Labor Leader Bill Shorten has hit out at the Greens accusing them of running a "scare campaign" and setting back the climate change cause with "extreme" views.

Speaking at a press conference in Gladstone Port today in far north Queensland, Mr Shorten said he would not allow the Greens to tell Labor what to do.

It comes after Greens Leader Richard Di Natale said if Mr Shorten wins government his party would be prepared to vote against Labor's climate change policy should it not meet the Green's demands.

The Greens have also signalled they would only support Labor's restoration of penalty rates if it bans unions from being able to trade away worker's penalty rates in Enterprise Bargaining Agreements.

Mr Shorten accused the Greens of running a scare campaign.

"The other scare campaign is the Greens. Who are the Greens, running around saying they're going to tell Labor what to do?" Mr Shorten said.

"My party is 120 years old, we are the party focused on working and middle class Australians.

"We're not going to take a lecture from the Green political party who, ever since they have come on the scene, have put the cause of climate change back because they take it to the extreme margins.

“We are the only party focused on getting a sustainable environment, but making sure that working and middle class people don't get left behind. "

When asked whether he would consider preferencing the Greens below the Coalition given their policy to ban coal fired power stations by 2030, Mr Shorten said it was an extreme policy.

"It's a silly policy and it’s a policy that isn't going to happen," Mr Shorten said.

"In terms of the Greens, what I say to them is next time they catch a tram, trams run on steel. Steel is made through a process using metallurgical coal.

"I don't think they quite know sometimes where it all comes from. But that shouldn't be used as an argument not to take action on climate change and I do think we need to move towards more renewable energy in our system."

Mr Shorten is spending Tuesday campaigning in the Queensland seats of Dawson and Flynn.

Flynn is held by LNP MP Ken O'Dowd on a margin of just 1 per cent, while Dawson is held by LNP George Christensen on a margin of 3.4 per per cent.