The federal opposition is muddled and naive over its policy on farmers' rights and coal seam gas exploration, Greens leader Bob Brown says.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on Monday said he would not support a move by the Greens to legislate greater powers for farmers to block coal seam gas exploration and extraction on their land.
Mr Abbott said the Greens were "against mining, full stop".
"They are particularly against the coal industry that they want to close down," he said.
It was a change of tune from Mr Abbott, who on Friday said farmers had a "right to say no".
Senator Brown said legislation was the only way to protect farmers.
"For Tony Abbott to use such a thing as the Greens are opposed to mining or are supporting farming, therefore I won't have anything to do with this important component, shows muddled, naive and ultimately confusing politics for everybody," Senator Brown told reporters in Hobart.
"Is he going to support farmers in their right, as he did on Friday, to say no to coal seam gas rolling over their farmlands?
"The question for Tony Abbott is if you're not going to take up the Greens' legislative route to protect farmers, what's your alternative? And I can tell him, there isn't one."
Senator Brown said the opposition leader needed to overcome the awkward prospect of the Greens and the coalition siding together.
"If Tony Abbott's uncomfortable about working with me on this issue I might say there's a little bit of the same discomfort in the opposite direction," he said.
"We're working here on the national interest, on the interests of farmers, not on whether Tony Abbott and I like each other. I hope Mr Abbott remembers that."
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