The Australian Greens say Tony Abbott has no respect for the Parliament the Australian people elected.

"Tony Abbott is trying to sneak his toll road fund through the back door. He has zero respect for the Parliament that the Australian people elected," Greens Leader Christine Milne said.

"With his born-to-rule mentality Tony Abbott thinks he should get whatever he wants.

"It appears Tony Abbott will stop at nothing to build toll roads from one end of the country to the other.

Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne says the Abbott government has today admitted it is undermining renewable energy to protect the old coal-fired generators, after comments by Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane on morning radio.

"The Industry Minister has belled the cat on the RET review. He's made it clear this attack on renewable energy is nothing more than a cynical move to prop up old coal-fired power stations," Senator Milne said.

Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne says the Renewable Energy Target has been a major contributor to cutting pollution and energy costs, and must not be scaled down or abandoned.

"Tony Abbott wants to destroy jobs, destroy investment and make power more expensive for consumers all because he wants to protect the old coal-fired generators and gas companies," said Senator Milne.

"Tony Abbott's mates in the big end of town, in the coal industry in particular, can't cope with the competition from renewable energy.

If everyone has to contribute to lifting Australia's budget out of the red, as Treasurer Joe Hockey is so fond of saying, then the Australian Greens say it's unfair and unreasonable for big mining companies to be excused on three fronts.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said:

"The government should be looking for savings measures by cutting wasteful multi-billion dollar handouts to fossil fuel companies, not by sacking people whose job it is to help protect the climate.

"It's hard to see how the carbon price and investments in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency can be rolled out effectively if the Department of Climate Change loses a third of its staff.

"This kind of short term thinking can only bring long term pain."

Christine Milne at the Senate doors explaining why cutting the diesel fuel rebate would be good for the climate and the economy

Cutting the $2 billion rebate mining companies get on diesel fuel excise is an excellent step to a safer climate and a fairer, cleaner and more balanced budget, and one that the Australian Greens have brought to the attention of the current and previous governments many times.

"We've said to the government many times that cutting subsidies which encourage use of polluting fossil fuels, like the diesel fuel rebate for mining companies, is not only sensible climate policy but also sensible economic policy," Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.