REPORTS that The Greens accepted donations from coal seam gas developers have sparked calls of ‘hypocrisy’ from The Liberal Party.

According to Australian Electoral Commission data, Origin donated $1,320 to the ACT Greens in 2010-11 and ActewAGL, a joint venture between AGL and the ACT Government, also donated $2,000 in 2009-10.

Deputy Opposition Leader Brendan Smyth has criticised Greens Leader Meredith Hunter, saying the donations “make a mockery of the party’s supposed commitment to the environment.”

“It seems the ACT Greens are happy to tell everyone else what to do but don’t apply the same principle to themselves,” he said.

“It’s breathtaking that Meredith Hunter introduced ethical investment legislation into the Assembly to stop taxpayers from benefiting financially from the coal industry, but has done just that for her own party.”

But a spokesperson for Ms Hunter says Mr Smyth’s claims are a “classic misdirection.”

“The link to the ethical investment is hilarious,” they said.

“We want to encourage companies to get out of coal seam gas and get into renewable energy.

“The question for Brendan is, does he believe in investing in coal seam, tobacco and cluster bomb munitions? That’s something he has never answered.”