THE public rift between Labor and the Greens has escalated, with senior cabinet ministers accusing the Gillard government's alliance partner of being economically irresponsible.

After a senior ALP official's description of the Greens as ''extremists'', Resources Minister Martin Ferguson yesterday joined in the attack, saying they ''don't stand for a strong business sector, with a focus on jobs''.

''Every project they succeed in knocking over, they regard as a victory - irrespective of the consequences, especially in regional Australia,'' Mr Ferguson told The Age. ''My position's well known - I've got no truck with the Greens.''

Earlier, Foreign Minister Bob Carr said the Greens ''can't be trusted on questions of economic management or national security'' and Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said the two parties ''have different values and different policies''.