THE Greens are dropping their demands for death duties as part of a new platform of policies aimed at presenting a smaller target to critics in a federal election year.

The platform does not resile from the party's core beliefs and positions, but like the main parties' manifestos it now presents them largely as ''aims'' and ''principles'' with fewer explicit policy measures.

Greens leader Christine Milne ... seeking to appeal to new constituencies. Credit:Jeffrey Chan

After a year in which Labor figures have attacked the Greens as ''loopy'' and ''extremists'' who ''threaten democracy'', the new platform gives the federal elected MPs - nine senators and one lower house MP - more flexibility in negotiating legislation when holding the balance of power.

But it also makes it harder for opponents to attack or ridicule the party over specific policies.