Climate Change Minister Greg Combet has given a clear sign the Federal Government is prepared to consider introducing a carbon tax.

Before the election, Prime Minister Julia Gillard ruled out using a tax to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But the Greens advocate a tax as an interim measure and the chief of BHP has also endorsed the idea.

Mr Combet says the Government is determined to put a price on carbon and the new parliamentary committee on climate change will consider all options.

"In the political reality in the formation of the Government, the circumstances are a bit different than we anticipated," he said.

"It does mean that alternative policy options will come onto the table; we will be looking at the various options for the development of a carbon price as I said and we'll thoroughly subject them to proper evaluation.

"Things will be stress tested, the proper modelling and work and expert advice will be done, but serious work will be performed to try to develop the best possible option for this economic reform."

This morning Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt said it was clear the Prime Minister's pre-election promise meant nothing.

"It was false, it was untrue, it was a fraud on the Australian public," he said.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has repeatedly labelled the Government's emissions trading scheme as a great big new tax, however Mr Combet says the Government will meet "head on" any attacks on its policy.

"It's very easy for someone to be populist and opportunist in the way that Tony Abbott is, but we will take his argument head-on, because at the core of what he is putting is economic irresponsibility," he said.

He says putting a price on carbon is basic economic reform, and Mr Abbott is being reckless and negative.