Climate change issue an election decider

Mr Bandt said four or five of those on the cross benches wanted a price on carbon.

He said that presented a significant opportunity not only to reform parliamentary procedures but also to address climate change.

"What's clear from this election is that a number of people want action on climate change and they want it soon and it's not just people in inner city Melbourne. It's people across the board," he said.

"At the 2007 election there was enormous hope that Labor would deliver. Labor promised some substantial and quick action on climate and a lot of people were extraordinarily disappointed with their failure to deliver."

Mr Bandt said the Greens would meet on Tuesday afternoon to work through a number of issues.

"We think the responsible approach is to talk to everyone but that we are working together with the Labor Party to see if an arrangement can be reached that results in a Gillard government and that's what we will be working towards over the next couple of days," he said.

"The most important thing is that we get it right and whatever arrangements are reached they have to last and deliver a parliament that will go the full term and that's stable."

Exit Poll shows CPRS delay cost Labor votes

A recent poll, commissioned by the Climate Institute, indicates that labor could have won an extra two seats if it had not deferred its carbon pollution reduction scheme (CPRS).

The poll showed 32 per cent of those who voted Green would have voted Labor if it weren't for the decision to postpone the introduction of the CPRS.

Climate Institute chief executive John Connor said Auspoll findings showed the shelving of the scheme might have cost Labor the seat of Melbourne, which went to the Greens, and Denison in Tasmania, which went to independent Andrew Wilkie.

It also could have pushed the traditionally safe Labor seats of Grayndler in Sydney and Batman in Victoria into marginal territory.

Mr Connor said the decision to delay the CPRS was a double blow for Labor's brand credibility and at the ballot box.

"The exit poll findings back our broader market research which found that the climate change is no longer a stand-alone issue but bolted onto leadership, economic reform and health," he said in a statement.

Auspoll chief executive Ross Neilson said this was a significant haemorrhaging of ALP votes.

"The danger for the ALP is if this trend continues we would see very safe Labor seats like Grayndler and Batman being pushed further into marginal territory," he said in a statement.

"These outcomes would not have occurred if a third, or anything close to that, of Greens voters had voted ALP."