Turnbull loses key ETS ally

Tony Abbott

Another major figure in the Liberal party has hardened his position on the ETS, making it even more difficult for Malcolm Turnbull to claim that the party backs his views on climate change:

MALCOLM Turnbull is facing growing shadow cabinet pressure to vote down the government’s emissions trading bills, with former minister Tony Abbott abandoning his earlier support for the Opposition Leader’s strategy to try to amend and pass the scheme.

Mr Abbott’s shift, and Liberal Senate leader Nick Minchin’s strong advocacy of the “vote no” view within the Coalition, will make it harder for Mr Turnbull to persuade his shadow cabinet to support the deal expected to be finalised between the government and the opposition by early next week.

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In July, Mr Abbott was staunchly behind Mr Turnbull’s strategy, urging Liberal MPs to allow the Opposition Leader to exercise his assessment on emissions trading and to save the Coalition from a double dissolution fight “it can’t win”.

Now he is arguing internally that the “politics have changed”, that the Coalition is now in a “pre-election phase” where it is wise to differentiate itself from the government and that the vehemence of the Coalition climate sceptics means a “no” vote is the only way to avoid a wide and damaging split in the Liberal Party.

Publicly, Mr Abbott has been warning there will be a very high price for Coalition support, saying the government would need to accept all of the Coalition’s proposed amendments before the Coalition would vote for the scheme.

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