Turnbull must go

Arrogant contempt

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: for the good of the Liberals and for there ever to be a credible Opposition, Malcolm Turnbull must go.

He has demonstrated nothing but contempt for his colleagues, and for the grassroots views of ordinary Australians, who can see through the sham of Kevin Rudd’s ETS “abomination”, preferring his own personal and deeply green views on taking action on climate change. Being a former merchant banker, he can no doubt see the benefits to his own industry of the ETS – a licence to print money.

And, true to form, and despite ten resignations from his front bench, he still arrogantly believes that he can railroad the ETS through, and at the same time, pander to Kevin Rudd’s demands:

Despite the uproar within the Liberal Party, the ETS legislation, officially known as the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill, might still pass the Senate.

Government Minister Anthony Albanese last night said there would be a vote on the ETS legislation at 3.45pm today, and he said Mr Turnbull had agreed to that yesterday.

Mr Turnbull said he had been assured by the Liberal Senate leadership they would not unnecessarily delay the Bill’s progress.

The Government needs just seven votes to get it through.

The crisis erupted just after Question Time yesterday when Mr Abbott and Senator Minchin – fiercely opposed to climate change measures – met Mr Turnbull and asked that he defer a vote on the ETS until 2010.

Mr Turnbull rejected the advice, and Mr Abbott handed in his notice of resignation from the Shadow Cabinet.

He was followed by Victorian MP Sophie Mirabella, Senator Minchin and Senator Eric Abetz. Liberal Whip in the Senate Stephen Parry also said he would not vote for the Bill.

Three junior Liberal shadow ministers yesterday resigned for the same reason – Matthias Corman, Mitch Fifield and Brett Mason.

“This is not about leadership,” said Mrs Mirabella – but that’s the way most of her colleagues saw it.

I cannot see how the Senate can possibly vote on the ETS at 3.45 today, except to reject it. The Liberals cannot, must not, allow this bill to pass.

Read it here.

PS. This story even made Watts Up With That – see here.