Minchin denies Abbott is eyeing top job

Opposition Senate leader and climate change sceptic Nick Minchin has denied Tony
Abbott is preparing to challenge for party leadership in a split over the emissions
trading scheme.
Senator Minchin, who heads the coalition's climate sceptics, has flatly rejected
claims Mr Abbott is angling to replace Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull.
Speculation arose when Mr Abbott apparently abandoned his previous support to amend
the government's emissions trading scheme, saying that a "no" vote was the only way
to avoid a deep coalition split.
Former Liberal minister Bruce Baird declared on Friday that Mr Abbott was
challenging for the leadership.
"Tony Abbott now saying ... he's going to work against supporting the legislation
indicates to me that there's some deal been done," he told Sky News.
"Perhaps Tony is positioning himself to take over the leadership if there's a failed
support for negotiating with the government within the Liberal Party."
Senator Minchin denied the allegations, claiming Mr Abbott was only interested in
the unity of the coalition.
"Mr Baird is completely wrong," he told AAP.
"Tony's proper interest is in the unity of the coalition and the unity of the
Liberal Party and any suggestion to the contrary is to be rejected outright."
The opposition leader himself was playing down the sudden change of opinion, arguing
MPs had a right to change their minds.
"He's had a number of positions, he acknowledges that, he changes his mind on this
issue, that's fine - I have not changed my mind," Mr Turnbull told reporters on
Friday.
Mr Turnbull pleaded with his party to reserve judgment on an amended ETS until after
the conclusion of negotiations between the government and the coalition.
After two meetings on Friday, Climate Change Minister Penny Wong and the coalition's
lead negotiator Ian Macfarlane have scheduled another meeting for this Sunday.
Senator Minchin expects that to be the final negotiation.
"It would be difficult (for the Senate to deal with the bill) if it went beyond
Monday."
The coalition faces a crucial test early next week, if and when the negotiated
outcome is floated before shadow cabinet on Monday and the coalition party room on
Tuesday.
Senator Minchin, who openly savaged emissions trading legislation when it hit the
Senate earlier this week, is still proving a worry for Mr Turnbull, after refusing
to rule out defying the shadow cabinet.
It's expected to tick off any deal Mr Turnbull and Mr Macfarlane bring forward.
But asked repeatedly if he would abide by the shadow cabinet's decision, Senator
Minchin would only say: "I've always abided by the party room decision."
Liberal MP Mal Washer said on Thursday the senator should resign from shadow cabinet
if he wasn't willing to toe the senior party line - a call Senator Minchin also
rejected.
"Mal's leaping ahead ... I don't want to get into all the hypotheticals."
Whatever happens next week, Senator Minchin denied Mr Turnbull's leadership was at
stake, saying he remained true to the coalition's core position - to delay until
after Copenhagen.
He said the coalition was not afraid of the threat of a double dissolution and was
ready to take the issue to the public.