Turnbull stands firm on climate change

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull is standing firm against party rebels, insisting
his top priority is to honour the agreement with the government to pass the
controversial emissions trading legislation.
Only once that's done will he focus on reuniting a fractured party.
Mr Turnbull says he's confident he will remain Liberal leader at the party room
meeting on Tuesday.
So far only frontbencher Tony Abbott has emerged as a challenger. Treasury spokesman
Joe Hockey has yet to reveal his stance.
Mr Turnbull has gained some support from the latest Newspoll, which suggests the
coalition could lose 20 metropolitan seats, including those held by Mr Turnbull and
Mr Hockey, at a general election fought on the issue of climate change.
The Newspoll, published in The Australian newspaper, showed strong support for the
government's emissions trading scheme among city coalition voters, with 63 per cent
backing its passage. Twenty-eight per cent oppose it.
Mr Turnbull, accompanied by his family at the Saturday media conference, said Mr
Hockey supported him.
Mr Hockey had also repeatedly endorsed the deal with the government to pass an
amended emissions trading scheme, he said.
"I cannot imagine Joe Hockey would allow himself to be a mouthpiece for the climate
change sceptics. That would be a denial of everything he has stood for, for many
years," he said.
Mr Turnbull said the coalition should honour the agreement with the government.
"The emissions trading scheme should be passed with the amendments we secured," he
said.
"Having got that issue behind us, we should focus on unity and working together and
holding the Labor government to account."
Mr Hockey has said he doesn't want to challenge Mr Turnbull. However, he is facing
increasing pressure to change his mind.
On the strength of its agreement with the coalition, the government had hoped to
conclude Senate consideration of a large number of amendments to the Carbon
Pollution Reduction Scheme bill by Friday afternoon.
But in the face of what it has labelled as persistent filibustering by some
coalition MPs, it managed to deal with just 34 of 210 amendments.
The Senate sits again on Monday, with speculation it could sit continuously through
the night and even hold the final vote on the legislation to coincide with the
Liberal party room meeting on Tuesday morning.
ACT Liberal senator Gary Humphries said internal party polling confirmed what other
polls were showing.
"To change the leader is to change the policy, and I don't think in their heart of
hearts Liberals will want us to change our policy if it means we are looking down
the barrel of electoral oblivion," he told Sky TV.
But Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella said polls suggesting the coalition would be
decimated at the next election were just like those at the time Mr Turnbull led the
pro-republic movement.
Polls then pointed to broad support for a republic but it was soundly defeated at
the 1999 referendum.
"This reminds me of ... another battle that Malcolm was involved in and that was of
the republic. Polls were thrown around at the time showing the general popularity
for the concept of a republic," she said.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, in Trinidad for the Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting, added to the heat on Mr Turnbull and Mr Hockey, pressing them to live up to
their side of the deal.
"My expectation is that the negotiated bipartisan deal on climate change in
Australia passes the Australian Senate and passes the Australian parliament," he
said.
Mr Rudd rejected suggestions he could go to the polls early to take advantage of
coalition disunity.
"Our strong and continuing resolve as a government is to serve our full elected
term," he said.
Mr Abbott said he regretted the situation.
"I very much regret that it's come to this but if that's what it takes well that's
what'll happen," Mr Abbott told the Nine Network on Saturday.
A Galaxy poll to be published in The Sunday Telegraph has Mr Turnbull and Mr Hockey
on equal footing as preferred leader, with both on 29 per cent, Nine reported.
Mr Abbott had 22 per cent support among voters.
Among coalition voters, Mr Hockey led with 39 per cent support, ahead of Mr Abbott
on 26 per cent and Mr Turnbull on 25 per cent.