Abbott refuses to fight with Turnbull

Tony Abbott has refused to fight with his predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, who has
denounced the coalition's climate change policy as a farce and bullshit.

And Mr Turnbull, who lost the Liberal leadership to Mr Abbott last week, has
threatened to cross the floor when the Rudd government reintroduces its emissions
trading scheme legislation next year.
But Mr Abbott, who has ditched coalition support for an ETS, says his only beef is
with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
He repeatedly dodged questions about Mr Turnbull's intervention, trying to turn the
focus on Mr Rudd's refusal to take part in a public debate on climate change.
"My argument is with Kevin Rudd," Mr Abbott told reporters on Monday.
"The emissions tax is Kevin Rudd's policy. He needs to defend it and to explain it
and that's what I am calling on him to do."
Mr Abbott refused to take the bait after Mr Turnbull, in a caustic entry on his
blog, took aim at the new Liberal leader.
He dubbed the coalition climate change policy a farce and ridiculed Mr Abbott's
claims the opposition would produce a cheaper way to cut emissions while still
meeting a five per cent target.
"Any suggestion that you can dramatically cut emissions without any cost is, to use
a favourite term of Mr Abbott, 'bullshit'. Moreover he knows it," Mr Turnbull said.
Mr Abbott is promising to reveal a "credible, solid and effective policy" before
parliament resumes next year.
Mr Turnbull, however, argues it will be a sop to the climate change sceptics within
the Liberal Party.
"Any policy that is announced will simply be a con, an environmental figleaf to
cover a determination to do nothing," he said.
Mr Turnbull might have strong views on Mr Abbott's leadership but the public appears
willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
The latest Newspoll, published in The Australian newspaper, had Mr Abbott debuting
at 23 per cent in the better prime minister stakes, up from Mr Turnbull's last
rating of 14 per cent.
Mr Rudd had his approval rating cut by five points to 60 per cent.
The Liberal Party also increased its primary vote by four points to 34 per cent.
However, another poll, by Essential Research, found one third of respondents would
be less likely to vote Liberal with Mr Abbott at the helm.
They also found Mr Rudd to be a more intelligent, hard-working and capable leader as
compared to Mr Abbott.
But they did give Mr Abbott's climate change policy a slight edge against the Rudd
government, 27 per cent for the coalition against 24 per cent for Labor.
Nearly one-third of people didn't know with whom they most agreed.
The job of changing those don't knows into support for coalition policy appears
likely to go to Greg Hunt, who is being tipped as Mr Abbott's new climate change
spokesman.
Mr Abbott is expected to announce his new frontbench line-up on Tuesday, a week
after winning the leadership.
Barnaby Joyce and Kevin Andrews will be among the new faces on the frontbench.
Speculation is rife that Senator Joyce will get the finance portfolio, while there
is talk Mr Andrews, a conservative, could replace Sharman Stone, a moderate, in
immigration.
Dr Stone told AAP that Mr Abbott had indicated to her that he planned to continue
the same border protection policy that the coalition had under Mr Turnbull.
"His choice of shadow cabinet will be very telling," she said.