News

National

General

Turnbull faces revolt over ETS

BY DANIELLE CRONIN, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

24 Nov, 2009 07:01 AM

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull faces an internal revolt today from a ''nest of dissenters'' trying to torpedo a potential deal on contentious Bills to establish an emissions trading scheme.

After weeks of arduous negotiations, the Federal Government will present its final offer to the Opposition in a bid to pass the Bills in the Senate this week.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd warned yesterday the offer had an expiration date. ''The deal that we put to the Opposition is a deal for this week,'' Mr Rudd told Parliament.

''There are times in our national politics when all Australians require us to reach beyond the normal partisan divide and to frame an agreement in the national interest.

''I believe we have reached such a time in Australia. We have reached such a time in Australia this week.''

Mr Turnbull faces a series of hurdles today, starting with the shadow cabinet meeting when ministers including staunch opponent of the Bills Senator Nick Minchin will consider the deal on the table.

Shadow cabinet's recommendation will be put to members at the joint party room meeting, which Coalition sources expect to be volatile and lengthy.

Moves were afoot yesterday to exclude the Nationals from the meeting because they had vowed to vote against the Bills regardless of the outcome of negotiations.

Insiders tipped five to 10 Liberal senators would also cross the floor to vote against the Bills, even if the most members supported the deal hammered out by the Opposition's chief negotiator, Ian Macfarlane.

One Opposition member remarked there was a ''nest of dissenters'' in the Senate.

Some colleagues were a law unto themselves and would refuse to accept the majority's view, according to another source.

A third insider believed the emissions trading Bills were being used as an excuse for factional warfare between the conservatives and moderates when the party should base its decision on what was good for the nation.

Mr Turnbull had transformed the climate change debate into a leadership issue.Liberal backbencher Kevin Andrews said yesterday there were no plans ''at this stage'' to call for a leadership spill at today's party meeting.

But Mr Andrews who served on the front bench in the Howard government declined to be drawn on whether he would take over the leadership if asked.

''The general principle of that is that leadership is the gift of the parliamentary Liberal Party,'' Mr Andrews said.

''At the moment, we have a leader. I am a loyal servant of the people of Australia ... and my party and I'll do whatever job people regard as appropriate for me to do.''

A Coalition source believed Mr Andrews was keen yesterday to promote destabilising points of view.

If shadow cabinet accepted the Government's proposals to change the emissions trading legislation, sources tipped Mr Turnbull had enough support to prevail in the party room.

The upper house could vote this week, with senators warned to prepare for long and extra sitting days possibly on Friday and Saturday.

Family First senator Steve Fielding and Nationals senator John Williams are attempting to defer the debate until next year.

Mr Macfarlane and Climate Change Minister Penny Wong met last night to finalise the negotiations, but both refused to disclose any details of the potential deal.

Before last night's meeting, Senator Wong said Mr Macfarlane had ''negotiated very effectively, along with the others who have represented the Opposition.

''We also have, obviously, areas where we have not been able to compromise.

''We have been very clear that for us, whilst the Opposition may need to focus, as they have, primarily on industry assistance and additional assistance on that side of the ledger, that we want these amendments to reflect both sides of this discussion and both sides of these objectives, which is the environmental outcome as well.''

Senators continued yesterday to consider the Bills, with ACT Liberal senator Gary Humphries noting it was still ''very sadly'' a political debate before one about the environment.

The Government's plan to tackle climate change was ''deeply flawed'', but the Opposition's amendments would save jobs in sectors such as aluminium, coal and natural gas.