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Opp. Leader Malcolm Turnbull. Credit: Adam Carr.

By Rich Bowden:

Updated: Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull has hung on to the leadership after winning a motion to call a spill 48 to 35. Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey said Mr Turnbull had apologised for his handling of the ETS issue.

The Australian Opposition appears to have split  over whether to support the Government’s amendments to key climate legislation after an extraordinary day in which their leader’s job hangs by a thread.

After a drawn-out eight-hour meeting, Malcolm Turnbull, Leader of the Opposition, appeared to try to ram through agreement to the amendments, despite party animosity to the deal and estimates that over half of the party disagreed with any collusion with the Government that would introduce a climate emissions bill.

“I am the leader, I have made the call,” Mr Turnbull said to reporters at a late night news conference following the meeting.

Referring to several rumours over possible attempts to remove him from the leadership over unhappiness of his handling of the issue, he added: “If people are unhappy with the leader they can take whatever steps they deem to be appropriate.”

News Ltd reported a Liberal frontbencher as criticising the Opposition Leader’s arrogance over the whole issue.

“Turnbull’s arrogance is breathtaking,” the frontbencher said. “He is treating the Liberal Party with absolute contempt. He does not have the support of the partyroom for what he is saying in his press conference tonight.”

“The backbench vote was 41-32 against his recommendation. He declared it 47-46 (by including the shadow cabinet) in his favour unilaterally.”

The rancorous meeting came about after the Government insisted that a deal be completed over the emissions trading scheme in the last Parliamentary sitting week before the Christmas break. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his Climate Change Minister Penny Wong insisted on an agreement this week in order that the country have a valid scheme mechanism prior to key climate talks in Copenhagen next month.

While already passed in the House of Representatives where the Government has the numbers, the legislation was refused passage in the Senate in August where the ruling Labor party does not command a majority. A second amended bill, giving yet more benefits to polluters such as the coal industry is now before the Parliament. Mr Turnbull has said he supports the amendments however an apparently growing number of Opposition MPs have opposed any sort of ETS deal before other countries and were apparently outspoken in their opposition to the legislation in yesterday’s meeting.

Former climate change negotiator and frontbencher Andrew Robb surprised Mr Turnbull by saying he did not support the amended legislation as it did not fulfil the requirements needed.

With outspoken backbencher Wilson Tuckey calling for a leadership spill tomorrow, former Howard Government minister Kevin Andrews has said he will stand against Mr Turnbull for the leadership. More likely contenders Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey and frontbencher Tony Abbott have ruled out any challenge.