Opp. Leader Malcolm Turnbull. Credit: Adam Carr.
By Rich Bowden:
Recently deposed Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull has launched an extraordinary attack on his colleagues calling the opinion of Tony Abbott, the man who replaced him as leader, “bullshit” on the subject of an emissions trading scheme.
Mr Turnbull was rolled in a very public leadership spill last week after Mr Abbott led a group of senior frontbenchers in a mass resignation. The group left in protest at the then leader’s policy of negotiating with the Government a deal to ensure an Australian emissions trading scheme.
Replying publicly in his blog today, Mr Turnbull said he wished to put on the record “a few home truths” about what he described as the Coalition’s farcical policy on climate change.
He said that to be able to cut greenhouse gas emissions, people must be ready to pay a cost.
“First, let’s get this straight. You cannot cut emissions without a cost,” he said. “To replace dirty coal-fired power stations with cleaner gas-fired ones, or renewables like wind let alone nuclear power or even coal-fired power with carbon capture and storage is all going to cost money. To get farmers to change the way they manage their land, or plant trees and vegetation all costs money.”
“Somebody has to pay,” he said.
“So 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 then went on to suggest that the Coalition policy on climate change under Mr Abbott was non-existent.
Tony Abbott. Credit:dimensional dan/flickr
“It is not possible to criticise the new Coalition policy on climate change because it does not exist. Mr Abbott apparently knows what he is against, but not what he is for.”
Mr Turnbull went on to settle a score with powerbroker Senator Nick Minchin, a well-known climate sceptic and the man who was responsible for the deposing of Turnbull.
“…the fact is that Tony and the people who put him in his job do not want to do anything about climate change. They do not believe in human caused global warming,” Mr Turnbull’s post continued.
“As Tony observed on one occasion ‘climate change is crap’ or if you consider his mentor, Senator Minchin, the world is not warming, it’s cooling and the climate change issue is part of a vast left-wing conspiracy to deindustrialise the world.”
“Now politics is about conviction and a commitment to carry out those convictions. The Liberal Party is currently led by people whose conviction on climate change is that it is “crap” and you don’t need to do anything about it. Any policy that is announced will simply be a con, an environmental figleaf to cover a determination to do nothing. After all, as Nick Minchin observed, in his view the majority of the Party Room do not believe in human caused global warming at all. I disagree with that assessment, but many people in the community will be excused for thinking the leadership ballot proved him right.”
Mr Turnbull’s comments come as the Liberal Party struggles to change its policy on climate change on the eve of key climate talks in Copenhagen.
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There is no doubt that Turnbull will be looking to undermine Abbott. Although he is looking more like a sore loser which could be bad outcome for him.
Looks like you're right Alex, I think Turnbull will bide his time though before making another leadership move. With an ego as big as his, he'll be chafing at the bit on the backbench!
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