Liberals tear down the house
The Age
Friday November 27, 2009
MALCOLM Turnbull last night was defiantly clinging to his collapsing leadership as he fought to deliver the emissions trading legislation in the wake of a mass exodus of senior figures from his front bench.Shadow ministers Tony Abbott, Nick Minchin and Eric Abetz all resigned from their front bench and leadership roles yesterday after a spectacular, but unsuccessful attempt to cajole Mr Turnbull into delaying the legislation.Seven other Liberals have also defected from key positions in the last two days, capping a disastrous week for Mr Turnbull that has virtually ensured his leadership cannot survive.Mr Abbott last night was being touted to succeed him as Opposition leader. Sources close to shadow treasurer Joe Hockey said he would not run against Mr Turnbull. But he left open the option of running if Mr Turnbull was not in the field.Mr Turnbull remained defiant last night, telling a news conference he was determined to get the emissions trading legislation through the Senate and that he believed he could muster the seven Liberal votes that were needed. The issues were environmental responsibility and the Liberal Party's integrity, he said."We agreed with the Government on this deal. We must retain our credibility of taking action on climate change. We cannot be seen as a party of climate sceptics, of do-nothings on climate change. That is absolutely fatal."And we also must be seen as men and women of our word. We entered into a bargain, there was an offer and there was acceptance".He rejected suggestions he could not continue as leader given the mass defections. "Nothing has changed as far as the leadership is concerned. My leadership was confirmed only yesterday but it, as John Howard used to say, is always something in the gift of the partyroom."While the emissions trading legislation is due for a Senate vote this afternoon, the rebels may try tactically to delay its progress until they can get a change of leader. It was unclear whether Mr Turnbull would have the numbers to force a gag on debate.Senator Minchin and Senator Abetz, the party's leader and deputy leader in the upper house, told Mr Turnbull they would stay in their positions until Parliament rises. But they will vote against the legislation and would vote for a delay if it came to that.Mr Abbott refused to be drawn on whether he would run for the leadership.He and Senator Minchin jointly confronted Mr Turnbull in his office after question time yesterday. "Malcolm was unprepared to reconsider," Mr Abbott said. "I could no longer support the Opposition's policy and therefore could no longer be in the shadow cabinet."He said his office had had "an absolute deluge of emails, the phone lines have been in meltdown, with people saying that the Liberal Party would not be doing its job as an Opposition simply to pass this thing without the scrutiny . . . it demands".Given the adverse reaction to the deal with the Government, Mr Abbott said he and Senator Minchin had asked Mr Turnbull if the amended bill could be sent to a Senate inquiry and voted on in February.Others who resigned yesterday were Victorian shadow ministers Tony Smith and Sophie Mirabella, lower house whip Michael Johnson and Senate whip Stephen Parry. Three parliamentary secretaries €” senators Mitch Fifield, Brett Mason and Mathias Cormann €” resigned on Wednesday.Victorian Liberal Petro Georgiou attacked the dissidents. "The shadow ministers who resigned today because they couldn't accept the party room decision have done the Liberal party incalculable harm. That harm will be measured by lost votes at the ballot box."Former Howard government minister Kevin Andrews, who declared himself a candidate for the leadership on Wednesday, said last night there should be a vote and left open the question whether he would run.Senator Minchin said he would remain as Senate leader until the start of the parliamentary sittings in February, when a new leader would be elected.He said his resignation was "in response to a groundswell of opposition from colleagues, the business community and constituents in relation to the position adopted by the Coalition to support the passage of amended legislation over the coming days".Senator Abetz said: "I plead with the leader to accept the party room verdict on this issue."Ms Mirabella said the legislation was flawed. "I was prepared to demote myself so I could vote against it," she said.Senator Minchin, a prominent climate sceptic, was applauded as he entered a special meeting of Liberal senators last night.Liberal backbencher Wilson Tuckey said: "At this point in time, the only person that can stop the demise of the Liberal Party is Malcolm Turnbull, and he should resign."Fellow West Australian dissident Dennis Jensen said Mr Turnbull could remain as leader if the party voted against the legislation.The manager of Government business in the lower house, Anthony Albanese, said the Government had an agreement with the Opposition for a vote in the Senate at 3.45pm today, followed by a sitting in the House of Representatives on Monday.JUMPING SHIPNick MinchinOpposition Senate LeaderTony AbbottOpposition spokesman on Families and Community ServicesEric AbetzDeputy Opposition Senate LeaderStephen ParryOpposition Senate WhipSophie MirabellaOpposition spokeswoman on Early Childhood & WomenMichael JohnsonOpposition WhipTony SmithShadow Assistant Treasurer
© 2009 The Age
