Australians Not Falling For Climate Scam!
o n z o b
Malcolm Turnbull Stance Cops A Poll Axing
November 29 2009
MALCOLM Turnbull's hopes of fighting off a Liberal rebellion over climate
change to hold on to the Opposition leadership have been shattered by a poll
showing a whopping 60 per cent of Australians are against Rudd rushing the
Emissions Trading Scheme through parliament.
Despite Mr Turnbull insisting the ETS must be passed now - ahead of the UN's
Copenhagen summit - the poll overwhelmingly backs his opponents - with 81
per cent of Coalition supporters wanting the vote delayed.
Incredibly, nine out of 10 Coalition supporters - and three out of four
Labor voters - say they don't understand the ETS and want the Government to
explain it better.
The Galaxy poll, conducted exclusively for The Sunday Telegraph on Friday
night, shows a huge 80 per cent of voters do not believe the Government has
provided sufficient details about an ETS with only 26 per cent now
supporting the Turnbull-Rudd push for the Senate to pass it into law
immediately.
Fewer than one in five Australians believe the Government has provided
sufficient information about the ETS.
Even 73 per cent of Labor voters are in the dark over the ETS.
Mr Turnbull will face a leadership challenge on Tuesday from Tony Abbott.
But frantic efforts will be made by Liberal MPs over the next 48 hours to
convince their preferred candidate, Joe Hockey, to stand. Mr Hockey, who is
torn between his commitment to his young family and the need to take on the
top job, will be buoyed by the Galaxy poll which shows he is neck- and-neck
in voter support with Mr Turnbull, with both on 29 per cent. Mr Abbott is
not far behind on 22 per cent.
Among Coalition supporters though, Mr Hockey is the clear favourite
preferred by 39 per cent, with Mr Turnbull on 25 per cent running third
behind Mr Abbott on 26 per cent.
Mr Hockey has previously said he will not challenge Mr Turnbull out of
loyalty, friendship and the fact both belong to the party's moderate wing.
A confident Mr Turnbull yesterday re-affirmed to The Sunday Telegraph that
he'd have to be blasted out of the leadership.
Asked if he would be a candidate, Mr Turnbull replied: "Absolutely. I've
said it a thousand times. I'll stand."
As well as trying to convince Mr Hockey that if Mr Turnbull lost a spill
motion and re-nominated Mr Hockey would not technically be challenging, his
supporters are also try- ing to strike a deal with the Right through Senate
leader Nick Minchin.
This would involve the right-wing climate change sceptics in the party
refraining from publicly crowing they had won the day if Mr Hockey -
previously a supporter of the ETS legislation being passed - were to stand
and win.
Senior frontbencher Christopher Pyne, a supporter of Mr Turnbull, is not
deserting his leader.
But, critically, MPs say his closeness to Mr Hockey and Mr Turnbull now
makes him a key factor in any smooth transition between the two.
If a deal can be done Mr Hockey will send the ETS Bill off to a Senate
inquiry and then use the findings of that inquiry in the new year to
position himself as supporting an ETS but not the one being proposed by Mr
Rudd.
But Mr Abbott, in an exclusive interview with The Sunday Telegraph, says the
view of him as a narrow conservative is wrong, citing his plan for paid
maternity leave as an example of his changed views, describing himself as a
"commonsense pragmatist".
He also pledged not to let his Catholic beliefs influence his role as leader
of the Opposition.
"The internal party criticism is that I'm ill-disciplined and too inclined
to fly solo," Mr Abbott said.
"I think as a frontbencher you have to float a few ideas, but, obviously as
a leader, there's a sense in which you don't have the luxury of a private
opinion. I would be careful as leader to be collegial and consultative."
Independent assessments suggest Mr Turnbull and Mr Abbott each would have 30
solid votes. The remaining 25 MPs are understood to be leaning Mr Abbott's
way, believing that if Mr Turnbull is re-elected, the undermining will
simply continue.
Some of Mr Turnbull's supporters judge he has, at best, 20 solid votes, with
39 "on a very good day" - well short of the 43 needed for victory. Some put
Mr Abbott decisively ahead "in the high 30s".
Warmest Regards
B0n oz
"It is a remarkable fact that despite the worldwide expenditure of perhaps
US$50 billion since 1990, and the efforts of tens of thousands of scientists
worldwide, no human climate signal has yet been detected that is distinct
from natural variation."
Bob Carter, Research Professor of Geology, James Cook University, Townsville
SPierce
"o n z o b" <o...@p.com> wrote in message news:4b11e925$1...@dnews.tpgi.com.au...
(snipped)
> Incredibly, nine out of 10 Coalition supporters - and three out of four
> Labor voters - say they don't understand the ETS and want the Government
> to explain it better.
>
Labour supporters want to know where they can buy the tickets to see the ETS
playing.