Truth Nuke

Aussie MPs Revolt Over Climate Change Laws

Posted on 26. Nov, 2009 by Xander in Headlines

Ian Woods
Sky News
November 26, 2009

Australian politics is in turmoil because MPs and senators are refusing to back action on global warming – on the eve of the Copenhagen Climate Change summit.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd regularly says his hot, dry country would be among the first, and the worst affected, by rising temperatures.

But he is meeting fierce opposition in the Federal Parliament. At least he will keep his job – the leader of Australia’s opposition is unlikely to survive the row.

Liberal party leader Malcolm Turnbull has backed proposed legislation, which punishes polluters and rewards those who clean up their industries.

But he has failed to convince half of his party – who are in open rebellion – and already survived one attempt to oust him as leader.

A group of party heavyweights, including Tony Abbott, have now resigned their front bench jobs in protest at Mr Turnbull’s support for the policy.

At a news conference where the media thought he might announce his resignation, the Liberal leader instead went on the attack.

He launched an impassioned attack on his critics, saying “no credible, responsible political party can have a no-action policy on climate change”.

One senior member of his party watched his performance on TV and texted Sky News Australia’s political editor David Speers, who relayed the message live on air.

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Tags: climate change