NEWS - Politics & IR
Published 7:58 PM, 27 Nov 2009
Last update 9:26 AM, 28 Nov 2009
Turnbull confident of Hockey's support
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By a staff reporter, with AAP
Embattled opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull is confident he has the support of Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey as he readies himself to face another challenge to his leadership next week.
Speaking to ABC TV, Mr Turnbull said that he believed Mr Hockey will stand by him next week, as former Liberal frontbencher Tony Abbott prepares to launch a spill of the Liberal leadership.
Mr Abbott, who resigned from the front bench on Thursday, has written to whip Alex Somlyay asking for a spill of the Liberal leadership and intimated that it was his "strong intention" to contest the leadership.
However, Mr Abbott earlier on Friday flagged he would be willing to stand aside and give Mr Hockey a clear run for the seamless transition many are seeking if that was an option.
"But if Joe's not a candidate, I'm there with bells on," he said.
Liberal sources have also confirmed that an alternative leadership team of Mr Hockey and Queensland Liberal Peter Dutton was in the pipeline.
Mr Hockey has repeatedly stated he wouldn't challenge Mr Turnbull, which makes his candidature less certain given the Liberal leader's refusal to stand aside.
A defiant Mr Turnbull told ABC TV that he was not going to step down from his position and challenged his detractors to make their move.
"There is no way I am stepping down, resigning, stepping backwards or anything like that," Mr Turnbull said
The opposition leader maintained he still had the support of the party and the there was no pressure for him to stand down.
"We had a vote on the leadership two days ago on Wednesday, and my leadership was confirmed," he said
"Within 24-36 hours of that vote the people who had been unsuccessful in overturning my leadership set out to have another go at it,"
"They were not prepared to accept the decision of the partyroom."
Mr Turnbull also said that while he respected the views of those in the party who did not believe in climate change or the need for a emissions trading scheme (ETS), delaying a decision on the legislation was not viable and a breach of the good faith bipartisan agreement reached with the government.
"We have been looking at this (issue) for years and years, it has been to many enquiries and many committees, and there is an issue of integrity here," he said.
"Australians expect us as parliamentarians not to play political games, not to run ideological battles but to work together in the interests of our children and their children."
Meanwhile, the Coalition may face an electoral wipeout at next year's federal election if the rebels led by Tony Abbott and Nick Minchin succeed in blocking the government's climate change legislation.
The Coalition could lose at least 20 of its metropolitan seats, including those of its leader Malcolm Turnbull, Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey and climate change critics Kevin Andrews and Andrew Robb, according to an analysis of Newspoll results, The Weekend Australian reports.
Newspoll shows that 63 per cent of Coalition voters in the cities believe the government's bill should be passed, while only 28 per cent think it should be opposed.
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