Turnbull restates opposition to ETS

A few crumbs of comfort in this. Malcolm Turnbull has been forced to clarify his position on the ETS in order to stave off a rebellion from backbenchers (although the Australian headline somehow spins this as a victory for Turnbull…):

The federal Opposition leader today sought to reassure "trenchant" coalition critics of the Government's emissions trading scheme he will not act unilaterally over the government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).

The CPRS legislation was defeated in the Senate earlier this year and is not due to be debated again until November, but the issue dominated a heated Coalition party room meeting today, with both National and Liberal MPs opposing an emissions trading scheme.

Former opposition leader Brendan Nelson told his colleagues in a valedictory speech public opinion was moving against the government on climate change.

Dr Nelson warned them against acting like “intellectual lemmings” on the issue [Great phrase! Suits the Kruddites perfectly - Ed].

Mr Turnbull and his climate change spokesman Andrew Robb were forced to restate the current Coalition position on the legislation.

The meeting confirmed Coalition opposition to voting on the CPRS ahead of the December Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change and before the final fate of emissions trading legislation currently before the US Congress is known.

The best result would be for the Coalition to come out wholly against the ETS (like the Nationals), a pointless and harmful political gesture which will make no difference to the climate of Australia or the planet. But that won't happen, sadly.

Read it here.