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| Version 10 | Version 11 |
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| New head for Australia opposition | New head for Australia opposition |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Australia's opposition Liberal Party has elected a climate-change sceptic as its new leader, dealing a blow to the government's carbon-trading law plans. | Australia's opposition Liberal Party has elected a climate-change sceptic as its new leader, dealing a blow to the government's carbon-trading law plans. |
| Tony Abbott beat incumbent leader Malcolm Turnbull, by 42 votes to 41. | Tony Abbott beat incumbent leader Malcolm Turnbull, by 42 votes to 41. |
| Mr Abbott has vowed to block the Emissions Trading Scheme in the Senate, where Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Labour Party does not have a majority. | Mr Abbott has vowed to block the Emissions Trading Scheme in the Senate, where Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Labour Party does not have a majority. |
| Mr Rudd had wanted the legislation approved before the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen next week. | Mr Rudd had wanted the legislation approved before the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen next week. |
| Correspondents say rejection of the ETS in the Senate would hand the popular Rudd government a trigger for a snap election. | Correspondents say rejection of the ETS in the Senate would hand the popular Rudd government a trigger for a snap election. |
| 'Great big tax' | 'Great big tax' |
| Last week, Mr Rudd secured Mr Turnbull's support for the ETS, but it prompted a leadership challenge from some Liberal MPs, who questioned the scientific case for global warming and said they believed the legislation might damage Australia's economy. | Last week, Mr Rudd secured Mr Turnbull's support for the ETS, but it prompted a leadership challenge from some Liberal MPs, who questioned the scientific case for global warming and said they believed the legislation might damage Australia's economy. |
| Many moderate Liberals are terrified. Malcolm Turnbull had warned that his once-dominant party would face an electoral catastrophe if it appeared before the electorate as the party of climate-change scepticism Nick Bryant, BBC News, Sydney Read more Profile: Tony Abbott | Many moderate Liberals are terrified. Malcolm Turnbull had warned that his once-dominant party would face an electoral catastrophe if it appeared before the electorate as the party of climate-change scepticism Nick Bryant, BBC News, Sydney Read more Profile: Tony Abbott |
| At a party meeting in Canberra on Tuesday, Mr Turnbull was narrowly defeated by Mr Abbott in the final round of voting. A third challenger, Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey, was eliminated in the first round. | At a party meeting in Canberra on Tuesday, Mr Turnbull was narrowly defeated by Mr Abbott in the final round of voting. A third challenger, Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey, was eliminated in the first round. |
| Minutes after his surprise victory, Mr Abbott told a news conference that he would fight the ETS bill in the upper house of parliament. | Minutes after his surprise victory, Mr Abbott told a news conference that he would fight the ETS bill in the upper house of parliament. |
| "We will seek to refer the legislation to [a Senate] committee for further scrutiny. If we cannot get the support for that course of action we will oppose the legislation in the Senate this week," he said. | "We will seek to refer the legislation to [a Senate] committee for further scrutiny. If we cannot get the support for that course of action we will oppose the legislation in the Senate this week," he said. |
| "I think on something of this magnitude, it is much more important to get it right than to rush it," he added. | "I think on something of this magnitude, it is much more important to get it right than to rush it," he added. |
| Mr Abbott said millions of Australians were concerned that the ETS was in reality "a great big tax to create a great big slush fund, to provide politicised hand-outs run by a giant bureaucracy". | Mr Abbott said millions of Australians were concerned that the ETS was in reality "a great big tax to create a great big slush fund, to provide politicised hand-outs run by a giant bureaucracy". |
| "I am really not frightened of an election on this issue," he added. | "I am really not frightened of an election on this issue," he added. |
| Senator Christine Milne, Deputy Leader of the Australian Green Party, told the BBC World Service that Mr Abbott's election would lead to the end of the government's carbon scheme. | |
| But she said her party would also vote against the bill, saying its "completely unacceptable" targets did not go far enough. | But she said her party would also vote against the bill, saying its "completely unacceptable" targets did not go far enough. |
| 'Unacceptable' | 'Unacceptable' |
| The ETS, aimed at reducing Australia's carbon emissions by up to 25% below 2000 levels by 2020, is the centrepiece of the government's environmental strategy. | The ETS, aimed at reducing Australia's carbon emissions by up to 25% below 2000 levels by 2020, is the centrepiece of the government's environmental strategy. |
| Australia has the highest per-capita carbon emissions among developed nations and coal is its biggest export. | Australia has the highest per-capita carbon emissions among developed nations and coal is its biggest export. |
| Mr Rudd's immediate hopes of passing the bill before the Copenhagen summit now rest on the possibility of some opposition lawmakers rebelling and voting with the government. | Mr Rudd's immediate hopes of passing the bill before the Copenhagen summit now rest on the possibility of some opposition lawmakers rebelling and voting with the government. |
| But if the Senate fails to back the scheme - as correspondents say looks likely - Mr Rudd could dissolve both it and the House of Representatives, and call snap elections at any time under constitutional rules meant to resolve deadlocks between the two chambers, correspondents say. | But if the Senate fails to back the scheme - as correspondents say looks likely - Mr Rudd could dissolve both it and the House of Representatives, and call snap elections at any time under constitutional rules meant to resolve deadlocks between the two chambers, correspondents say. |
| Opinion polls suggest Labor would win and could then pass its carbon trading legislation in a joint sitting of parliament. | Opinion polls suggest Labor would win and could then pass its carbon trading legislation in a joint sitting of parliament. |
| However, the BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney says the issue is complicated by the onset of the southern summer and Christmas, when political hostilities tend to be put on hold. | However, the BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney says the issue is complicated by the onset of the southern summer and Christmas, when political hostilities tend to be put on hold. |