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New head for Australia opposition New head for Australia opposition
(about 2 hours later)
Australia's opposition Liberal Party has elected a new leader, amid a searing row over the government's carbon trading laws. 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 was chosen to replace Malcolm Turnbull at a Canberra meeting. Tony Abbott beat Malcolm Turnbull in the final round by 42 votes to 41.
Mr Turnbull had backed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's emissions trading scheme (ETS), but Mr Abbott opposes it. 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.
The government needs the support of the Liberals to pass the legislation in the Senate. The Liberal revolt throws Mr Rudd's plans into turmoil. Mr Rudd had wanted the legislation approved before the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen next week.
Mr Rudd had wanted the legislation to pass the Senate - where his party does not have a majority - by the start of the Copenhagen climate change summit next week. Correspondents say rejection of the ETS in the Senate would hand the popular Rudd government a trigger for a snap election.
Last week he secured Mr Turnbull's support for the bill, prompting the angry reaction from some Liberal lawmakers that triggered the leadership challenge. 'Great big tax'
Climate centrepiece 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.
Mr Abbott won the final vote against Mr Turnbull by 42 votes to 41. A third challenger, Joe Hockey, was eliminated in first-round voting.
Minutes after his victory, Mr Abbott told a news conference that he would fight the ETS bill.
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 moreMany 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
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.
"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.
The government's immediate hopes of passing the bill now rest on the possibility of some opposition lawmakers rebelling and voting with it. 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".
But if the Senate fails to back the scheme - as now looks likely - Mr Rudd could call a snap election, correspondents say. "I am really not frightened of an election on this issue," he added.
Opinion polls suggest he would win such an election and could then pass his climate legislation in a joint sitting of parliament. 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.
But, says the BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney, the issue is complicated by the onset of the southern summer, when political hostilities tend to be put on hold. The emissions scheme row has split the Liberal Party down the middle
The ETS, aimed at reducing Australia's carbon footprint, is the centrepiece of the government's environmental strategy.
Mr Rudd wants to cut Australia's carbon emissions by up to 25% from 2000 levels by 2020.
But some opposition politicians question the scientific case for global warming and the energy lobby says the move would damage Australia's economy.
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.
But if the Senate fails to back the scheme - as now looks likely - Mr Rudd could call 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.
However, the BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney says the issue is complicated by the onset of the southern summer, when political hostilities tend to be put on hold.