Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ditched his commitment to legislate for an emissions reduction target as he scrambles to save his leadership.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Photo: AFP
Mr Turnbull is under intense pressure from a group, led by ex-prime minister Tony Abbott, who have been attacking Mr Turnbull's National Energy Guarantee plan.
In a bid to ease the tension, Mr Turnbull this morning made another dramatic backdown on the NEG.
He said it was clear there was not enough support for an emissions reduction bill to pass Parliament at the moment, partly because some of his own MPs would cross the floor on it.
"In politics you have to focus on what you can deliver, and that's what we have done," Mr Turnbull said.
Mr Turnbull is trying to contain the backlash against his leadership and has now switched his attention entirely to bringing down the cost of electricity.
The NEG originally contained a commitment for the electricity sector to reduce its emissions by 26 percent, which its critics said would not be enough to meet the Paris target of bringing down total emissions by the same amount.
Mr Turnbull said the Government was still committed to the Paris Agreement.
That has been enough to appease some of those who had been angry at the NEG and therefore wavering on leadership.
National Party backbencher George Christensen was among those who had said they could not vote for the NEG.
But today Mr Christensen called the new policy a "victory for common sense".
"We have a new energy policy thanks to a band of Liberal-National rebels who stood firm and fought for common sense."
He said the new policy meant the government would explicitly underwrite coal-fired power stations and upgrade existing coal-fired power stations.
National Party backbencher Andrew Gee issued a statement welcoming the Government's plans to abandon the NEG.
"I think it shows that if you stand up and be counted you can actually make a difference, but it's disappointing that it took this long."
Earlier, Cabinet ministers openly admitted the Liberal Party was facing an outbreak of disunity amid reports Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton was being urged to run for the leadership.
Mr Turnbull said Mr Dutton had given him his "absolute support".
Cabinet minister Christopher Pyne said he was certain Mr Turnbull had the confidence of the party.
"He is our best hope to beat Bill Shorten next year.
"I don't agree with the assessment that any frontbencher is getting ready to challenge."
Mr Dutton tweeted on the weekend that the Prime Minister has his support and he supports the policies of the Government.
But the outbreak of leadership speculation has frustrated and worried Mr Turnbull's supporters.
They insist the rebellion is being fuelled by a small and, what they call, predictable group of people, fanned by media coverage, particularly Sydney radio 2GB.
Mr Pyne singled out former PM Mr Abbott as one of those driving the turmoil.
"Tony Abbott is not making any secret about his unhappiness so it is a statement of the obvious.
"It is not a revelation to anyone in Australia that Tony Abbott is unhappy with the leadership and the direction of some of our policies - he has said so himself."
Mr Abbott told reporters as he arrived at Parliament this morning "the madness at the heart of all of our problems" was having a policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and this was why "I am so determined that we get out of the Paris agreement".
When asked if he had lost confidence in Mr Turnbull, Mr Abbott said it was not about personalities.
"It is not about him, it is not about me; it is about what is going to give Australia the best possible energy system that delivers affordable, reliable power."
- ABC