Howard's Environment Minister In Trouble - Wants To Politically "Defuse" Climate By Supporting Kyoto

[hatrack]

THE Howard Government has been deeply embarrassed by the revelation that Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull proposed that Australia should ratify the Kyoto Protocol in a bid to defuse the issue electorally. Prime Minister John Howard and Mr Turnbull yesterday effectively confirmed a report of Mr Turnbull's proposal - rejected by cabinet - by declining to deny it. Asked if he thought Australia should ratify Kyoto, Mr Turnbull said: "It's not for me to express a personal opinion. "I'm a member of the Government. I express my personal opinions in the cabinet room. It is not a question of having a personal view. It is a question of what the Government's position is."

Earlier Mr Howard refused to be drawn on what Mr Turnbull had put to the cabinet, saying only "what we need is a new international agreement" binding all major emitters. The Australian Financial Review reported that Mr Turnbull had argued the Government would get kudos and lose nothing by ratifying the protocol. But the cabinet, in a discussion about six weeks ago, decided a turnaround would not be credible after Mr Howard had argued so strongly against ratification for so many years.

The newspaper said Mr Turnbull would not comment on the cabinet discussion. But it quoted him as saying: "We are going to meet our targets anyway so it wouldn't impose any burden on us that we haven't committed to anyway." He also told the paper that the "symbolic argument in favour of ratifying would be to say this would be showing a positive engagement".

Mr Turnbull denied suggestions he might have leaked the story to try to improve his prospects in his marginal seat of Wentworth. "That's completely untrue. I have not commented on what's gone on inside the cabinet room to anybody," he told Sky News.

EDIT

http://www.smh.com.au/news/federalelection2007environment/turnbull-pm-clash-over-kyoto/2007/10/27/1192941402381.html