Turnbull attacks Abbott on climate change

If the battered and compromised ETS legislation wasn't such a serious issue all this drama in Federal politics at the moment would be down-right entertaining.

Malcom Turnbull has taken a very public swipe at Tony Abbot - calling the new leader of the opposition's stance on Climate Change "bullshit".

In a blog posting today, Turnbull has critisiced Abbot's statements that you can cut emmisions at no cost.

"First, let's get this straight. You cannot cut emissions without a cost. To replace dirty coal fired power stations with cleaner gas fired ones, or renewables like wind let alone nuclear power or even coal fired power with carbon capture and storage is all going to cost money.

To get farmers to change the way they manage their land, or plant trees and vegetation all costs money.

Somebody has to pay.

So any suggestion that you can dramatically cut emissions without any cost is, to use a favourite term of Mr Abbott, "bullshit." Moreover he knows it."

He goes on to deride the lack of policy on climate change, and says he will cross the floor to vote for the Government's ETS legislation.

"Many Liberals are rightly dismayed that on this vital issue of climate change we are not simply without a policy, without any prospect of having a credible policy but we are now without integrity. We have given our opponents the irrefutable, undeniable evidence that we cannot be trusted."