Turnbull defiant

Somehow, at some point in time, I ended up on Malcolm Turnbull's email list. I think it may have been because during the last election campaign I pointed out to his office in an email that he was preferencing racist anti-immigration parties and LaRoucheian climate loonies ahead of both Labor and the Greens in Wentworth. Somehow his office decided I therefore must want to get regular emails about what he was up to. In any case, I was intrigued to get this one today, which I'll reproduce in full. It looks like he is still a strong critic of those who have deposed him; doesn't looke like he will be on the front bench anytime soon.

Dear Matt,

I am sure you have read more than enough about emissions trading, the change of Liberal leadership and all the attendant gossip and rumour.

So I won’t say anymore than that it has been a great honour to lead the Liberal Party and the Federal Opposition. I was disappointed narrowly to lose the Liberal leadership on December 1, six days after my leadership had been confirmed by the Party Room.

Nonetheless, I congratulate Tony Abbott on his election as Leader of the Opposition and wish him the best of luck.

And I regret that the party room changed its policy on climate change from one of supporting the emissions trading scheme legislation, as amended at our request, to opposing it.


For more comments of mine on the ETS legislation and its defeat, click here.

Many people have asked me whether it is possible to cut emissions without an ETS, a carbon tax or raising electricity prices. The short answer is “No”, but for more on that click here.

Without traversing the last, very difficult few weeks I want to pay a special tribute to my colleague Ian MacFarlane, who handled the negotiations with Labor’s Senator Penny Wong, the result of which saw the Government making very substantial concessions to save thousands of jobs.

This has been a tough period in politics and I want especially to thank my wife Lucy and our children Alex and Daisy for their love and support. I also want to thank my many friends and colleagues who agreed with me that the Liberal Party should be a progressive Party of today and tomorrow, a Party that responds credibly and responsibly to the great challenges of our time.

And finally I thank all of my supporters (and detractors!) around Australia who have let me know their views by email in the tens of thousands.
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Malcolm Turnbull