Liberal Party in meltdown as Joe Hockey emerges as new leadership contender

Federal Liberal Party leader Malcolm Turnbull appears certain to face a fresh leadership challenge on Monday after a number of senior Liberals resigned from Shadow front bench. But the question remains: who will take on Turnbull?

Howard Government hard man Tony Abbott resigned his front bench position last night and has emerged as a contender, calling on Turnbull to change his position voting in favour of the Rudd Government’s carbon pollution reduction scheme by Monday or face a new leadership spill.

But media reports now suggest shadow treasurer Joe Hockey will challenge Turnbull, with shadow finance minster Peter Dutton to stand as his deputy.

According to reports, Abbott would be prepared to stand aside for the Hockey ticket.

Abbot told Fairfax Radio this morning that his challenge was being driven by a need to force change on the issue of climate change, claiming the overwhelming majority of Liberal Party members do not want the Coalition to support the Rudd Government’s emissions trading scheme.

“Even now, if Malcolm is prepared to accept what is the overwhelming view of the Liberal Party in the country… I would be prepared to say ‘look Malcolm, all is forgiven’.”

“If we need to change the leader to bring that about, so be it. It doesn’t have to be me.”

But Turnbull remains defiant, claiming that to not do anything on the issue of climate change would destroy the party’s credibility.

“I will not step down. I’ll stay leader until the party removes me as leader,” he told the Seven Network this morning.

“I will not take a backward step, there’s too much at stake. It’s just not the credibility of the party.”

“The people that are opposing me within the party do not believe in climate change at all. They make John Howard look like a greenie,” he said.

“They are turning back the clock and Australians will punish us very, very severely at the next election if these guys have their way and we go to the election as the ‘do nothing on climate change party’.”