Malcolm Turnbull (S)elected Leader of Australia's Opposition

[mr anderson]

This is of course without the people electing him as Opposition Leader.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=aVvsUuUW3jg0&refer=australia

 Sept. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Malcolm Turnbull was elected leader of the Australian opposition today, charged with turning around the fortunes of the Liberal Party-led coalition that was ousted from government last year in its worst election defeat.

Turnbull, 53, a former Goldman Sachs Australia Ltd. chairman and the richest man in parliament, ended Brendan Nelson's 10- month leadership in a party room ballot by 45 votes to 41. He faces Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who enjoyed an approval rating of more than 60 percent in a survey earlier this month.

``I do not come to the position as leader of the Liberal Party from a lifetime of privilege,'' he told reporters. ``I know what it's like to be very short of money, I know what it's like to live in rented flats, I know what it is like to grow up with a single parent.''

Turnbull, whose fortune was estimated in a 2005 Business Review Weekly survey at A$133 million ($106 million), leads a coalition that lost 22 seats last November after 11 1/2 years in government under John Howard. He said the opposition will challenge Rudd's Labor Party government on economic management as turmoil grips international financial markets.

``Labor claims to be superior economic managers, but we are presently facing probably the gravest economic crisis globally in our life times,'' he said. ``We've had a government all year that has talked this country down.''

Unexpected Vote

Nelson unexpectedly called today's vote to give Turnbull, who returned from a visit to Italy on Sept. 13, limited time to organize. It came following months of leadership speculation prompted by poor polls and after former treasurer Peter Costello, who was urged by some Liberals to take the leadership, said earlier this week he wouldn't seek or accept the post.

Turnbull, who studied law in Sydney, was a Rhodes Scholar and defended MI5 agent Peter Wright against the British government's attempts to suppress his memoirs. He worked as a journalist from 1976-1980 for publications including the Bulletin magazine in Australia and the Sunday Times in London.

He co-founded Internet service provider Ozemail Ltd. in 1994 and was co-chairman of Goldman Sachs Australia between 1997 and 2001. He led an unsuccessful campaign in 1999 to declare Australia a republic, which was defeated in a referendum.

Turnbull was elected to parliament in 2004 and elevated to Cabinet in 2007 as water and environment minister.

Julie Bishop was re-elected unopposed today as deputy leader of the Liberal Party. Nelson declined a position in the shadow ministry and will sit on the back bench.

To contact the reporter on this story: Gemma Daley in Canberra at gdaley@bloomberg.net

[mr anderson]

Turnbull brings a green tinge to Libs

http://news.smh.com.au/national/turnbull-brings-a-green-tinge-to-libs-20080916-4hti.html

Green groups are cautiously celebrating the elevation of Malcolm Turnbull to the Liberal leadership, saying he could "green up" the party's climate change policy. Mr Turnbull has been one of the Liberals' more prominent voices on climate issues, pushing for the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and backing emissions trading.

John Hepburn, climate campaigner with Greenpeace, welcomed the transition from former leader Brendan Nelson to Mr Turnbull.

"We're cautiously optimistic that Malcolm Turnbull will show some more leadership on climate change than Nelson has," Mr Hepburn told AAP.

"Of all of the leadership contenders within the Liberal Party, I think Malcolm Turnbull seems to understand climate change better than the others."

The Liberals face some big decisions on emissions trading - and the government could end up relying on them to pass the scheme in the Senate.

Key issues are a start date, and how soft the scheme should be.

The government plans to start emissions trading in 2010.

The Liberals want to start emissions trading in 2011-12, with a soft start if necessary.

Mr Turnbull has been a relatively strong supporter of emissions trading since he was environment minister in the Howard government. He spruiked a start date of 2011 and including petrol in the scheme.

During last year's election campaign, it was leaked that Mr Turnbull had unsuccessfully pushed his party to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. This year, he refused to back Dr Nelson's push to delay emissions trading until heavy-polluting nations took action.

Sarah Maddison, a political scientist with the University of NSW, predicted some fiery debates on climate in the coalition party room.

"I think Malcolm Turnbull is a little bit greener, a little bit lefter, a little bit more liberal than Nelson was in a whole range of policy areas," Dr Maddison told AAP.

"He does seem to have a deeper and more genuine commitment to aspects of addressing climate change in Australia than some of his coalition colleagues."

However, Dr Maddison said it remained to be seen how much support Mr Turnbull could garner from his back bench on climate.

The party could continue to oppose the government over some climate issues and point to the economic pitfalls of emissions trading, she said.

After his leadership win, Mr Turnbull said his party was reviewing all its policies - including on climate change.

"We will hold (Prime Minister) Kevin Rudd to account on his climate change policies and we will go to the next election with (an informed) climate change policy," he said.

The opposition supported a "properly designed" emissions trading scheme introduced by 2012 at the latest, Mr Turnbull said.

"We have not changed that policy but we will be reviewing all of our policies in the light of our policy development work ... and in the light of political and other events," he said.

© 2008 AAP
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