Kevin Andrews to challenge Turnbull

25 Nov 2009, 11:51 am   -   Source: SBS, SKY
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Kevin Andrews will challenge Malcolm Turnbull for the Liberal leadership. (AAP)

Kevin Andrews will challenge Malcolm Turnbull for the Liberal leadership. (AAP)

Former Howard minister Kevin Andrews says he would postpone a decision on the ETS if he was leader of the Opposition, speaking ahead of a Liberal partyroom meeting in which he is expected to challenge Malcolm Turnubll for the leadership.

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Kevin Andrews has spoken to the press ahead of a Liberal party room meeting to decide the party's leadership.

Kevin Andrews says he would postpone a decision on the ETS if he was leader of the Opposition.

Former Howard government minister Kevin Andrews has confirmed he will put his hand up for the Liberal leadership if there is a spill in the party room on today afternoon.

Mr Andrews is basing his tilt for the top job on the fact that a majority of the party is unhappy with Malcolm Turnbull's decision to push through support for an emissions trading deal.

"For these reasons I will put my hand up if there is a successful motion to have a spill this afternoon," he told reporters.

The spill move follows Tuesday's marathon and divisive meeting to decide whether the coalition should support Labor's emissions trading scheme.

Mr Turnbull angered many backbenchers by declaring the majority supported a deal.

Mr Andrews said that if made leader his position on the ETS deal would reflect the views of the party, which was to reject or delay the legislation.

What does Andrews stand for?

 When asked what he believed the Liberal Party stood for, Mr Andrews said it stood for freedom of the individual and support for community and family institutions.

"It stands for human dignity and it stands for respect for all people," he said.
   
"Broadly, I believe most members of the Liberal Party would support that."
   
Mr Andrews said he was concerned about the direction the Liberal Party was taking under Mr Turnbull.

"What's important for the leader of the Liberal Party at this stage is to make sure that he or she takes his or her colleagues with them. It's important that we are united," he said.

"You all know that old saying of Bob Hawke's, I think it was, that if you can't govern yourselves, you can't govern the country."

Sceptical on climate change

Mr Andrews said he was "quite sceptical" about the impact of man-made emissions on global warming.

"I think that climate change is occurring (but) the jury is out on what to any extent human beings are involved in it," he said.   

Recent revelations overseas showed what appeared to be "quite deliberate manipulation" of data.

Computer hackers have broken into a server at a well-respected climate change research centre in Britain and posted hundreds of private emails and documents online.

The decade's worth of correspondence has stoked debate over whether some scientists have overstated the case for man-made climate change.

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Your Comments

Mr

Chris - from Sydney, 3 years ago

What is wrong with these Liberal conservatives? I am a Liberal supporter, I dislike voting Labour but are the Liberal and National Party for real! If Mr Andrews becomes leader, it will be the end of the Liberal Party for me, I'd be gutted. It is shameful that these renegade wanna be leaders don't follow their appointed leader, keep their mouth shut, and start listening to some serious scientific and logical opinions. Shame on you Mr Andrews, Nick Minchin and co, don't destroy a good party.

Ms

Phylis Dang - from Alphington, 3 years ago

Kevin Andrews has no vision, is backward thinking and belongs to the past No vision and dangerously conservative.

BOTTOMS UP

Showerbucket - from Brisbane, 3 years ago

If it comes to this, then the Liberals are really scraping the dregs at the bottom of the barrel.

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