Abbott quits coalition front bench

26 Nov 2009, 5:32 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Senior Liberal frontbencher Tony Abbott has resigned from the shadow cabinet fuelling speculation Malcolm Turnbull may soon face another leadership challenge.

Senior Liberal frontbencher Tony Abbott has resigned from the shadow cabinet fuelling speculation Malcolm Turnbull may soon face another leadership challenge.

Mr Abbott said after question time he and Liberals Senate leader Nick Minchin told Mr Turnbull the coalition should delay a vote on Labor's emissions trading scheme until next year.

"Malcolm was unprepared to reconsider," Mr Abbott said.

"I indicated to Malcolm at the end of the conversation that given his position I could no longer support the opposition's policy and therefore could no longer be in the shadow cabinet."

"This is a very difficult decision for me," Mr Abbott told reporters in Canberra.

"I have always regarded myself as a loyal party man, I have always been someone who instinctively supports the leader."

Mr Abbott said it was not a leadership issue, but a policy issue.

He said over the past six months he had been very active in supporting Mr Turnbull, some times in difficult circumstances.

"This isn't a leadership issue at all, it is policy issue, although, obviously I would much have preferred the leadership to have taken us in a different direction on this issue," he said.

Asked if he was going to challenge for the leadership, Mr Abbott replied: "I am not going to talk about discussions I might have had with colleagues.

"I can't say what might happen in the future but as far as I am concerned this is a policy issue not a leadership issue."

Mr Abbott said his office had had an "absolute deluge" of critical emails after Mr Turnbull announced the coalition's support for the amended ETS.

"The phone lines have been in meltdown with people saying that the Liberal Party would not be doing its job as an opposition simply to pass this thing without scrutiny ... it demands," he said.

Mr Abbott said it had been a "pretty heavy week" for the party.

"And for someone who has a record of loyalty to the party and to the leader that I've had, this has been an incredibly momentous decision."

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