Malcolm Turnbull and Joe Hockey share a moment during question time yesterday Credit:Stefan Postles ______

Until now, Mr Hockey had been a staunch supporter of Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull and the position he has taken towards supporting Labor's amended ETS. But this morning, Mr Hockey tweeted the following: "Hey team re The ETS. Give me your views please on the policy and political debate. I really want your feedback." Sources close to Mr Hockey say this was a deliberate hint by the shadow treasurer that he was prepared to change his view and accommodate the anti-ETS conservatives.

Joe Hockey ... let his intentions be known over Twitter. Credit:Glen McCurtayne Under a plan being hatched by powerbroker Nick Minchin, Tony Abbott will step aside as a challenger to Mr Turnbull and Mr Hockey will become the consensus leadership candidate with Peter Dutton as his deputy. Mr Hockey was keeping out of the spotlight today. A group of 10 Liberals, led by Mr Abbott, wrote to the party’s chief whip today requesting a meeting of the Parliamentary Liberal Party at 9am on Monday. The letter says they want the meeting ‘‘in order to move a motion that the position of leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party be declared vacant.’’

In addition to Mr Abbott the letter was signed by most of the former Liberal frontbenchers who resigned their positions on Wednesday and Thursday in protest at Mr Turnbull’s decision to press ahead with a deal with the Federal Government to pass its emissions trading legislation. The signatories were: Victorian MHRs Tony Smith and Sophie Mirabella; Victorian Senator Mitch Fifield; Queensland MHR Michael Johnson; Queensland Senator Brett Mason; South Australian Senator Cory Bernardi; Western Australian Senator Mathias Cormann and Judith Adams; and Tasmanian Senator David Bushby. Exhibiting his trade mark game show host smile, Mr Turnbull declared that he was ‘‘completely relaxed’’ as he strode from his electorate office on New South Head Road shortly after midday.

‘‘I am perfectly comfortable with my position,’’ he said. But he conceded that ‘‘party unity is a valuable thing’’. Beating a hasty retreat Mr Turnbull proceeded to jump the taxi queue in front of Edgecliff shopping centre, drawing a stream of abuse from a woman who had been waiting.

‘‘God I hate Turnbull. He’s such a bully,’’ said the woman who refused to be named.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, the shadow immigration parliamentary secretary, became the latest Liberal to desert Mr Turnbull's front bench. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, the shadow immigration parliamentary secretary, became the latest Liberal to desert Mr Turnbull's front bench. In a statement, she said she had tendered her resignation, making her the 13th Liberal in the past three days to quit in protest at the party's position on an emissions trading scheme. Senator Fierravanti-Wells had been expected to back the ETS laws but has now indicated she will vote against the bill.

"I acknowledge the avalanche of correspondence and feedback conveyed to me from a wide cross-section of the community, most especially after the decision of the joint party room to amend and support the legislation," she said. Senator Fierravanti-Wells, who is facing a Senate preselection ballot on December 12, indicated she was heeding the view of the NSW Liberal base of the party, which was strongly against the ETS decision. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon said Mr Turnbull reminded him of the Monty Python character the black knight, who has lost both arms, both legs and has blood spurting everywhere. "And he says it's just a flesh wound. That's what he reminds me of," he told reporters. Senator Xenophon said he supported getting the questions asked on the ETS bills.

"We've still got a long way to go. I don't think anybody can accuse me of filibustering. "I just want to get down to the business, ask relevant questions, but there are literally hundreds of questions that must be asked and answered in relation to the scheme before we can vote on it." Greens Senator Christine Milne said it was very hard to tell if a vote on the amendments would occur by 3.45pm. "There was a filibuster on last night and it looks as if the Liberal Party ... will keep the filibuster going if last night is any indication," she told reporters. Asked if it was a realistic time frame, Senator Milne said, "The amendments have not been debated and I have no intention of not debating my amendments."

Her party's leader, Bob Brown, said the far right of the Liberal Party and the Nationals were holding the Senate to ransom on the ETS debate. "If you have a listen to that debate, like the climate, it's hot air," he said. Senator Brown said never had such a "schism" occurred between the major parties before on the environment. "And you'll never see the Coalition recover from it." But Mr Turnbull isn’t willing to step down - if the party wants him gone they’ll have to remove him from the top job.

A key supporter told AAP Mr Turnbull was ‘‘determined to press on’’. If they want to get rid of him, the opposition leader believes they should ‘‘roll him’’. The source said Mr Turnbull ‘‘didn’t care about the numbers’’, when asked if the Liberal leader had adequate support to stave off an expected challenge on Monday. There is a growing view within shadow cabinet that Mr Turnbull’s leadership is untenable but they want a seamless transition to another candidate. ‘‘Malcolm has been sufficiently damaged,’’ one member of shadow cabinet said.

‘‘There is a growing consensus in shadow cabinet that it’s untenable.’’ A number of media organisations were reporting that Liberal deputy Julie Bishop had urged Mr Turnbull to step aside today but her spokesman later confirmed that was not the case. Gillard disappointed Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has urged the Liberals to stick by their agreement to pass the emissions trading scheme when the parliament resumes on Monday. Ms Gillard said the government was deeply disappointed that the Liberal Party had failed to honour its deal to pass the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) by 3.45pm (AEDT) today.But she said that agreement would remain on the table for next week when both houses will sit.

Punters are throwing their money behind Joe Hockey to lead the coalition. The odds for Mr Hockey have shortened to just $1.80, while odds for Tony Abbott shortened to $2.75, according to bookie Sportingbet Australia. Mr Turnbull’s odds have sagged to $3.50, ‘‘a devastating judgment by punters that is sure to compound his current woes,’’ Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said. ‘‘Over the last six months, Hockey has been paying upwards of $3 for most of the time as he has not been keen to make a grab at the leadership,’’ Mr Sullivan said. ‘‘Now punters are getting behind him as it seems that Turnbull’s day is done.’’

Loading Other leadership contenders in the Sportingbet Australia market are Andrew Robb at odds of $17, and Peter Dutton and Julie Bishop both at $21 and behind ‘‘any other’’ at $7.



