FED:Bishop defends Turnbull's climate views

AAP General News (Australia)
08-02-2011
FED:Bishop defends Turnbull's climate views

SYDNEY, Aug 2 AAP - Acting federal Opposition Leader Julie Bishop has backed Malcolm
Turnbull after a conservative magazine called for him to leave the coalition frontbench
over his views on climate change.

The Spectator Australia editorial savages Mr Turnbull, arguing his views in support
of an emissions trading scheme are out of step with the coalition mainstream.

But Ms Bishop is standing by the coalition's communications spokesman.

"Malcolm Turnbull's comments in relation to climate change are consistent with what
he's said all along," she told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.

"He's making a very solid contribution to the frontbench as the communications spokesman."

Spectator is edited by Tom Switzer, who was an adviser to the former Liberal leader
Brendan Nelson until Mr Turnbull took over in 2008.

"He may be the darling of the Canberra press pack and he may be Labor voters' favourite,
but the coalition mainstream has come to see him as vain, irrelevant, opportunistic and
a walking affront to all they believe in," the editorial says.

AAP saj/tr/it

KEYWORD: TURNBULL BISHOP

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.