Environment Minister Peter Garrett learnt of ETS backflip in newspaper

ENVIRONMENT minister Peter Garrett has extraordinarily revealed he first learnt of the government's decision to jettison the ETS in a newspaper.

Environment Minister Peter Garrett.

ENVIRONMENT minister Peter Garrett has made the extraordinary admission that he was first made aware of the government's decision to jettison the emissions trading scheme when it was revealed in the Sydney Morning Herald in April.

"That was an announcement and a decision that was leaked and I found out about it when it was leaked," Mr Garrett told Sky News Saturday Agenda.

We now know that the decision to dump the ETS didn't even go to cabinet, with the decision made by the kitchen cabinet - the gang of four: Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Wayne Swan and Lindsay Tanner. Reports today have suggested Mr Tanner was a voice of dissent when discussing the idea, but the other three senior figures carried the day.

When questioned about his exclusion from the decision making process, Mr Garrett appeared visibly frustrated and only offered what seemed to be a half-hearted defence of a decision making process which has seen the cabinet reduced to a rubber stamp for the gang of four:

"The decision was made, you understand the reason for the decision and you get on with doing your job...I am not going to comment on the details," Mr Garrett said.

Since the government's decision to delay the ETS the prime minister's personal approval ratings have nose dived as voters start to question his convictions.