Liberal Party voted against ETS out of `fear' of losing preselection

THE two Liberal senators who crossed the floor yesterday to vote for the emissions trading system say many colleagues wanted to do the same.

THE two Liberal senators who crossed the floor yesterday to vote for Kevin Rudd's emissions trading system say many of their colleagues wanted to do the same, but feared losing their preselection or destabilising their new leader.

Liberal senators Judith Troeth and Sue Boyce voted with the government but failed to stop the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme being defeated for the second time.

The defeat of the bill handed the Rudd government its first trigger for a double-dissolution election.

The vote was lost 41-33, with independent senators Steve Fielding and Nick Xenophon as well as the five Greens voting with the opposition.

Senator Troeth, who will retire at the next election, said droughts were lasting longer and rainfalls had dropped.

"In short, I believe there is global warming. We need to take steps to remedy this," she said.

Speaking before the vote, Liberal senator Eric Abetz pronounced the death of the ETS.

"The CPRS is dead and no amount of CPR will revive it," he said.

Senator Troeth said about nine or 10 other Liberal senators wanted to vote for the bill, but chose not to join her and Senator Boyce on the Labor benches.

"I expect some of them felt it would be a mark of disrespect to a new leader, given that we have changed leaders and some of them have preselection coming up," Senator Troeth told The Australian. "Others, perhaps, just prefer not to show their approval or disapproval in such a radical way."

The Victorian senator said she crossed the floor as a way of demonstrating the breadth of opinion that existed within the Liberal Party on the divisive issue of climate change.

And she predicted the about-face on the ETS would hurt Liberals in marginal seats.

Speaking more broadly, Senator Troeth said there were widespread concerns within the party about Tony Abbott's elevation to the leadership.

"Half of the party wanted to go (in) Malcolm's direction and half the party wanted to take it back to Tony Abbott's direction," Senator Troeth said. "To me that still indicates a divided party, on direction."

Senator Boyce said her colleagues had understood and respected her stance.

"I had espoused support of the amended CPRS last week," Senator Boyce told The Australian.

" It was our party policy until 24 hours ago and I thought it was the correct course of action. I couldn't have, in good faith, acted differently."

Yesterday, Mr Abbott said neither Senator Troeth nor Senator Boyce would be punished for their actions.

"I respect what senators Troeth and Boyce did; there'll be no recriminations," Mr Abbott said .