The ETS vote is this afternoon, the leadership spill is on Monday.... ABC Online... Malcolm Turnbull's deputy Julie Bishop has urged him to stand down amid open warfare in the Liberal Party this morning.
In other developments, former frontbencher Tony Abbott confirmed he would challenge Malcolm Turnbull in a leadership spill on Monday morning if the Liberal leader does not back down on emissions trading, while party heavyweights pressured Joe Hockey to stand, with Peter Dutton as his deputy.
The ABC understands that Mr Turnbull refused Ms Bishop's request that he fall on his sword, but his grip on the top job is weakening in the face of an unprecedented rebellion on his support for Kevin Rudd's emissions trading scheme.
Sources close to the leader say he will not "take a backward step". The Turnbull camp expects to "win" on both the leadership and the ETS and believes it has 12 "rock solid votes" to pass it.
"If there's no movement then I'll be calling a spill for Monday morning," Mr Abbott said today. "If it comes to it I will be calling on a challenge."
There was no official word from Mr Hockey's office but he went on Twitter to canvass opinion on emissions trading, writing: "Hey team re The ETS. Give me your views please on the policy and political debate. I really want your feedback."
And Assistant Climate Change Minister Greg Combet upped the heat on the Coalition, warning it to honour the deal made by Mr Turnbull.
"If that doesn't occur I think there's only one conclusion that can be drawn and that is that the extremists, the conspiracy theorists and the climate change sceptics in the Liberal Party have gained ground and are winning this argument," he said.
"There is no reason that this legislation can't be effectively dealt with and the agreement delivered by 3:45 this afternoon."
But Senator Nick Minchin says there is no guarantee debate will be finished by today.
"If there are still many questions to deal with and many amendments to deal with then clearly it is going to be difficult to conclude the committee stage today," he said.
Earlier this morning Mr Turnbull warned the Liberals faced wipe-out in a possible double dissolution election on the emissions trade issue.
He lashed out at those "trying to tear him down", saying their opposition to action on climate change will doom the party to defeat and irrelevance at the next election.
"Have we learnt nothing from 2007?" he said on AM this morning.
"There is one thing that these people who are trying to wreck our party agree with Kevin Rudd on - they both want to have an election on climate change.
"Whether it's a double dissolution election or not, the issue in the mind of the Australian people boils down to 'Which party can we trust to take effective action on climate change?'
"The party that the Australian people trust will win in a landslide - that is a political reality.
"Those people who advocate that we should become the 'climate change do-nothing party' are really underwriting the demise of the Liberal Party. It is as serious as that."
Mr Turnbull poured scorn on those agitating for another ballot after a motion to hold a spill failed on Wednesday.
"It would say a lot - and not much very good I'm afraid - about the Liberal Party if we were to have another spill motion debate in less than a week after one had already been held."
The turmoil over Mr Turnbull's leadership has put great uncertainty over the passage of the ETS legislation which will be debated in the Senate today.
The Government wants a vote on the bills today but it is looking unlikely.
Ian Macfarlane - who brokered the compromise deal with the Government on the scheme - has lashed out at those who have gone back on the party room decision.
"I'm disappointed that people are discussing a policy debate in public," he told Radio National.
And he has backed Mr Turnbull to stay on.
"It's not very long ago some of these people were calling for strong leadership - when they got it they didn't like it."
Liberal MP Michael Johnson, who resigned from his position as whip last night, has reiterated his call for Mr Turnbull to go.
"I think he's a substantial figure but being a CEO of a business doesn't automatically guarantee success of leading a parliamentary party," he told ABC 2 News Breakfast.
