In a tumultuous week for Australian politics, the Australian Senate has voted against implementing an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The week has already claimed the scalp of Malcolm Turnbull, the leader of the opposition, who had advocated the ETS be adopted into law, albeit with amendments. But Mr Turnbull was ousted by his party and replaced by Tony Abbot, a climate change sceptic who once famously declared “climate change is crap”.

The senate eventually voted 41-33 to defeat the government’s climate change scheme despite two key Liberal moderates, Judith Troeth and Sue Boyce, crossing the Senate floor.The ETS would have implemented a ‘cap and trade’ system, providing limits on carbon pollution and allowing polluters to trade permits. Climate Change Minister Penny Wong has described the opposition’s response as “the shallowest of responses to the nation’s deepest problem”.

“You do not tackle climate change unless you change your economy,” Senator Wong told the senate.