 The divisions within the Coalition were laid bare in an episode of Four Corners , aired by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on 9 November 2009 . The program featured the Coalition 's leader in the Senate , Nick Minchin , suggesting that man @-@ made climate change was a conspiracy of the political left and disputing Turnbull 's authority to strike a deal with the government on the ETS . Later in the month , Minchin spoke against the ETS in the Senate . Abbott — who had publicly supported the ETS — was now arguing that the Coalition should abandon the policy . Turnbull attacked Abbott 's change of mind , stating : " Tony has expressed a number of views , each of which is at odds with the view he expressed before " . 
