Greg Combet at Press Council lunch:

"Carbon pricing is here to stay,'' said Minister for Climate Change Greg Combet today in defiance of Coalition claims Labor should bow to an election mandate. Mr Combet said if Tony Abbott were elected Prime Minister "he cannot and will not repeal the carbon price''. "Labor will remain committed to it,'' he told the National Press Club in Canberra. "Tackling climate change has been in our platform for over two decades, and we will fight for what we believe i...

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Melbourne climate group Lighter Footprints has contacted Bill Shorten and he has written back reassuring the group that the speculation about the ALP backing away from the carbon price, if under pressure from the Coalitions after the election, is unfounded.

Read more from Business Spectator below:

It took nearly two weeks, but Bill Shorten on Thursday finally put to rest rumours on both sides of parliament that he was trying to build support for a Labor backflip on carbon pricing.

The speculat...

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After Tony Abbott's tearful farewell to Martin Ferguson, the battle for preselection in what has been regarded as one of the ALP's safest seats is hotting up. But how safe is it really? (See post above.) David Feeney is standing for preselection, but Ged Kearney has pulled out. Now there are two new local female candidates standing.
 



From 'The Australian' today:
LABOR'S preselection battle for Martin Ferguson's Melbourne seat of Batman has widened, with two female candidates emerging from the ...

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More from Business Spectator on the rumoured behind the scenes ALP struggle over the carbon price: It may prove mere coincidence that the day Business Spectator breaks news of Shorten possibly maneuvering on carbon pricing, Combet declares removing it would be “immoral”, arguably his strongest line since the policy was enacted.Regardless, his doorstop interview makes for intriguing reading in light of the Shorten speculation.
Journalist: Is Labor still committed if you find yourself in Opp...

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Is there a battle brewing between Shorten and Combet for leadership of the ALP after the election - if they lose? Is Shorten sounding out colleagues about walking away from the carbon price like the Coalition did with WorkChoices?

From Business Spectator: "… some strong proponents of climate change action believe Bill Shorten has begun lobbying members of Caucus to abandon carbon pricing as a Labor policy after the next election.
The argument follows the precedent set by the Coalition over Wo...
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