However, Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull has said that the Liberal Party’s intention to provide amendments to the Government by this time was always part of the party’s plan.

“Penny Wong knows full well that we are committed to negotiate over the design of the emissions trading scheme (ETS), just as we negotiated over the Renewable Energy Target (RET) and the result of which was that we got agreement and the legislation was passed,” said Mr Turnbull in an interview on the ABC’s Lateline program.

Mr Turnbull added that the principles underpinning the Liberal Party’s amendments were published in July, and that detailed amendments will be provided in October. He also reiterated that the Opposition would prefer to wait until after the United Nations Climate Change Summit in December to vote on Australia’s CPRS.

“Common sense and prudence dictate that we should not finalise the design of our ETS until after we know the results of the Copenhagen summit, which means we would do it in the normal course of events in February rather than November.”

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The CPRS legislation failed to pass in the Senate when it was first put to vote in August. The legislation is expected to go before the upper house again in November.