Coalition of climate unwilling

While claiming he was "full of optimism" a carbon tax deal would be clinched, the Greens leader, Bob Brown, said yesterday a carbon price would have a minimal impact on a coal industry making record profits, but the industry would eventually have to be replaced by renewables.

Mr Abbott leapt on the statement as proof of "what the Coalition has been saying now for a long time, that Julia Gillard's carbon tax will destroy the coal industry".