MALCOLM Turnbull has survived threats of a leadership spill this evening, after angering the party room by declaring he would press ahead and support the Government's amended emissions trading scheme, despite the obvious divisions in the party.
According to sources within the meeting, 39 speakers spoke against voting for the ETS amendments and just 33 were in favour.
But when Malcolm Turnbull factored in the support of the shadow cabinet members, who did not speak in the party room, he calculated that the majority of the party was in favour of the amendments.
Earlier this evening an obviously rankled Mr Turnbull told the party meeting that the Opposition would be supporting the amended legislation, at which there was uproar from within the room.
Liberal Senators were particularly angered after the decision was announced while they were out of the meating and voting on division within the Senate chamber.
Turnbull critic Wilson Tuckey had said he would be pushing for a leadership spill on Thursday, but then there was strong talk in corridors of Parliament that a leadership spill would be held tonight.
And while that spill did not eventuate, former Howard government minister Kevin Andrews told the press in that he would stand for the leadership if a spill was called.
Mr Andrews said Mr Turnbull had read the mood of the party room differently to the rest and that "needs to be challenged".
Backbencher Bronwyn Bishop said that "the party room needs to be listened to".
There also appeared to be strong support for Tony Abbott as the alternative leader.
It is clear that while the immediate threat has passed, Mr Turnbull's leadership is by no means secure, with Mr Tuckey reiterating his call for a leadership spill to be held on Thursday.
After Mr Turnbull's decision so obviously angered the partyroom, key figures tried to persuade their leader to adopt a position of deferring a final decision due to the imminent danger to his hold on the party leadership.
But it is now expected that Mr Turnbull will address the media shortly and declare a short-term victory.
This development followed a dramatic day in Canberra, with the Coalition arguing the merits of the legislation since 10am, with only a break for Question Time.
During that period the chances of the Coalition agreeing to the deal on offer from the Labor Government have plummeted as the extent of backbench anger has become increasingly apparent.
At lunch sources indicated a two-thirds majority were in favour of the amended ETS; that then slipped to 50:50 and now the tallies of party room sentiment are in the negative.
Sources say the atmosphere within the meeting was hostile at times, but that Mr Turnbull remained calm until his recent announcement.
Notably, influential figures who have a keen eye for the detail of the legislation, told the meeting that the amendments would cost the taxpayer an extra $7 billion and not deliver any extra reduction in carbon emissions.
Among those speaking against the package was Andrew Robb, who is currently on sick leave but was previously the Opposition's climate change spokesman.
Sources say Mr Robb spoke passionately for 10 minutes arguing the package was "not good enough" and should be rejected.
The scenario is disastrous for both the Coalition and Mr Turnbull's leadership.
It is now apparent that Mr Turnbull does not have the level of partyroom support that he previously thought, and that the Coalition is hopelessly divided on the issue.
The resistance to Labor's package comes despite Labor's amendments providing for 75 per cent of the Coalition's demands.
Shadow Cabinet this morning met and backed the package which was offered by the Government in bid to garner bipartisan support for its ETS and have the legislation pass the Senate this week.
Mr Turnbull and his climate change negotiator Ian Macfarlane then presented the deal to the Coalition partyroom, where consensus was unable to be reached on whether or not to vote in favour of the legislation.
Mr Macfarlane told reporters in Canberra this morning that he was very pleased with deal and described the negotiated package as "exceptional".
Sources earlier said Mr Turnbull needed up to 70pc of the joint party support vote on the deal for his on-going leadership position to be tenable.
It is now clear that both the party and his leadership are severely - if not irrevocably - wounded.
Regular updates on the situation in Canberra will be posted on FarmOnline sites throughout the day.
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