Removing the carbon tax was a key plank in Abbott’s election platform. It saw the Coalition swept in to government with a strong majority in the Lower House in last month’s election.
“It’s not going to be easy as he thinks,” Milne said.
“With the Senate not even finalised, he’s going to be dealing with an unsteady, unstable and unreliable mix.
“For the past three years, Mr Abbott has done everything he could to shift the focus of the debate from the dangers of global warming to a phony debate about a prime minister’s lie and $100 lamb roasts.”
The majority of Australians want action on global warming and will see through his Direct Action sham, according to Milne.
“With the whole world now focusing on the realities of a warming planet with more extreme storms, droughts, floods and fires, Tony Abbott is not going to be able to keep people’s eyes diverted from what is happening in the real world,”
Milne said.
“The Greens will be there in the Senate to stand up to his every effort to repeal the price on pollution and funding for clean renewable energy.”
Abbott stated that the Greens have lost the balance of power and that this was a “great political achievement for the Coalition”
Milne replied that there is going to be a “very steep Senate learning curve for Mr Abbott”
“He'll quickly be frustrated unless he changes his crash or crash through attitude,” Milne said.
“Putting aside the rank hypocrisy of him now talking about dealing constructively with minor parties after three years of hysterical attacks on minority government and on former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Mr Abbott will have to come to terms with not having total power.
“The Prime Minister always wanted total control without any checks and balances. He wants the Senate to wave through his cruel, ideological and secretive agenda - but it simply won't.
“Shared balance of power is exactly that - shared. Mr Abbott will need to compromise and negotiate in spite of relentlessly describing the Gillard government as 'bad government' for doing so.
“How Prime Minister Abbott comes to terms with the Senate reality will be a critical test of his leadership.”
