MALCOLM Turnbull's leadership has been plunged into further crisis, with a key Liberal rebuffing him over emissions trading and a major row erupting over the fate of frontbencher Peter Dutton.
Victorian senator Mitch Fifield said the Opposition should not conclude negotiations on emissions legislation before the December Copenhagen climate conference - flying in the face of Mr Turnbull's search for an early deal.
Senator Fifield, a parliamentary secretary, also said colleagues should be treated with "courtesy and respect" - a slap at Mr Turnbull's condemnation of "anonymous smart arses".
In Queensland, simmering tensions in the merged Liberal National Party flared after the failed bid by Mr Dutton to win preselection for the safe Gold Coast seat of McPherson.
Liberal frontbencher George Brandis in effect pointed the finger at the party's state president, Bruce McIver, over Saturday's McPherson preselection.
Mr Dutton tried to switch to the seat after a draft redrawing of boundaries in his electorate of Dickson meant it was likely to become a Labor-held seat.
Some Liberals claim The Nationals conspired to defeat Mr Dutton, an allegation rejected by the Nationals and some other Liberals.
Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce, who backed Mr Dutton, said: "That story has about the same credibility as ambit scratching on the back of a public lavatory door and slightly less credibility than 'the dog ate my homework'."
A frantic search is under way for another seat for Mr Dutton, after Mr Turnbull said he must be kept in Parliament.
But the new seat of Wright could be a difficult preselection, and long-term members in two Liberal seats, Peter Slipper and Alex Somlyay, have both declared they will run again.
The executive of the Queensland party has made it clear it won't intervene to overthrow local preselections. And Mr Dutton has said he definitely won't stand in Dickson.
Some Liberals claim Mr McIver, who was a National before the merger, had promised Mr Dutton would be installed in McPherson but then reneged.
Senator Brandis, asked on Sky TV whether Mr McIver did enough to help Mr Dutton, said: "I have my own views, but I'd rather not express them."
Mr McIver was in hospital for an operation yesterday and could not be contacted.
Senator Brandis said he agreed with Mr Turnbull that "everything that can be done needs to be done" to find Mr Dutton a seat. "[He is] one of the most intimidating opponents of the Labor Party."
Gary Spence, acting president of the LNP, said claims that Nationals had acted to keep Mr Dutton out were ridiculous.
He said the party was keen to keep Mr Dutton in Parliament, but "that will be done by working with the membership" rather than overriding it.
Senator Fifield, the most senior Liberal to criticise Mr Turnbull's negotiating timetable, told Sky there were MPs who were comfortable voting for amended emissions legislation before Copenhagen. "There are others, including myself, who have a slightly different perspective … the difference relates purely to timing. My belief is that we shouldn't conclude negotiations on amendments prior to Copenhagen for the simple reason that we won't know many of the pertinent facts before Copenhagen."
Senator Fifield said that waiting was "in fact Coalition policy" and he did not think it was helpful to describe colleagues who held the views he did on the timing of negotiations "as rebels or dissenters or outriders".
The Opposition gets another setback in today's Newspoll, in which the Government's two-party vote jumps 3 points to a 58 to 42 per cent lead.
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