Malcolm Turnbull crosses the floor to vote with Labor on the Emissions Trading Scheme
* AAP
* From: AAP
* February 11, 2010 1:34PM
FORMER Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull has crossed the floor of federal parliament to vote in support of Labor's emissions trading scheme.
Mr Turnbull sat with government MPs in the lower house on the second reading vote to pass the carbon pollution reduction scheme (CPRS), also known as the ETS. He was joined by independent MP Rob Oakeshott.
But the coalition avoided further embarrassment when it declined to call for a division on the final vote.
It was passed on the voices alone with MPs remaining in their seats.
Some coalition MPs appeared to want a division but the manager of opposition business in the house, Christopher Pyne, jumped to his feet to make sure it didn't happen.
"No division," he repeatedly told the deputy speaker.
The legislation now goes to the Senate, where it faces almost certain defeat for a third time.
Earlier, the government used its lower house majority to gag debate and bring on the ETS vote before midday, when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered his second Closing the Gap progress report on indigenous disadvantage.
Opposition MPs said it was "outrageous" and "scandalous" that 13 speakers still listed to debate the ETS legislation missed out on having their say.
Liberal frontbencher Steve Ciobo expressed further outrage when Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Health Minister Nicola Roxon were allowed into the chamber to vote on the gag motion after the deputy speaker had asked for the doors to be closed.
"Do the honourable thing and walk out," he yelled to the pair unsuccessfully.
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