In a lengthy speech to Parliament yesterday, former Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull laid into Tony Abbott’s climate change policy plan, continuing his support for the Government’s amended CPRS.

But did he deal a damaging blow to his Abbott’s scheme, or come off looking like a sore loser?

Crikey‘s Bernard Keane had this to say on The Stump blog:

Turnbull effortlessly put the case for the CPRS far more eloquently and coherently than Kevin Rudd or any of his ministers has so far managed

Here’s how the rest of Australia’s commentariat saw it:

The Australian

Peter van Onselen: Bravo, an excellent speech, pity about the timing

Malcolm Turnbull gave one of his best political speeches yesterday when he explained why he would cross the floor and vote for the government’s emissions trading scheme. It’s just that it came six months too late to save his leadership.

Paul Kelly: Tragic Malcolm Turnbull keeps kicking

Turnbull yesterday offered an eloquent, rational and policy-wise defence of the Rudd government’s Emissions Trading Scheme but it testifies to an idea whose light is fading in Australia and internationally.

Sydney Morning Herald

David Marr: A dream Labor speech from the vanquished

Turnbull was not delivering a great farewell. This was a working speech, a selling speech, the kind of speech Labor supporters wish their leader would deliver

National Times

Tony Wright, The Goanna: Loneliness of the carbon warrior crossing the line

… he gave the clearest exposition Parliament has yet heard on the reasons why such a scheme was the only rational response to climate change

Elsewhere…

Grog, Grog’s Gamut: On the QT: A Tale of Two Speeches

Today in the House of Representatives two speeches were given by the current and former leaders of the opposition. One was forceful, well reasoned, cutting, intelligent and persuasive. The other was given by Tony Abbott.

Samuel J, Catallaxy Files: Malcolm Bligh Turnbull — Australia’s Don Quixote?

Malcolm Turnbull today abandoned any pretense of support of small government and liberalism by throwing his weight behind the considerably corrupted Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.