Disunity within the coalition is hobbling efforts by both sides of politics to achieve a deal on emissions trading, Labor's junior climate change minister Greg Combet says.
Mr Combet says a lot of progress has been made in the negotiations between Labor and the opposition on an agreement to secure the passage of the government's emissions trading scheme (ETS) by next Thursday's deadline.
However "one of the major complicating factors we're facing is the disunity of the coalition," he told reporters in Canberra on Saturday.
"Time is now ticking by, we're getting very close to the deadline," he said.
The pressure is on to settle an agreement by next Thursday, before parliament rises for the summer break.
Mr Combet, the minister assisting Climate Change Minister Penny Wong, said a widening rift in the coalition over the ETS was building into a possible grab at Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull's leadership.
A shift by Liberal frontbencher Tony Abbott, who had earlier supported a "yes" vote on the ETS with amendments, signalled a coming bid by Mr Abbott to depose the Liberal leader, Mr Combet said.
Mr Abbott on Friday said a "no" vote on the ETS scheme was the only way to avoid a deep coalition split.
"Over the last 24 hours, Tony Abbott has thrown his cap into that ring, which you can only interpret in one way, and that is a leadership bid in time by Tony Abbott," Mr Combet said.
Mr Abbott's defection comes after opposition leader in the Senate Nick Minchin has defied Mr Turnbull on the issue.
Reports on Saturday suggested Mr Turnbull would sack frontbenchers who didn't back the party's policy and vote in favour of an amended ETS.
But shadow treasurer Joe Hockey said he did not believe that would happen.
"People have crossed the floor in the Liberal Party before. That is the entitlement of people," Mr Hockey told ABC Radio.
"But it's also meant to be a team, and shadow ministry is a team.
"There are well established processes that everyone is familiar with, and if people try and redefine those processes it's only because they're not getting their way."
The opposition leader himself refused to speculate on whether his leadership would survive the ETS negotiations.
"Sorry, I'm not providing a running commentary," Mr Turnbull told reporters on Saturday.
"We are focused on ... jobs, on preserving thousands of jobs.
"Our amendments seek to preserve tens of thousands of Australian jobs and to enable an emissions trading scheme to be much more effective.
"In other words, to enable us to cut our emissions much more effectively at a much lower cost."
So that was the opposition's goal, he said.
"Whether we're able to achieve that will depend on the government's reaction, we won't know finally what that is until the negotiations are concluded."
Mr Combet made an appeal for all members of the coalition to reflect soberly on the coming vote over the weekend.
"Reflect upon the fact that it is critical for this country that we are able to reduce emissions," he said.
Mr Combet dodged a question about how confident he was the ETS would be passed by next week.
"You can't really express confidence or otherwise in these circumstances. What you can express is a commitment to get a deal done and we're working hard to achieve it."
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