THE Coalition has chosen climate change sceptic George Christensen to sit on the key committee that will inquire into the government's carbon tax legislation amid growing acrimony in parliament about the handling of the debate.
A spokesman for Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said it was embarrassing for opposition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt that his own party had not nominated him to be on the most important inquiry in his portfolio.
Mr Hunt accused the government of flouting convention by supporting Greens deputy leader Christine Milne as the deputy chair instead of the Coalition's Simon Birmingham.
In his first speech, Mr Christensen said that "despite what the political and media elite tell us to think, the truth is the science on climate change is not settled. There are more than 700 scientists who have openly opposed the theory of man-made climate change in a report of the US Senate committee on environment and public works."