Former prime minister Tony Abbott has confirmed he will be recontesting the federal seat of Warringah at the next election.
Mr Abbott had previously said he wanted to take time off from politics to spend with his family.
But in a statement, he said his colleagues had encouraged him to stay in politics after leaving the prime ministership last year.
“I have been heartened by the support and encouragement I’ve received to continue to serve the country as a member of Parliament,” he said.
“I am proud of my work to establish the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust that has done so much to improve the amenity of former military land on North Head, Middle Head and Georges Heights.
“Should I be renominated and elected, I am looking forward to working with Premier Mike Baird to ensure that the Warringah Peninsula gets better transport links to the rest of Sydney.”
Mr Abbott has served as the Liberal MP for the northern Sydney seat for 22 years, which he said had been “a great honour”.
“I hope to retain their trust and confidence,” he said.
He served as prime minster for almost two years, but was ousted last September when current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull challenged him for the Liberal Party leadership.
This post originally appeared on ABC News.
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Top Comments
Good grief! The arrogance of the man. He was toppled by his own party, even after winning the election on a promise of stability! I look forward to the day when I no longer have to hear his name, he who has embarrassed us so much.
Arrogant to continue his career?
For all his failings he stopped the boats, removed the carbon tax and most of all put down that dog of a government we all suffered through under Rudd and Gillard.
Arrogant to continue his career in politics, yes. Getting the sack should have given him more of an idea of his importance in public life.
Carbon tax and stopping boats are hardly the hallmarks of a competent, intelligent, successful government now are they.
He's been the elected member for 22 years, and you want him to stop representing his electorate because he was ousted from the Prime Ministership by one of his party colleagues? What a joke, it's like people who are saying that his presence could now destabilise the government, destabilise like how? Colluding with other party members to roll the sitting PM? Hmmmm, where have we heard of that happening before???
Go Tony! Give that useless plod, Lord Waffles, a run for his treacherous money. His 'chat' with Obama was so embarrassing as he 'mansplained' tactics for solving the problems of the world. Obama had great difficulty staying awake.
Despite what some people wish/hope Tony Abbott has a huge following - all the big guns; Rowan Dean, Paul Murray, Nick Cater, Piers Akerman, Andrew Bolt, Gerard Henderson, to name a few, are firmly on his side and can see Lord Waffles for the hollow man he is, with his selfies and high-fiving.
I do hope that this comment is posted as a foil to the ectremely nasty insulting comments already here.
That's the issue, Tony only has a following within the far right. Even Howard and Costello, his mentors, thought Tony was not a good PM.
More so, among the Australian public, he was ridiculed daily by people of all political persuasions.
Big guns! Big something all right. Thanks for the laugh.
Well, he was ridiculed by the MSM for some fairly innocuous reasons, such as a wink, drinking a beer, eating an onion etc. Before that he was elected by the greater Australian public with a pretty huge majority, more than can be said for Lord Turnbull.
Not only big guns, big brains as well!