It’s Abbott’s first in-depth interview since he was removed as Prime Minister.
After sending his resignation to Governor Sir Peter Cosgrove via fax and retreating to the back benches of the House of Representatives, Abbott has largely refrained from commenting on the new leadership and on the spill that saw him removed from the country’s highest office.
But now, in his first in depth interview since his removal, Abbott has praised his own period in office, saying that re-electing a Liberal government is “absolutely” in the country’s best interests.
Speaking to The Weekend Australian’s Dennis Shanahan and Paul Kelly, Mr Abbott said that he had no plans to undermine Prime Minister Turnbull’s leadership and said that another change in prime minister would be bad for the country.
In the interview, Abbott also praised the achievements of former Treasurer Joe Hockey – who has announced he will be leaving politics.
“What we have given the new Prime Minister and the new Treasurer is a very strong foundation,” he said.
Mr Abbott pointed out the lack of policy changes that have been made since Turnbull took control on September 14th, a sentiment that has also been raised by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.
“Interestingly, just as nothing has changed on economic policy in the last fortnight, nothing’s changed on climate change policy in the last fortnight, nothing’s changed in respect of same-sex marriage in the last fortnight and nothing’s changed in respect of border protection in the last fortnight, and I don’t imagine anything will change in national security policy more broadly,” Abbott said.
Despite the criticisms that plagued the Abbott government since the 2013 election, Abbott used the interview to highlight that his government “didn’t get the credit it deserved”, saying that his government was one that had its eye on the future.
“Obviously we stopped the boats, a really important achievement,” he told The Weekend Australian. “We got rid of Labor’s bad taxes, a really important achievement. We’ve kick-started a lot of infrastructure, the biggest infrastructure spend in the commonwealth’s history including the Badgerys Creek airport about which governments have procrastinated about for many, many years.”
“Plainly, the three free-trade agreements are incredibly important and I believe they will set up the country for the long term. And the trade union royal commission is doing an outstanding job.”
In an interview with the Saturday Telegraph, Tony Abbott said that he had never expected that he would be ousted by his own party:
“Certainly I never thought, having watched the Labor Party implode, that the Coalition would want to venture down the same path…My judgment turned out to be wrong.”
As for his next steps, the former-PM is keeping that close to his chest. “Look, I’m not going to make any hard and fast decisions this side of Christmas,” he said. “I think I’m far too young to retire. Obviously I still think I have quite a lot to contribute in public life.”
“Over the next couple of weeks I will take it easy, catch up with family, colleagues and trusted friends…In the process I’ll think about what the future might hold.”
As for his family, Abbott says that they knew the risks of the political game, which he likens to Snakes and Ladders: “They are coping pretty well, they are all very resilient, they a have never been under any illusions about the nature of political life and like me they accept that in this game of snakes and ladders, sometimes a bad number comes up.”
While he seems nonchalant about his ousting, he’s still quite convinced it was a bad move for the country: “The commentariat have now got the PM they want but the public have lost the PM they voted for … this is a real issue for our country.”
What do you think about Tony Abbott’s removal as Prime Minister?
Top Comments
Abbott has highlighted that policy has not changed so far. If Turnbull changes his stance on key issues purely to satisfy his right wing backers, then all the leadership spill has done is save the Liberals a few seats.
Oh my goodness. Abbott is like a broken record. "My achievements are stopping the boats and dismantling the carbon tax" [to replace it with an obscene policy where tax payers now pay the polluters". He achieved NOTHING. Gillard got far more legislature through with a hostile senate. Abbott led the worst government in history. He lied to get elected and had no shame about piling lie upon lie upon lie, after he pilloried Gillard for ONE perceived "lie". He pandered to big corporations and his mining mates. He was inarticulate and a blundering bozo. The vast majority of intelligent Australia was embarrassed and appalled by him. I am a swinging voter, and will be watching Turnbull carefully. Abbott is right in that Turnbull has changed little. If he doesn't review policy, the Libs will be ousted next election because their policies of increasing the gap between rich and poor, increasing the cost and elitism of university, allowing corporate tax evasion etc were highly unpopular. On the other hand, Turnbull has provided a Minister for Women (who is actually female), announced funding to address domestic violence and included more women in cabinet. So NO. He's already better than you, Abbott (not exactly any kind of challenge- the challenge would have been to be worse).