Tony Abbott faced unexpectedly fiery opposition to his renomination for the seat of Warringah on Friday night- but is staying on, forever? Why are we not surprised? Last year, my erstwhile colleague Miranda Devine coined the term “Delcon" as short-hand for the “deluded conservatives” who believe that it is Abbott’s destiny to re-take the Liberal Party leadership. One might have thought that given we are now two Liberal leaders down the track from his leadership of the Libs, the numbers of true Delcons might be counted on the fingers of one finger – Mr Abbott himself. I am reliably informed, however, that that is not the case and their numbers are growing. The whisper in Canberra is that Abbott believes he is well positioned to take over the Liberal leadership once more after the likely electoral rout that faces Scott Morrison at the next election. When I put this whole theory to my former football coach on Friday (before the nomination ruckus), the Member for Warringah responded in his usual friendly manner, denying it, while declining to be quoted. What sort of a coach was Abbott (Sydney Uni,  winter of '89) you ask? A very good one. But he loved scrum training in the mud, like no coach I ever had!

Read more:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/abbott-ready-to-get-down-and-dirty-again...

Grassroots members in the blue ribbon Sydney electorate of Warringah believe Mr Abbott's campaign against Malcolm Turnbull's leadership has been deeply unpopular in beachside suburbs and will cost him votes.

Strategists also believe his 25-year reign has started to shift from a positive to liability, and think the veteran MP's position in Parliament is now vulnerable to a high-profile independent candidate.

Mr Abbott's plan to recontest the seat was rocked by a protest vote that may have seen him secure as little as 55 per cent of votes during a fiery preselection endorsement meeting on Friday night.

A range of members Fairfax Media spoke to on Sunday - including some of Mr Abbott's own supporters - think the former Liberal leader is now so wounded and so weakened by the growing influence of the moderate faction across Sydney's northern beaches and north shore that he cannot win the endorsement of members again.

"It has become apparent that this will be Abbott's last term," one member said of Mr Abbott's position.

Read more:

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/this-will-be-abbott-s-last-term-how-the-tide-turned-against-former-pm-in-warringah-

The former PM had a simple wish, but it wasn't granted. What happened next has raised three big questions over his future. 

Should Abbott departs politics, I'd wish him the best as long as he does not try to influence the political landscape by whatever means, anywhere in the world. I have no animosity towards Tony Abbott the guy, but I hate his political bent, his ignorance of sciences and his stupid social views. He is a political idiot who has created havoc in this country beyond anything imaginable.

The sooner he retires or is retired, and becomes a ... well, I don't really know what he can do apart from mucking up politics or being unemployed. Anyone with suggestions, welcome: Something with no responsibility nor intellectual demand, as not to pollute the mind of people... May be understudy to a third class dunny cleaner could be it.

Actually, on his parliamentary pension, he could retire and become a beach bum for life. Lovely. But I am sure someone will have a cushy job waiting for him — like a professorial chair at Oxford, teaching the art of deviously mucking things up.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has shared a character assessment of his predecessor Tony Abbott, in his first publicly recorded comments since quitting politics.

Mr Turnbull announced he would resign as the Member for Wentworth in the wake of the Liberal leadership turmoil, forcing a by-election in his safe Liberal seat in Sydney's leafy eastern suburbs.

Shortly after being ousted as Liberal leader, the former prime minister, along with his wife Lucy, jetted off to New York where the pair own an apartment on the upper West Side overlooking Central Park.

Mr Turnbull told an event in Manhattan that he was the first prime minister to have been in favour of same-sex marriage.

"Julia Gillard — whom I admire in many ways — Julia, even though she was living with her boyfriend without the benefit of the closure as it were, for political reasons said 'I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman'.

"And my predecessor and opponent in the Liberal Party, Tony Abbott — who's sort of a right-wing character, to say the least — he had the same view."

"And I was to say they were both wrong, but at least he was sincerely wrong."

Read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-21/malcolm-turnbull-describes-tony-ab...

Hullo? what does "... but at least he was sincerely wrong." mean? Does this mean that Julia Gillard was not sincere in her view about gay marriage?...  

Well possibly... I know that Julia could not express an "acceptance" view about this issue without loosing the support of one necessary Labor Party faction, led by the Joe De Bruyn fellow... who is also a director on the Ramsay Centre board... enough said.

Tony Abbott wants to stay in Parliament for at least six more years and is open-minded about an "unlikely" return to the leadership if the Liberal Party drafts him.

In an exclusive interview with Fairfax Media, the former prime minister also said he had no intention of spending less time on the national stage, and predicted Liberal Party forces plotting to oust him from the blue ribbon Sydney seat of Warringah would "struggle" to find a candidate to beat him.

Mr Abbott's future is under the spotlight after one in three local members last week voted against his endorsement to contest the next election. Mr Abbott has dubbed the protest vote a "bit of post-Turnbull turbulence" but his enemies consider it the first shot in a battle to replace him with a moderate candidate. Other potential scenarios include a swing against him in Warringah, or returning to Canberra after the next election to rebuild a shattered Liberal Party.

Read more:

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/abbott-signals-wish-to-stay-in-parliament-for-six-more-years-.html

Does this mean that the caliber of candidates in Warringah is so low, as this electorate is unable to find a better one? Blimey!... Six more years of Tony Abbott? You must be joking... I believe there are some "women" in Warringah who could do a much better job for the Libs than Tony, but they have to pass the bullying test, the ironing test and defy the woman at home juggling kids and cooking while naked on roller skates mindset of the males in the region... And of course they might be scientifically literate on global warming — this alone would excludes them forthwith.

Back in 2012

By Bruce Haigh

The man who would be Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, demands attention; he single-mindedly pursues the media; he is relentless and irrepressible in projecting a profile. He is in our faces.

As such he is worthy of close scrutiny, particularly as mistakes have been made in the past in choosing Prime Ministers.

What does Abbott have going for him? Energy, he exudes energy, vigour and enthusiasm, which cut across and dampen his often negative message. His bounce is at odds with his conservatism. He is an enthusiast, a give it a go, blokey boyish sort of bloke. He appears egalitarian, from factory worker, farm hand, fisherman to finance director, he can shake a hand, share a joke, grin from ear to ear and appear to be on the wave length of whoever it is he has homed in on.

He can weld, drive a bulldozer, don a surgical gown and generally give it a go. Amongst other things he is the Walter Mitty of Australian politics. It would be hard to imagine Jo Hockey in Speedos or training a sheep dog but our aspirant Prime Minister is comfortable in any situation in a variety of clothes.

He has the marvellous political attribute of a thick skin. No arrow, spear or silver bullet can bring him down. He is impervious to criticism; he listens to no-one and learns nothing. A successful student boxer, he remains quick on his feet, his reflexes are good and he is ever watchful for the delivery of the king hit.

Surprisingly, for a former Rhodes Scholar, his analysis is weak and as an avowed Roman Catholic Christian, who once tried his hand at orders, his compassion for the downtrodden and needy is wafer thin. However if resilience were the sole criteria for gaining Prime Ministerial office he would be a shoe in.

But it is not. Marketing a coherent policy is, and yet there has been nothing put into the public domain that voters can examine and mull over. This is distinct negative, when there is so much waiting to be done. His mainly lazy parliamentary colleagues are prepared to let Tony take the running in a forthcoming electoral contest they see Julia Gillard handing to them.

They were not aghast when Abbott announced that his new refugee policy was to turn the boats around, even after the Navy pointed out that it was against International and domestic law, would put refugees and sailors at risk of physical harm, perhaps death and would undermine the morale of the Navy who have a duty to rescue those in peril on the sea.

One of the requirements of a Prime Minister is to at least maintain a dialogue if not good relations with near neighbours. Now, even before holding office, Abbott has offended the Indonesians for no good reason other than domestic politics. He says on being elected Prime Minister he will go to Indonesia and tell them what his turn the boats around policy is all about and no doubt he will tell them what they should do on our behalf. The Indonesians are rightly angry, he should go now and explain himself. Do we really want a foot in mouth Prime Minister?

However it is his performance at The Lobby/Tent Embassy incident that marks the man for what he is. Putting to one side Julia Gillard's lack of leadership and poor show of character, Abbott, who touts his macho he man qualities, squibbed it. Here was an opportunity to demonstrate leadership. It would not have required a surfeit of courage walk outside, confront the shouting and yes, angry demonstrators, and get them to express their grievances more calmly. I have done as much myself.

To have both leaders in one spot in a situation when one or both might have demonstrated what they are made of and to have both duck for cover is a testament to the lack of leadership infecting both major parties at the moment. But for the aspirant Prime Minister it was an opportunity lost, compounded by his calls for the AFP to investigate possible breeches of security. He is attempting to misuse the AFP, to once again politicise them. What Abbott is faced with is a political problem and he should handle it as such. He looks weak attempting to hide behind the men in blue.  

In my mind, as Prime Minister, Abbott, would be a liability for Australia on the international stage. His talk first think later style of discourse will do harm rather than good. But bad enough as that may be it is his relationship with the bedecked, bejewelled and compassionless Cardinal George Pell, which should be of concern to anyone who believes Australia should remain a secular democracy. Abbott showed his form as a Minister in the Howard government. As Prime Minister he can be expected to wind- back on socially progressive issues.

Abbott is not the man for Prime Minister, he is not the man to lead this great country.

[ABC erratum] Inadvertently, an unedited first draft of this article was published. The error was made in production. The final and correct version has now been published.

Read more:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-30/haigh-a-sheep-in-wolfs-clothing/3...

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