Tony Abbott’s five point plan to regain voter trust

UPDATE: Former PM Tony Abbott appeared on Ray Hadley’s radio show today to further cement his five- point plan to reclaim the electorate’s trust, starting with Scott Morrison balancing the budget.

Former PM Tony Abbott on the Pollie Pedal. He said the ride across the country had allowed him to gauge the political mood of the nation. And the results are grim tidings for the government. Picture: Ray Strange.

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FORMER prime minister Tony Abbott wants Cabinet to consider his five point plan to reclaim the electorate’s trust, and called on Treasurer Scott Morrison to do more to balance the budget.

Speaking to Ray Hadley in his first spot as replacement to Mr Morrison who was dumped last week by the 2GB broadcaster, the former PM said Australia “is going to go badly” unless it takes urgent action.

“Everyone needs to live within their means government is no different than business and households,” Mr Abbott told 2GB radio.

On air... Tony Abbott appears on his first chat with Ray Hadley today. Picture: Twitter

“Our country has been living on the credit card and sooner or later it is going to go badly unless we take action.

“This budget is better than any time to get on with it.”

Former PM Tony Abbott has a plan. Picture: Hamish Blair

Mr Abbott’s call-to-arms comes as Mr Morrison prepares to hand down the federal budget in May.

Writing exclusively to the Daily Telegraph today, Mr Abbott outlined an alarming diagnosis of widespread voter malaise, saying politicians on all sides have lost the trust and respect of the people.

Mr Abbott says he took the temperature of a broad range of voters during a recent charity cycle ride and discovered that most Australians are sick and tired of politicians on all sides.

People are fed up with MPs saying one thing and doing ­another, he says, warning the situation is so dire, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten “could soon be in The Lodge”.

In a direct attack on Mr Shorten — and a thinly veiled swipe at Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull — Mr Abbott says: “People are sick of politicians that are more talk than action and are especially sick of politicians who change their policies to suit their political convenience.”

Significantly, he ruled out seeking revenge for Mr Turnbull rolling him as leader and instead called on the government to lift its game.

The former PM said he’s been in touch with Middle Australians as part of his ride around the country. Picture: Ray Strange.

“The best way to keep Shorten out is not to sack an elected prime minister yet again but to ensure that the government does its job better,” Mr Abbott writes.

In what was being seen as a passionate call to arms, the former PM outlined his five-point plan for getting the government back on track, including dumping the Human Rights Commission, cutting renewable energy subsidies in order to reduce power bills and reforming the Senate to end the policy gridlock.

“People aren’t happy. There’s an added dimension of frustration with everyone in politics: with governments that don’t deliver, with oppositions that oppose just to score political points, and with minor parties that are all grievance and no solution.”

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Mr Abbott’s most recent attempt to steer the Turnbull government to the right was with a speech in February that was met with vehement criticism from his Coalition colleagues.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said at the time he was “flabbergasted” by that intervention, calling it “deliberately destructive” and “completely unhelpful”.

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In response to Mr Abbott’s latest article in the Telegraph, some of his colleagues said while he was right about politicians failing to stick to their convictions, becoming more conservative would not work.

The former PM has also taken a swipe at the man who disposed him — Malcolm Turnbull.

Mr Abbott has warned Bill Shorten could make his way into The Lodge. Picture: Marc McCormack

“Let Malcolm be Malcolm is ultimately the strategy we should pursue,” one said.

Mr Abbott has also taken aim at Mr Shorten and the “union-controlled, Greens-influenced Labor Party that still thinks Rudd and Gillard had good policies”.

“People seem to be working out that Labor is at least as responsible for our problems as the government,” he writes.

“In fact, not only did Labor create the debt and deficit disaster and the political correctness epidemic, but it’s now making it impossible to fix through its intransigence in the Senate.”