Lawyer in Tony Abbott’s Warringah electorate starts campaign to oust former PM
TONY Abbott’s use-by date as the Member for Warringah is “well and truly up”, according to a beaches lawyer who has started an online campaign to oust the former PM.
Manly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Manly. Followed categories will be added to My News.
TONY Abbott’s use-by date as the Member for Warringah is “well and truly up”, according to a beaches lawyer who has started an online campaign to oust him.
Grace Irvin, who lives in Mr Abbott’s electorate, has hit out at the former Prime Minister for failing to vote in line with the electorate’s overwhelming support for legalising same-sex marriage and his alleged role in bringing down Malcolm Turnbull as the nation’s leader.
She claims there is growing grassroots opposition in the electorate to Mr Abbott’s “continual self-interest”, which was reflected in a heated preselection on Friday night where he got the nod after 30 of 100 members took a stand against him.
Ms Irvin has started an “Out with Abbott” campaign, where she is aiming to raise at least $20,000 through a GoFundMe page to “remind the Warringah electorate why it’s time for Tony to go in the next election”.
“My personal conflict with Tony Abbott was absolutely tested during the process to legalise same-sex marriage,” she said.
The Warringah electorate’s 75 per cent vote in support of a change to the marriage law was higher the nation’s 61.6 per cent. About 80 per cent of Warringah residents voted.
“It illustrated to me that Mr Abbott would consider only one voice and opinion above all else and that would be his own opinion,” she said.
Ms Irvin said her campaign would be backing an independent with Liberal leanings to challenge Mr Abbott, 60, for the seat he has held since 1994.
“While I have not spoken with him, I believe someone like Ron Delezio would be an ideal candidate,” she said. “He is a trusted and respected member of our community.”
The 64-year-old father of double-crash victim Sophie Delezio ran as an independent at the Manly by-election last year after quitting the Liberal party in disgust.
Ms Irvin said she had “no doubt” that Mr Abbott pulled the strings behind Mr Dutton’s challenge to Mr Turnbull’s leadership.
“And had Mr Dutton succeeded, Mr Abbott would eventually have challenged Mr Dutton’s position. I’m sure Mr Dutton now realises the pawn that he was in Mr Abbott’s game,” she said.
Mr Abbott did not respond to the Daily’s questions about Ms Irvin’s campaign.
However, he said he was “absolutely not concerned” about the prospect of any other independent as an opponent, but acknowledged recent events may have hurt the Liberals.
“Whoever runs, I am very confident there will be a strong and successful Liberal campaign,” Mr Abbott said.
“I have been campaigning very strongly to get power prices down, campaigning to take the pressure off our infrastructure and campaigning strongly for the northern beaches tunnel.”