More than three quarters of Tony Abbott’s electorate don’t want him reinstated as prime minister

A POLL on Tony Abbott’s effectiveness as a politician has been held in his own electorate — and some of the results may surprise you.

An informal street poll showed a majority of Tony Abbott’s constituents did not think he should be returned as PM. Picture: Hollie Adams

MORE  than three-quarters of voters in Tony Abbott’s electorate polled by the Manly Daily do not think he should be reinstated as prime minister.

A survey of residents across his neighbourhood in Forestville and his Warringah electorate office base in Manly showed that just half of local constituents said he was an effective local member.

The street survey showed 77 per cent of his constituents did not think he should be returned as PM.

Tony Abbott's office in Manly Corso. Picture: Adam Yip/ Manly Daily

And in a surprise result of the 30-people interviewed in the street poll, 60 per cent were in favour of him leaving the electorate to debate and tackle issues not relevant to the northern beaches.

The figures are in line with a poll conducted on Tuesday by The Australian Newspaper, which revealed just 23 per cent of its readers preferred Mr Abbott over Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

An online poll was also conducted by the Manly Daily and not limited to people in the electorate. It reached about 1000 people.

Sixty per cent said Mr Abbott was an effective local MP with 61 per cent supporting his endeavours outside of Warringah.

Tony Abbott speaks to the media on Sunday Picture: Hollie Adams/The Australian

Late Wednesdays, 58 per cent of online responders thought he should be reinstated as prime minister.

In response to the findings, Mr Abbott told the Manly Daily: “The only poll that counts is the one on election day.”

“It’s a tremendous honour to serve my community as the member for Warringah and I am determined to be a tireless advocate on both local and national issues.”

Nathan Thomas, organiser of anti-Abbott group People of Warringah, said he was shocked local approval was not lower.

“I am a little bit surprised about that, because for ... 20 odd years he has been saying he would do the same things; that is fix the Spit Bridge, fix local traffic congestion,” he said. “A lot of them think he has done nothing for the local area.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Picture: (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NO ARCHIVING

“People can say he is a good guy and has done firefighting or whatever, we don’t think he is a bad guy but he doesn’t deliver on his promises.”

Mackellar MP Jason Falinski defended Mr Abbott’s record as a local MP saying he epitomised the northern beaches — pointing out that the snap poll showed support for the former PM to travel to discuss policy issues.

“I think people understand that a local federal MP’s job is more than just his community,” Mr Falinski said.

“Tony is very representative of our part of the world. His level of involvement in the community as a volunteer, whether it be in an RFS uniform or surf lifesaving, is an example of that.

“While we take that for granted (a volunteering nature) here on the northern beaches, it is not something that other people experience in other parts of Australia.”

Mr Abbott has consistently maintained he has no interest in returning to The Lodge.

MP for Mackellar Jason Falinski. Picture: Daniel Munoz

Earlier this month, in an exclusive interview with the Manly Daily, he denied wanting to reclaim the prime ministership from Mr Turnbull, adding: “No, I am very happy being a backbench member of the Government because it gives me the freedom to speak as I think best, and it gives me more time to be a very conscious local member.”

But Mr Thomas said he believed it was clear Mr Abbott wanted to return to the top job as shown through his recent national tour to speak on policy issues.

“He has been incredibly self-indulgent — at the moment it is all about Tony Abbott,” he said. “He is not interested in the Liberal Party or Malcolm Turnbull’s re-election. He is a wrecker. He is the Kevin Rudd of the Liberal Party.”

He said he would have hoped the poll would have shown more people did not approve of Mr Abbott taking back the nation’s top job.

“I thought it would be more than 77 per cent, he was really underwhelming, he didn’t get runs on the board, he was not consultative, he was making crazy captain calls — I think there are better roles for him being in parliament. His best days are past him,” he said.

Local voters spoken to on Tuesday ranged in views from Forestville resident Nicole Reid, who said she wanted Mr Abbott back as PM “but only if he brings his budgie smugglers”, to Bruce Propert who said he was “disastrous last time”.

Mr Propert, a Queenscliff resident, said: “The Duke of Edinburgh was given a knighthood. Say no more.”

VOX POP

Lesley Farrugia: I can’t fault him. I faulted him when he got out because he got too big for his boots, making decisions like knightings and rubbish like that but I have not had a local problem with him. I think he has done his bit (as PM). You can’t go back. You have got to go forward and we need fresh blood and there are too many people who don’t like him.

Malcolm Carver: I think he was (a good local member). I don’t think he is any longer. He is splitting the Liberal Party. He has had his opportunity (as PM). I think he is playing sour grapes, it is not healthy. It’s not good for him. He has a good rep he and his wife have done some wonderful things for Australia, but he has lost our support.

Duncan Yiend: I’m a bit disillusioned by politics at the moment, so I don’t think any of the local MPs are actually effective. I think they are all looking for the long term, rather than what is good for the short term. I wouldn’t say he is effective for this community at the moment. When he had his stint as prime minister it seemed to be a lot of grandstanding, a lot of publicity grabbing. It was a lot of show and talk but not a lot of action.

Danny LeMoy: HE’S very consistent and passionate about his local electorate. He’s one of the most honest, decent people you could want to meet. I think he was better in opposition, rather than as a PM. But I think it was unfair he wasn’t given enough opportunity to show his wares as PM and was treated unfairly by his hypocritical colleagues.