Tony Abbott calls for supporters to back China critic MP Andrew Hastie, in ‘snub’ to local Liberals
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has called his loyal army of supporters with deep pockets to back an MP on the other side of the country, in what some believe is a snub to the leftie Liberals in his own backyard.
Manly
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Former prime minister Tony Abbott is asking his supporters to get behind right-leaning WA politician Andrew Hastie, in what is being seen as a snub of the dominant left-faction Liberals in his own backyard.
In an email titled “looking to the future”, sent to all those who signed up to Mr Abbott’s Battlelines campaign — helping him raise more than $1m for his election fight — he asked them to back Mr Hastie “a great defender of the values you and I hold so dear”.
He said the former officer in the SAS Regiment, who is now the member for Canning, is a leading voice in the Coalition “calling for a stronger Australia”.
Mr Abbott wrote Mr Hastie was “a favourite target of the radical left and has been in some tough campaigns”.
“I encourage you to support Andrew and I have asked him to email you,” he wrote.
One senior Warringah Liberal, who described themself as a fan of Mr Abbott, said it was no surprise the former Warringah MP was not throwing his support behind a local Liberal or any rumoured Liberal candidates for the seat he lost to independent Zali Steggall last year.
“There’s a view in the party that Tony’s support is better served with someone like Andrew Hastie who is much more sensible and with an agenda more aligned to national sovereignty and a realistic approach to energy security and climate change,” he said.
“Many Liberals in Warringah are from the dominant left faction of the Liberal party with a Zali Steggall agenda.”
Another peninsula Liberal source said some of Mr Abbott’s supporters may be a little “peeved” to find their email has been harvested off to Andrew Hastie, while local Liberals may feel snubbed.
“Andrew Hastie has really got stuck up China at the moment,” he said.
“He’s a favourite of Tony, but it is a little bit disappointing he has not done this for local Liberals.
“Will he throw his support and financial weight behind the Liberal candidate for Warringah when they are announced, even if they are not aligned with his views?”
The source said it would be ironic if he didn’t as Mr Abbott had been the main proponent behind the democratic reform movement allowing more power for local members to select candidates.
The source said the loss of Warringah was very embarrassing and winning it back was a priority at the highest levels of the party.
He said the next Liberal candidate for Warringah would be seen as a future minister or prime minister, a very “high calibre of person”.
The Manly Daily has reached out to Mr Abbott for comment.