Zali Steggall moves into Tony Abbott’s office, signage replaced
VIDEO: After defeating former Warringah MP Tony Abbott, Zali Steggall has moved into his old Manly office — and she has wasted no time having the front signs changed.
It was out with the old and in with the new.
On a drizzly Manly morning today the signs outside the office of ousted Warringah MP Tony Abbott’s old electorate office were replaced by government contractors.
The changing of the guard occurred quietly at 6.30am this morning on an almost deserted pedestrianised section of Sydney Rd.
A van from Absolute Sign Solutions, from Brookvale, pulled up outside the office, carrying signs bearing the name of the new MP, independent Zali Steggall.
Brothers Matt and Grant Wiles, owners of the sign business who created the bright turquoise signs for Ms Steggall, had to scrub 25 years of dirt and grime from an existing sign suspended over the footpath.
Ms Steggall used turquoise as her official campaign colour in the highly competitive lead up to the May 18 federal election.
The brothers, working as contractors for the federal government, then simply climbed up a pair of step ladders and stuck the new plastic-coated signage over the top of “The Hon. Tony Abbott MHR”.
Another stick-on turquoise sign for Ms Steggall was placed over the door leading into the building.
Ms Steggall moved into the former prime minister’s office last week after she was officially declared the MP for Warringah by election officials.
The MP said she eventually wanted to relocate her electorate office for a “fresh start”, but in the meantime would make her Sydney Rd base more open and accessible to the public.
A metallic “Tony Abbott MHR” sign is still bolted to the building, three storeys above the street. It is expected to be removed soon.
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