Shut up or quit, Liberal colleagues tell Tony Abbott

FORMER prime minister Tony Abbott has been told to “shut up or quit” over his latest outburst. More importantly ... what’s with that backdrop?

FORMER PM Tony Abbott has been told to shut up or quit after he again raised issues about how the Turnbull government was performing.

“He was going to step down graciously, he was going to serve in the best interests of the country but he was not going to do a running commentary, he was not going to be critical,” veteran MP and fellow Liberal Warren Entsch told the ABC yesterday.

Just two months after being attacked by senior Coalition figures for criticising the government’s direction, Mr Abbott re-emerged in the public spotlight on Easter Monday with a plan on reconnecting with the electorate.

He warned in an opinion piece for the Daily Telegraph and later in an interview with Ray Hadley that there’s a feeling in the community that Bill Shorten would win the next election, and outlined how the coalition could stop that.

Eyebrows have also been raised after Mr Abbott repeated his criticism of the government during a TV interview outside his Sydney home as a rubbish truck emptied bins in the background, prompting some to jokingly suggest the backdrop only “enhanced his message.”

Tony Abbott addresses the media in front of rubbish trucks emptying bins. Source: 9 News.

Mr Entsch told Fairfax Media that Mr Abbott’s actions were “reinforcing all the negative aspects of his time” and seemed aimed at getting back at Malcolm Turnbull who ousted him from the prime ministership.

“If it continues like this, this will be his legacy — and he won’t be remembered fondly. He’ll just be seen as a wrecker, hellbent on destroying an individual.”

Mr Abbott said he had every right to speak out, and would appear on Hadley’s high-rating show broadcast on 2GB in Sydney and 4BC in Brisbane every fortnight. “As a former PM people would expect me to have something to say from time to time on important national and international issues. I certainly intend to continue.”

Abbott with radio host Ray Hadley, of 2GB in Sydney. Picture: AAP