Abbott’s Battlelines redrawn with Hastie support

Tony Abbott asks his army of loyal supporters to support MP Andrew Hastie in face of attacks from ‘radical left’.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott (right) with Liberal MP Andrew Hastie. Picture: Gary Ramage

Tony Abbott has redrawn the battlelines and entered the conversation about China. The former prime minister’s long-forgotten website Battlelines — named after Abbott’s 2009 memoir outlining his political philosophy — has come out of hibernation to get behind Liberal MP Andrew Hastie.

In an email entitled “Looking to the future”, Abbott asks his loyal army of supporters to back Hastie, “a great defender of the values you and I hold so dear”.

Tony Abbott looks on as Andrew Hastie addresses the media in 2017. Picture: Matthew Poon

Abbott describes the former SAS captain and member for the outer Perth seat of Canning as a “leading voice in the Coalition calling for a stronger Australia”. Hastie is chairman of the powerful parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security. He also is the public face of The Wolverines, a secret bipartisan group formed in Parliament House to speak out against the Communist Party’s expanding power and which last week added US ambassador Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr to its ranks as an honorary member.

“(Hastie) is a favourite target of the radical left and has been in some tough campaigns,” Abbott wrote. “For years Andrew has been a champion of Australia’s sovereignty and our need to be self-sufficient in times of crisis. I encourage you all to support Andrew and I have asked him to email you.”

The website was set up early last year and raised more than $1m for Abbott’s failed final run at Warringah. We’re told it’s being used to campaign for key conservatives around the country, hand-picked by the former prime minister. It’s a centre-right counterforce to progressive groups such as GetUp that hopefully has more thought than the much mocked satirical superhero Captain GetUp.

Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott. Picture: AAP

The NSW Moderates are suitably unimpressed, saying it’s a pointed snub. “Why hadn’t he gone out in support of a local Liberal,” one whinged, as the behind-the-scenes fight heats up in Warringah. For his part, Hastie is modest about being anointed by Abbott, telling Strewth: “I’m humbled by Tony’s support but I will never be able to match his raw physicality in a pair of Speedos.”

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Facebook fan mail

A Team Abbott member says it’s “salient” to note the former prime minister has a bigger social media following than incumbent Scott Morrison. Well, just. Abbott has 439,495 Facebook followers to Morrison’s 423,759. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has 134,000, but Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews has the biggest following, 761,000.

Mr Popular ... former prime minister Tony Abbott. Picture: AAP

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Laying down the Laws

Alan Jones may be heading into radio retirement but John Laws is still hard at work. As we were reminded when a transcript of his trainwreck interview with the federal Opposition Leader landed in Strewth’s inbox. Laws asked: “Now, I want to solve this once and for all. Anthony Albanese or Albanese? What does your wife call you?” (Albanese split from former wife Carmel Tebbutt in January last year.) The shock jock swung again: “It was your birthday last week, wasn’t it?”

Talkback radio icon John Laws. Picture: John Appleyard

Albanese: “No. In March.”

Laws: “In March? March or May? Anyway, whenever it is, happy birthday. I don't know when it is.”

Albanese: “Thanks, John. I was elected on my birthday to parliament. So, that was a rather nice prize, but more than 20 years ago now. I hope I get a birthday present with an election win next time around, but I’ll be doing my best.”

Laws: “That’s all you can do.”

Albanese: “Absolutely.”

Laws wasn’t far off. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten celebrated his 53rd birthday with socially distanced drinks last week, and Morrison scored a pair of Sharks toothbrushes for his 52nd.

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Open wide and say Ah!

Stuart Robert made a brave decision on Monday — to get tested for coronavirus on camera. With his mouth open as wide as a Luna Park entrance, the Government Services Minister leaned back for the swab. Afterwards he asked: “Superb, now will this tell me if I’ve had it previously or only if I have it now?” The health professional responded: “Only if you have it now.”

Stuart Robert. Picture: AAP

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Low-rent media

The pandemic won’t pop the Canberra Bubble™.

“Parliament will waive rents for the press gallery for a temporary period in order to help us withstand the immense pressure of the COVID-19 crisis,” press gallery president David Crowe said.

“This is incredibly generous and probably unprecedented.”

Made possible by Speaker Tony Smith and Senate president Scott Ryan, the rent relief covers all organisations from News Corp (publisher of this august organ), Nine’s papers, TV networks, Guardian Australia, Crikey and smaller bureaus.

Crowe said it would safeguard jobs — which is important, given more than 155 Australian newsrooms have shut since January last year, including BuzzFeed News and Ten Daily in the past week.

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