Tony Abbott concedes defeat in Warringah
Tony Abbott says he’d “rather be a loser than a quitter” as he congratulates Zali Steggall.
Tony Abbott said tonight he’d “rather be a loser than a quitter” as he conceded defeat to independent Zali Steggall in the seat of Warringah he has held for 25 years.
MORE : Federal Election 2019 Results
“I always knew it was going to be tough here in Warringah — and I can’t say that it doesn’t hurt to lose,” Mr Abbott said at a campaign event at Manly Leagues Club in the heart of the electorate.
“But I decided back then, in October of last year, that if I had to lose, so be it. I’d rather be a loser than a quitter.”
Mr Abbott congratulated Ms Steggall, saying he hoped she enjoyed a long term as local member working for the Warringah community on Sydney’s northern beaches.
future
He said her win was part of a “realignment of politics going on right around this country”.
The independent, a Sydney barrister and former Winter Olympic skier who entered the race in late January, received strong backing from a coalition of anti-Abbott groups in Warringah and was aided — directly or indirectly — by a huge campaign in the seat orchestrated by activist group GetUp.
Mr Abbott’s political scalp is a big prize for GetUp in the group’s history after targeting Coalition MPs in recent elections, and likely to be highlighted in its future fundraising efforts.
The defeat for Mr Abbott marks the end of 25 years in parliament for the former prime minister and Howard cabinet minister. It also marks the exit of the Liberals’ leading conservative figure from parliament, although Mr Abbott signalled he intended to continue in public life.
Mr Abbott was criticised by Ms Steggall during the election campaign for being out of touch with local voters on issues, chiefly climate change and same-sex marriage.
The former prime minister is a known sceptic on climate change, and opposed the legalisation of same-sex marriage when i75 per cent of his Warringah electorate backed it in the plebiscite.
He said tonight: “Over the next few days and weeks, I suspect there will be a great deal of analysis of the part that climate change did, or did not, play in the outcome.
“And let me just say this, as my first word, if not necessarily my last word, on this subject.
“Where climate change is a moral issue, we Liberals do it tough. But where climate change is an economic issue, as a result, tonight shows we do very, very well.”
There were some tense scenes between the Abbott campaign team and media invited to attend the election event tonight as accredited journalists at the Manly Leagues Club, before and after Mr Abbott’s concession speech. Only limited media were allowed into the Encores room where Mr Abbott spoke and the club’s management directed the media to leave afterwards, preventing access to Mr Abbott.
.@TonyAbbottMHR: We've got good news and bad news tonight, but I want to focus on the good news. The good news is there is every chance the Liberal/National Party has won the election.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 18, 2019
Stream live coverage at https://t.co/DOkPkKjeYk #AusVotes2019 #AustraliaDecides pic.twitter.com/TMEgoCa5sn
Incoming Warringah MP Ms Steggall said it was “humbling” to defeat Mr Abbott in the traditional Liberal stronghold.
“Tonight Warringah has definitely voted for the future,” Ms Steggall said.
“You all show that when communities want change, they make it happen. This is a win for moderates with a heart.”
She paid tribute to Mr Abbott as a “dedicated and long serving local member”.
“Nobody can doubt his community spirit, his work ethic and his contribution to this community. I wish him well,” she said.
Ms Steggall said she would fight to put stronger action on climate change on the agenda.
“I will keep the new government to account and make sure we take action on climate change. I will push for real action for our children, and generations to come,” Ms Steggall.
.@zalisteggall: I would like to pay tribute to @TonyAbbottMHR, he has been a dedicated & long-serving local member. Nobody can doubt his community spirit, work ethic & contribution to the community.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 18, 2019
Stream live coverage at https://t.co/DOkPkKjeYk #AusVotes2019 #AustraliaDecides pic.twitter.com/NScLUvTgIn
Julie Bishop said the Liberal Party would have to revisit the national energy guarantee and that Mr Abbott had been punished because he was seen as a “climate change denier”.
“The national energy guarantee was the closest we had a bipartisan position on climate change. We have to revisit that because you can’t lose a seat like (Warringah),” Ms Bishop said.
Ms Bishop claimed she was “very sad” sad Mr Abbott would lose his seat. But she said Mr Abbott was out of step with his electorate because of his views on climate change and same-sex marriage.
Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese said the result against Mr Abbott was a “slaughter”.
“There is no doubt that from the time that he became leader of the Liberal Party, I think the nature of politics changed.”
Ms Steggall said today was a referendum for the people Warringah.
“Look, we’ve worked very hard for the last four months to make this happen,” Ms Steggall told reporters on her way into her election night party at the Manly Novotel.
“I think it’s democracy. It was a referendum for Warringah to look forward in terms of the future and so from my point of view I think that’s ultimately what the people of Warringah decide.
“I think politics in Australia has not been at its best for the last 10 years and I think it’s time we changed that.
“The feedback from people is they don’t want those dirty tactics and smear campaigns, they want to focus on policies and know what you stand for.”
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack paid tribute Mr Abbott, saying he had “done a power of good for the nation.
“We respect him as a former prime minister, and somebody who has been hugely influential in the Australian parliament over a long period of time,” Mr McCormack said.
Victorian independent Derryn Hinch said it was time Mr Abbott left parliament, declaring he had lost touch with the community.
“I think his comments about the other night about Bob Hawke were disgraceful. It’s time that he went. I think the campaign against him was fair, and it worked, and I’m not surprised he has gone,” Senator Hinch told Nine Network.
Mr Abbott earlier in the day lamented the “nasty” and “vicious” campaign waged against him in Warringah, saying it had gone “from the gutter literally into the sewer” after one of his volunteers was stabbed while putting up a poster at a high school polling booth on Friday night.
— With Greg Brown, Alice Workman
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