Steggall ‘just Labor in disguise’, says Abbott

Tony Abbott has criticised independent candidate Zali Steggall for declining two invitations to have a debate.

Former PM Tony Abbott on radio 2GB yesterday. Picture: Britta Campion

• Federal Election 2019 Full Coverage

Former prime minister and Liberal candidate for Warringah Tony Abbott said independent candid­ate Zali Steggall is just “Labor in disguise” and criticised her for ­declining two invitations to have a debate with him in the fight for the electorate.

“Whether (Ms Steggall) turns up is entirely up to her,” Mr Abbott told Sydney radio 2GB’s Ben Fordham, who hosted an event at the Dee Why RSL on the first day of the election campaign yesterday.

“I’m not saying people have to turn up to everything … and I don’t think you gotta turn up to people who just have axes to grind, but if it’s a fair-dinkum organisation that’s interested in debate I think you should turn up.”

Ms Steggall, a champion skier and former lawyer, is contesting the seat on Sydney’s northern beaches, but declined to appear at the debate hosted by 2GB yesterday afternoon or the SkyNews forum debate with host Paul ­Murray. She told The Australian she had already participated in other “credible and independent” debate.

“I welcome all true opportunities to debate with other candidates the concerns and questions of the electorate but am not interested in participating in a Paul Murray publicity stunt,” Ms Steggall said.

Mr Abbott said he’s always had “dreadful” polling and he’s not worried by polls which reportedly show a 12 per cent swing against him in the beachside Sydney seat.

“My polling was never that good but so far it’s always come good by election day and that’s my expectation again, providing me and my team put in the yards,” Mr Abbott told The Australian.

He said the only reason Ms Steggall’s campaign had had any success was because of “multi-­million-dollar backing”.

“The only difference between this election and previous election­s is that unions and covert Labor operatives are putting literally­ millions of dollars into this seat.”

Mr Abbott’s campaign team has agreed to spend up to $1 million to defend him against the indepen­dent challenger.

The former prime minister said there were few similarities ­between his fight in Warringah and the Wentworth by-election in Octobe­r last year.

There, independent Kerryn Phelps claimed the prized Liberal seat previously held by Malcolm Turnbull.

“The only similarity is that GetUp was behind the campaign of the independent,” Mr Abbott said yesterday.