Defiant Tony Abbott says he could be PM again

Tony Abbott is open to pushing for a position on the Coalition’s frontbench and does not rule out returning as party leader.

Tony Abbott, at his electorate office in Sydney’s Manly yesterday, is facing a co-ordinated campaign against him in Warringah. Picture: Britta Campion

Tony Abbott is open to pushing for a position on the Coalition’s frontbench after next year’s election, and does not rule out eventually returning as party leader and prime minister.

“I don’t rule any of those things out,” Mr Abbott said. “I’m 61, which is not old. I’m Australia’s best-known backbencher.”

The former prime minister’s comments in an interview with The Weekend Australian come as he faces a tough battle to keep his Sydney seat at next year’s election, with an unprecedented large number of local campaign groups co-ordinating efforts to oust him.

Mr Abbott’s comments indicate he sees a long-term future in politics for himself, possibly seeking a ministry in a re-elected Morrison government or standing for leader again if the Coalition loses.

After a week of turmoil for Scott Morrison, with the defection of Julia Banks further reducing his minority government, Mr Abbott also stepped up his criticism of Malcolm Turnbull for turning the Liberal Party into “a pale imitation of Labor”.

Refusing to accept blame for Mr Turnbull’s downfall as prime minister, Mr Abbott said Mr Turnbull was the “real author of his demise” by persisting too long with a national energy guarantee policy that lacked overwhelming partyroom support, and then “bunging on a (leadership) spill motion he didn’t have to”.

He said Mr Morrison had for a variety of reasons not made “crystal clear” why there had been a change of leadership, but it was clear Mr Turnbull’s failing was wanting to turn the Liberals from a centre-right to a centre-left party.

“He wanted to turn us into Labor without the unions, and I think that is unacceptable to the vast majority of Liberal Party members. Our job is to be a party of the sensible right, not a pale imitation of Labor.”

Mr Abbott said he was aware a number of people inside the Liberal Party and outside it were using his perceived role in ousting Mr Turnbull to now try to persuade Warringah voters to oust him. But he insisted, while it was no surprise he voted for Peter Dutton, he played no role in doing numbers or serving as a confidante in Mr Dutton’s unsuccessful leadership tilt that ended with Mr Turnbull resigning as prime minister.

Mr Abbott’s openness to one day returning as Liberal leader could pit him against others such as Julie Bishop or Josh Frydenberg if the Coalition under Mr Morrison loses the election and he bows out as leader.

Ms Bishop this week confirmed her intention to recontest her seat next year and declined to rule out a future bid for the leadership, ­despite having criticised her party’s change of leaders.

Referring to his own record, Mr Abbott said he was the only Liberal leader apart from Robert Menzies, John Howard and Malcolm Fraser to take the Coalition from opposition into government.

“This idea I somehow let down the party is bollocks,” he said.

Deflecting criticism he had not done enough to combat climate change or remained a sceptic, Mr Abbott said he believed climate change, while not a “first-rank” issue, was still significant.

Mr Abbott faces a co-ordinated campaign against him in Warringah led by the GetUp activist group. Others opposing him include the North Shore Environmental Stewards, Vote Tony Out, Voices of Warringah, People of Warringah and Stop Adani Warringah. At the 2016 election, Mr Abbott suffered a 9 per cent swing but still won his seat with 51.6 per cent of the primary vote.

The risk for Mr Abbott is that a much-reduced primary vote could allow a high-profile independent to surge ahead on Labor, Greens and other preferences.