Abbott sees ‘despair’ from sidelines of Turnbull Government
FORMER prime minister Tony Abbott has delivered a scathing analysis of the Turnbull Government, highlighting voter “despair” and concerns that “the Coalition has become Labor-lite”.
In a stark manifesto, the leader of the Liberal Party’s Right outlined a plan to take the Coalition to victory – including “scaled-back immigration”, scrapping the Human Rights Commission and ending pandering to climate change theology.
Mr Abbott acknowledged disappointment in his own government and said he could understand why support had surged for One Nation.
Speaking at the launch of a book of essays on Making Australia Right, edited by author Jim Allan, Mr Abbott opened with the remark: “Many of the people who normally support Coalition governments aren’t happy”.
“A sense of disappointment and disillusionment pervades these essays: disappointment with the Abbott government and perhaps even despair about the Turnbull Government,” he said.
“These criticisms aren’t always fair. Still, unless we heed the message from people who think that we have let them down, a book like this can become the thinking person’s justification for voting One Nation.”
Describing the Turnbull Government as a “bad situation”, Mr Abbott said work needed to be done “fast” to win back voters … “or our country is doomed to a Shorten government that will make a bad situation immeasurably worse”.
Mr Abbott said nearly 40 per cent of Australians “couldn’t bring themselves to vote” for the Coalition or Labor at the last election and “it’s easy enough to see why”.
With policy changes, Mr Abbott declared the next election “winnable”. He suggested the Government “scrap” the Human Rights Commission and refuse to be an ATM for the states for micro-economic reform of schools or hospitals.