Abbott to Liberals: it's not your job to hire and fire
- The prime minister told the National Press Club it was the job of the Australian voters to hire or fire, staring down those colleagues eager for a leadership change to improve the Coalition’s chances at the next election.
- He dumped the paid parental leave policy in favour of child care reforms, flagged a larger than the expected 1.5% tax cut for small business and promised to move on foreign investment review board changes.
- However his address contained no details of the childcare reforms, the small business tax cut and the foreign investment changes.
- While some MPs reported privately they felt a little better following the address and ministers were publicly fulsome in their praise, it was not enough for one LNP member.
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Queensland MP Andrew Laming said Abbott had “failed to address the concerns and feelings of the electorate at large”. Laming committed to bring a private members bill to parliament to knock off Abbott’s knights and dames.
Thanks for your company and your numerous comments.
Good night.
Finance minister Mathias Cormann is asked about Abbott’s suggestion that it’s the Australian people’s right to hire and fire him, rather than Liberal members who actually vote for the Liberal leader.
Cormann says Abbott has the “overwhelming support of the partyroom”.
It is incumbent on all of us to get on with implementing our agenda.
Cormann backed Tony Abbott in, completely and utterly.
As the prime minister rightly pointed out in his speech today, you don’t make a difficult situation better by making it more difficult.
That is, changing leaders would make it worse so stick with it kids.
“From all reports it was a positive speech”.
Julie Bishop is in a press conference for the Australian and UK foreign and defence ministers.
She is asked about a meeting she had with Tony Abbott last night on the leadership tensions. She said “delightful meeting” but she would not be repeating private conversations with the prime minister. Bishop said she could not be at Tony Abbott’s speech today because of the ministerial meetings.
I understand from all reports it was a very positive speech, says Bishop.
Lenore Taylor has filed on the press club address:
Tony Abbott attempted to stare down nervous colleagues on Monday by insisting voters were the only people who should have the authority to fire him, and that instability in the Coalition leadership risked creating the same chaos they had been elected to end.
The prime minister’s intensely anticipated speech was a declaration that he intended to stick with his agenda and had no intention of resigning. It was also a challenge to his backbench to stick with him for the good of the country.
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So not to put too fine a point on it, Andrew Laming gave his boss Tony Abbott exactly two hours of clear air since the end of his address.
LNP member seeks to overturn Abbott's knights and dames
BREAKING: LNP member Andrew Laming seeks to abolish Abbott’ knights and dames in a private members bill. His statement in full.
Federal Member for Bowman Andrew Laming has today announced he will introduce a Private Members’ Bill, abolishing Knights and Dames from the Australian Honours System.
Mr Laming said today’s decision to make the Order of Australia Council solely responsible for honours awards, including Knighthoods and Dames, was “inadequate”.
“Today’s announcement has failed to address the concerns and feelings of the electorate at large,” Mr Laming said.
He said the bill would call for the termination of any future Australian knighthoods and dames, while retaining all current recipients of the honour.
The bill would reaffirm the Order of Australia (OA) as the nation’s highest award, as was the case with the previous system, he said.
“I will be submitting this bill to the Selection Committee in the coming days,” Mr Laming said.
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Treasurer Joe Hockey again tells his colleagues to pull their heads in, according to Fairfax radio reporter Frank Keany.
Hockey "Frankly ppl have got to stop focusing on themselves as members of parl. and start focusing on the ppl of Australia" @NewsTalk2UE
— Frank Keany (@redneckninja) February 2, 2015
It should be noted any change of leadership would involve a change of treasurer. #justsaying
Prolific tweeter and Victorian National MP Darren Chester is welcoming changes – as yet undetailed – to the Foreign Investment Review Board (Firb).
Better scrutiny of foreign purchases of Ag land and existing homes announced by @TonyAbbottMHR will be welcome in regional areas #auspol
— Darren Chester MP (@DarrenChesterMP) February 2, 2015
The Coalition had promised to lower the threshold for Foreign Investment Review Board scrutiny from $248m to $15m, but it has yet to act. The Nats are plugging for the change, but the negotiations on the free trade agreements with China, Korea and Japan got in the way.
Today Abbott said he was putting in place:
Better scrutiny and reporting of foreign purchases of agricultural land and better enforcement of the rules against foreign purchases of existing homes so that young people are not priced out of the market.
We will await the details.
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Meanwhile, foreign minister Bishop continues to fly the flag.
#AUKMIN talks see UK and Aus foreign and defence ministers discuss shared diplomatic and security challenges #AusDef pic.twitter.com/nKi99f6te0
— UK in Australia (@ukinaustralia) February 2, 2015
Just back to that pesky notion of keeping promises.
No one made broken promises more of an issue than Tony Abbott at the last election given his prosecution of the case against Julia Gillard. Even after the Coalition came to power, Abbott insisted he would stand by his commitments. There are many examples, but here is just one from parliament on 13 February, 2014.
Bill Shorten:
My question is to the prime minister. I refer to the prime minister’s statement: ‘No cuts to education, no cuts to health, no change to pensions, no change to the GST and no cuts to the ABC or SBS’. Does the prime minister stand by this statement?
Tony Abbott:
Of course I stand by all the commitments that this government made prior to the election. If there is one lesson that members opposite should have learnt from the experience of the previous term of parliament it is that you cannot say one thing before an election and do the opposite afterwards.
Let us never, ever forget the former prime minister’s statement prior to the 2010 election: ‘There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead.’ What did we get? After the election, in order to save her job, she broke her commitment to the Australian people. In order to win the support of the Greens member of this parliament, in order to stay in government, she broke a solemn pledge. Unlike members opposite, if this government says something, it means it. We will keep our commitments.
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In case you were in any doubt, colleagues, you don’t have the right to fire me as leader. At least that was the message from the prime minister.
It’s the people who hire and frankly it’s the people who should fire.
Reactions are starting to drift in. Here is Innes Willox, chief executive of the Australian Industry Group, who described the backdown on PPL as a “a triumph of common sense and a sign the government has heard and acted”.
But Willox wants to make sure government does not pocket the 1.5% levy on big business which was to pay for the PPL.
It is critical that the government also clarifies that the additional levy on larger businesses will also be scrapped. This would allow the much-needed boost to investment, competitiveness and employment creation of the upcoming reduction in the company tax rate to be fully realised. In addition, of course, if there is to be an increased focus on childcare, this has the potential to better contribute to meeting the same policy objectives than the PPL scheme itself.
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Under pressure. It could be a song. By David Bowie.
Bill Shorten is asked about whether a change of leader makes his job harder.
What we also know is that regardless of who the Liberals desperately put in to be their chief salesperson, the problem is not necessarily the salesperson, it’s what they’re trying to sell us. They have the wrong policies and priorities for the future of Australia. They want to undercut Medicare, they want to undercut the minimum wage, they want to go after hospitals and schools and pensioners, they’ve got no strategy for the future and today we’ve seen the prime minister making a job application to his own colleagues and ignoring Australians.
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Jenny Macklin wants to know what happens to the 1.5% levy on big business to pay for the Abbott’s now defunct PPL scheme.
The thing that Tony Abbott didn’t talk about today was getting rid of the 1.5% tax that he wants to impose on 3,000 of Australia’s biggest businesses which would mean that every time every family goes to the supermarket they will pay more.
Labor frontbencher Jenny Macklin:
Three years ago Tony Abbott said to the Australian people that as far as he was concerned it’s an absolute signature policy ... Tony Abbott has broken his signature paid parental leave policy to all these families for one reason only – to save his political skin. That what this is all about.
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Bill Shorten and Jenny Macklin are talking about the Abbott address.
Today we heard a desperate speech from a politically drowning man aimed at pleasing his MPs but nothing for Australian families, Australian taxpayers.
Like the Fonz, it was not quite sorry today from Tony Abbott, but he did acknowledge he had not kept all his commitments. Well, hell, circumstances change right?
Abbott:
Well, yes, it’s a commitment that we weren’t able to keep but I think the Australian public understand that when circumstances change sometimes governments have got to adjust to those changing circumstances.
Someone else said something similar back in February 2011.
Julia Gillard famously promised before the 2010 election there would be “no carbon tax under the government I lead”. Labor did not achieve a majority and thus formed an agreement with the Greens and the independents. The emissions trading scheme was one of the conditions.
Here is Gillard’s version of changed circumstances:
Yes, I did say that and circumstances have changed.
Hoists and petards come to mind.
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We are expecting Bill Shorten’s reply to the address shortly. Stay tuned.
In case you missed Scott Morrison’s views on leadership, here t’is.
One thing I missed during Tony Abbott’s address was a little window into why the prime minister thinks Australians sometimes vote for Labor governments. He was speaking specifically about the Victorian government and its failure to commit to the East West Link. (Daniel Andrews did promise not to build it before the election.)
It’s a classic example of what goes wrong when in a fit of absent-mindedness people elect Labor governments.
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Twitter wit from Drew White:
I fully support the PM pic.twitter.com/SDCOvuMWqB
— Drew White (@andrewwhiteau) February 2, 2015
While fingers were flying during Abbott’s address, Julie Bishop helpfully tweeted this:
Signing Lindt Cafe siege condolence book & paying tribute to victims Katrina Dawson & Tori Johnson with @PHammondMP pic.twitter.com/Vvgxb4S0ER
— Julie Bishop (@JulieBishopMP) February 2, 2015
Abbott having been asked and answering lots of questions about his lack of popularity, a disability advocate, Craig Wallace, was considering an electronic hug.
Its a bit sad when people get up and ask why don't people like you on national TV. I almost feel like offering him a hug. .
— Craig Wallace (@CraigWtweets) February 2, 2015
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Summary of Tony Abbott's address to Press Club
- Abbott used Labor’s record to remind colleagues it’s the Australian people who should “hire and fire” the leader.
- He has not considered resigning.
- He believes he has the confidence of the party room.
- He dropped his paid parental leave scheme and flagged reform of childcare, without detail.
- He flagged a small business tax cut of at least 1.5%.
- He promised not to change the GST without bipartisan support.
- He would not take a knighthood if it were offered.
- But the Order of Australia Council will pick future knighthoods.
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Last question is about the detail of the childcare reforms. Tony Abbott says they will be based on the Productivity Commission report, but with mega-consultation (my words) between the stakeholders and the social services minister, Scott Morrison.
And he uses the question to give the press a whack.
Labor will run a scare campaign. I know that. Paul, your job, if I may say so, is not to just run the scare campaign. I mean, your job is to hold all politicians and all political parties to the same standard of accountability.
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Abbott is asked by Lenore Taylor how does he explain the budget and his belief that it was fair, in so many words.
Abbott again raises the issue of “intergenerational theft”, racking up debt for future generations. He does not go to the specific budget measures.
I think it was Edmund Burke who talked about the social compact as being a kind of a trust between those who are dead, those who are living and those who are yet to be born. We will not break that trust.
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Abbott is asked about a meeting yesterday with some of his closest colleagues, in which he apparently acknowledged his leadership woes and said, “Uou can either panic or stand your ground.”
I can remember John Howard from time to time standing up in the party room and saying things could get worse before they get better and he said this will be a test of character.
I’ve said much the same thing myself in the party room on different occasions. This will be a test of character. Now politicians pass the test when they do what is best for the long term, not when they give in to short-term fear and make a difficult situation worse.
That’s the situation.
Sure, we’ve had a bad patch, what do you do when you have a bad patch?
You can buckle down to business or not, but failing to buckle down to business always makes a bad situation worse.
He is asked whether Julie Bishop has made a commitment not to challenge. Abbott believes he has her full support.
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Tony Abbott admits he has broken promises
I accept that there are some commitments that we gave in the campaign that we have not been able to keep. But I also say – and I think the public understands this – that the situation that we thought we were facing at the time of the election turned out to be different.
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The former Labor NSW premier Kristina Keneally gives Kevin Rudd a kick based on the last post.
Actually, everyone who comes into politics to be popular is named Kevin Rudd. #npc
— Kristina Keneally (@KKeneally) February 2, 2015
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He is asked again about his captain’s picks and he reminds people that he made the right calls on issues like MH17 (when he was at the height of popularity in government).
I never came into politics to be popular. And anyone who does come into politics to be popular will either be a very bad politician or a very disappointed politician. I came into politics to make a difference.
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During his speech, Abbott referred to the Gillard promise “There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead.” The PM is asked whether that points to Labor or points to someone’s (Malcolm Turnbull’s) support of an emissions trading scheme.
Abbott just reminds us that Bill Shorten has promised to bring back an ETS. He does not answer the Turnbull point.
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Abbott is asked about how on the one hand he says he will be more collegial, and on the other he makes captain’s picks.
I accept that the paid parental leave scheme was a captain’s call. I accept that the restoration of knighthoods was a captain’s call. They are the two captain’s calls which I have made but I have listened, I have learned and I have acted.
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Abbott acknowledges his difficulties and dares his colleagues.
I like my colleagues, I respect my colleagues, I trust my colleagues above all else, to want to do the right thing by themselves, by our party, by the government and by the country, and the last thing any of them would want to do is to make a difficult situation worse.
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Abbott confirms on knighthoods, all awards in the Order of Australia will henceforth be a matter for the Order of Australia Council.
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Abbott says he would reject a knighthood if offered and has confidence of party room.
Abbott is asked if he still had the confidence of the party room. He suggests yes.
Would you take a knighthood if you were offered it. No.
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The prime minister is asked about changes to the minimum wage. We have no plans, says Abbott.
Q: Are you aware of or have you read any credible study or research that says lowering or removing the minimum wage creates more jobs?
Well, that’s not something that this government is interested in. Our position is that we want more jobs and we want better paid jobs, that’s what we want.
He supports “a fair umpire”.
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Abbott is asked about the increased unemployment numbers since he came to office. He is also asked how he will press ahead with infrastructure funding, given the changes in state governments and the repudiation of state asset sales.
(Remember the federal-state assets program.)
I am determined to be an infrastructure PM. I accept that to achieve that it’s necessary to work with the states.
He goes to the Victorian Labor government’s commitment not to build the East West Link.
Surely it is the very midsummer of madness to pay $1.2bn not to build a road.
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Tony Abbott is asked why he did not mention the Queensland result. What does he put the loss down to?
The fundamental lesson is that if you want to put in place difficult but necessary reform you’ve got to explain it, you’ve got to justify it and you’ve got to bring the people with you.
We are all on a journey – to build a better Australia.
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Abbott reminds the audience of Labor’s leadership woes.
It’s the people that hire and frankly it’s the people that should fire.
Abbott has not considered resigning
First question: In good conscience are you the best person to lead this government and prosecute its agenda and have you considered resigning?
Yes and no. Yes and no.
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Finally a nod to the polls showing Turnbull and Bishop more popular than Abbott.
Leadership is about making the right decisions for our country’s future.
It isn’t a popularity contest.
You elected us to be an adult government focused on you, not on ourselves.
You elected us to make the decisions needed so that everyone who works hard gets ahead, aspiration is rewarded, and our children can look forward to more opportunities than we had.
You elected us to keep you safe and, with every fibre of my being, I am focused on our national security challenges here and overseas.
Standing up for Australian values is something I have done all my life.
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“I am consulting” is the key message here:
Both white paper processes will be open and constructive: stakeholders will be consulted, submissions will be published; any hearings will be open, and the states will have senior representatives on steering committees.
Everyone who wants a say will have one – and the people will have the last word at the ballot box.
Abbott promises not to change base or rate of GST unless Labor supports it
As for the GST – it can’t and it won’t change unless all the states and territories agree.
It can’t and won’t change unless there is political consensus.
That means – leaving aside any minor administrative changes – that the base and the rate of the GST won’t change this term or next unless it’s supported by the likes of Bill Shorten and the Labor premiers.
Abbott calls for a more “honest national conversation” particularly around the white papers on federation and taxation.
Small business tax cut 1.5%
Abbott announces a small business company tax cut on 1 July – “at least as big as the 1.5% already flagged”.
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He confirms he is scaling back PPL, taking his scheme off the table.
Values and beliefs are important but the most important consideration of all is what will best help families at this time.
I know that many women in many families are working just to pay the childcare – because that was the Abbott family’s experience when Margie first went back to work after becoming a mother.
But there is no detail of what will happen yet. Abbott just says he will consult widely.
Abbott is going to tighten foreign investment laws but does not detail exactly how.
He just mentions:
better scrutiny and reporting of foreign purchases of agricultural land and better enforcement of the rules against foreign purchases of existing homes so that young people are not priced out of the market. These laws were not legally enforced by the former Labor government – not once.
Remember Joe Hockey said no to the takeover of Graincorp by ADM.
He says he will ramp up national security laws if necessary (to wedge Labor).
If cracking down on Hizb-ut-Tahrir and others who nurture extremism in our suburbs means further legislation, we will bring it on and I will demand that the Labor party call it for Australia.
The police and the security agencies have told me that they need access to telecommunications data to deal with a range of crime, from child abuse to terrorism, and – as far as I am concerned – they should always have the laws, money and support they need to keep Australia safe.
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But I’m not here to defend the past – I’m here to explain the future.
On to Islamic fanatics.
People are sick of Australian citizens – including people born and bred here – making excuses for Islamist fanatics in the Middle East and their imitators here in Australia.
It’s not good enough just to boost the police and security agencies, which we’ve done – by restoring the millions ripped out by Labor – and to improve data retention, which we’re doing.
Abbott reminds us that he scrapped the carbon and mining taxes and stopped the boats. The Abbott government, mind you, not the Bishop government or the Turnbull government.
The Abbott government has stopped the boats – and only this government will keep them stopped.
The Abbott government has scrapped the carbon tax – and only this government will keep it scrapped.
Abbott says we do not want to steal money from the future generations.
And reducing the deficit is the fair thing to do – because it ends the intergenerational theft against our children and grandchildren.
We’ve never been a country that’s ripped off future generations to pay for today.
And under my government, we never will.
Will no one think of the children.
Then Abbott tracks back to Labor’s record. Under John Howard’s government, Abbott says Australia was the envy of the world.
After six years of Labor, the deficit had blown out to $50 billion and gross debt was skyrocketing towards $667 billion.
Under Labor, government was spending too much; borrowing too much; and paying out too much dead money in interest alone.
Promoting opportunity for all. With that Tony Abbott nods to the budget, largely considered unfair.
Here is the priorities so awaited by colleagues, families, national security, roads:
During 2015, our priority will be creating more jobs; easing the pressure on families; building roads; strengthening national security; and promoting more opportunity for all – with a new families policy and a new small business and jobs policy.
But we need to be candid about the challenges we face.
Abbott is going back to the economy.
As Liberals and Nationals, sound economic management is in our DNA...
This government would hardly have taken the political risks it has without the conviction that some change is absolutely unavoidable if our country is to flourish.
Tony Abbott has started with some comments on the release of Peter Greste.
Then onto the speech.
He’s been talking to people over the break at the beach, in cafes. But these are difficult times.
Abbott is onto national security already, talking about the death cult of Isis.
In these troubled times, people expect more from their government, not less and we must deliver for them.
From Liberal MP Paul Fletcher up the back of the bus:
At the National Press Club for the PM's speech - a very big crowd here. pic.twitter.com/hBpVcJ8zyR
— Paul Fletcher (@PaulFletcherMP) February 2, 2015
Tony Abbott has taken to the stage at the press club surrounded by a scrum of cameras.
In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade and he carries a reminder of every glove that laid him down...
There are also Gonski protesters outside – those supporting the Gonski education reforms implemented by the Gillard government.
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The press club is sold out for this speech. Abbott’s wife, Margie, is there, with senior ministers and many other members. There is Scott Morrison, Mathias Cormann, George Brandis, Joe Hockey and Josh Frydenberg.
No sign of his chief of staff, Peta Credlin. Or Malcolm Turnbull. Or Julie Bishop.
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Also today came the breathless news that Abbott is threatened by a baby-faced assassin in his ranks who is rallying the troops against the PM.
Queensland MP Wyatt Roy has been likened to the Games of Thrones villian King Joffrey in a story on News, which inexplicably has a picture of Roy patting a donkey.
Roy responded that whoever briefed News must be “drinking the Kool-Aid”.
The government’s baby-faced MP, dubbed “King Joffrey” by some, has been outed by senior colleagues as a wannabe kingmaker working Queensland MPs to oust prime minister Tony Abbott.
Sunshine Coast MP Wyatt Roy, who became the youngest person ever elected to federal parliament at 20, has been accused of rallying colleagues to withdraw support for Mr Abbott, potentially in favour of Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.
Ms Bishop visited Mr Roy’s Longman electorate late last year after an international trip and the pair are said to have a strong relationship.
Mr Roy was dubbed “King Joffrey” in a comparison with blond-haired and baby-faced Game of Thrones villain Joffrey Baratheon who ran multiple kingdoms in the hit HBO series.
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Continuing with the free advice from the commentators, News Corp’s national political editor, Malcolm Farr, has some advice for Abbott about pigheadedness.
It’s a hard lesson, but the prime minister might have to accept that pigheadedness isn’t strength, it just pigheadedness.
His tendency to become more attached to a position the more it is criticised has harmed the government.
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Protesters on Abbott's electorate office roof
It seems Tony Abbott is under attack from all sides. There are protesters on his electorate office roof in his seat of Warringah in Sydney. It has been reported they are protesting against his government’s policies on asylum seekers.
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I promised some of the commentary around the media this morning on the Abbott address.
On the back of a Fairfax Ipsos poll, Peter Hartcher in the SMH says Australians have already moved into a post-Abbott world.
Today’s Fairfax-Ipsos poll finds that seven people out of 10 are confident that Bill Shorten will lead his party to the next federal election. But only three in 10 say that of Abbott.
The implication is that everyone else expects, or perhaps hopes, that his prime ministership is over.
This is a potent finding because it seems to refute the chief argument against removing Abbott as leader.
Jennifer Hewitt in the AFR says:
Tony Abbott is now on political death watch. The big question that has been exercising the minds of most of his colleagues is whether they should finish him off or leave it to the voters in 18 months’ time ...
No doubt dumping him would unfurl a wave of disgust at politics and politicians and a repeat of Labor-style dysfunction. But the party panic setting in – especially post-Queensland – is because just waiting for the voters’ verdict now seems the equivalent of electoral suicide. Backbenchers really don’t like that idea.
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Tony Abbott fights for his right to lead his party and the country
Welcome to the first day of the rest of Tony Abbott’s political life.
Here is the reboot, the reset, the reiteration of the iteration, as leadership contender Scott Morrison might say.
The commentary on this day, this speech, this moment, is already vast and wide and I will bring you some of that shortly.
But first, how have we come to the point 16 months after Abbott’s big win?
Abbott’s road to the National Press Club has swung via an unpopular budget, which focused the pain on the weakest joints in the body politic.
It meandered down the cul-de-sac inhabited by an elderly English prince.
It took a week to execute the 15-point turn to get out of that dead end.
Then Abbott ran head on into the Queensland election crash, which has seen Labor most likely to form government after a whopping 11.4% swing in the primary vote.
Backbenchers, frontbenchers and everyone in between are cranky. Reports that the well-tarnished former Howard minister Mal Brough was being prodded to challenge were an indication of the madness that has taken hold on the government benches.
The contenders, Julie Bishop, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison, have all said in the past 24 hours: focus on Abbott’s speech. While this appears to send a clear signal that they want to give the PM a bit of clear air, it also increases the pressure on PM. Can he possibly meet the reboot expectations?
Here’s what Abbott is preparing to offer as evidence he is listening:
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Axe his contentious paid parental leave policy.
- Rather than PPL, the government will focus on childcare to increase workforce participation.
- Change the national security laws
- Increase the number of full ministry meetings from once a quarter to once a month.
- Ministers will have to attend backbench committee meetings.
- Backbenchers will get their own policy development committee.
Stay with us. Anything could happen.
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