Tony Abbott says he does not expect the Liberal party to ever go back on the decision to replace him as leader even though the polls continue to slide for his replacement Malcolm Turnbull.
Abbott told Andrew Bolt he had received some 4,000 letters and emails since the party dumped him in September last year. Bolt entreated him to listen to his radio program which he said was inundated with people who want Abbott returned to the top job.
“Is it like the ring in Lord of the Rings – the hunger never goes – do you want to be prime minister again?” Bolt asked.
“I am very proud of what I was able to do. I think it will stand the test of time. I accept the party made a decision back on the 14th of September last year and I don’t expect the party to ever go back on that decision.
“I got something like 4,000 letters and emails in the aftermath of the events of last September. They are still coming in. It’s very gratifying to get them but political parties don’t go back. The Abbott era has been.
Does @TonyAbbottMHR want to be Prime Minister again? #theboltreport https://t.co/GebmtgKYCi
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) April 28, 2016
“I think my role is to be occasionally perhaps an elder statesman. Certainly a very vigorous and forthright member for Warringah where I can be helpful to my colleagues in this campaign I will be. That’s my role going forward – to be a standard bearer for liberal conservative values.”
Abbott repeated his assessment of his own prime ministership, including naming his mistakes, as outlined in his Quadrant essay, such as the removal of the debt ceiling and broken promises on the pension.
Asked what should happen to the 850 detainees on Manus Island following the decision of Papua New Guinea to close down the detention centre, Abbott said under no circumstances should they come to Australia.
Should they go to Christmas Island, asked Bolt.
“Nope.”
Abbott said the detainees found to be refugees should be settled in PNG and “the ones that aren’t refugees should be sent back home”.
Abbott was also pushed on the decision by the Turnbull government to give the new submarine contract to France, given the former prime minister openly favoured the Japanese bid.
Abbott said the process his government put in place concluded the best technical option for Australia was the French design.
“We have got to convert what is a brilliant design on paper into something that works well on the water and we have got to get cracking. We have got to get this done as quickly as we humanly can.
“I would be dismayed if this process cannot be expedited.”
Bolt implied the French government may not be a regular and trusted supplier.
“I think you are being a little unfair to the French, Andrew,” Abbott said.
“Oh I have suddenly forgotten 1939, have I?” asked Bolt.
“The French are very strong members of Nato,” Abbott said. “In times past Australia has been the most intimate ally of France, we are currently working together with the French in the Middle East in the campaign against this evil caliphate. I think France is very much on the same strategic page as Australia. They will want us to have the strongest most effective submarine force.”
Bolt countered, saying the most obvious country the submarines would be deployed against is China.
“I know that Japan would be more dependable ally than France,” said Bolt. “France is more likely to side with China. Isn’t that a risk with this contract?
“Tony, in a conflict with China, in the trench next to you, do you want a French sailor or a Japanese one?
Abbott said the French were conscious of the “blood debt” owed to Australia.
“This is a fair question for you to put but I think of the 46,000 Australians who died in the defence of France and I think the French are very conscious of this and they know what Australia did for them. I think they are conscious of the blood debt that they owe to us and I don’t believe they would let us down.”
