A majority of electors in Tony Abbott’s safe Liberal seat of Warringah believe he should quit parliament at the next election, a new survey shows.
Just over half of those polled in the former prime minister’s electorate on Sydney’s North Shore said their longstanding member should step down and make way for another Liberal candidate, Fairfax Media has reported.
Mr Abbott has not said whether he will quit Parliament in the 2016 election, but indicated recently he would stay.
“I’ve had literally thousands and thousands of messages of support and encouragement since mid-September,” Abbott told Sky News earlier this month. I’ve had a lot of people talk to me as I get around the electorate and still, to some extent, around the country. The message that I’m getting from them, overwhelmingly, is that I still have a contribution to make to our public life.”
In the same interview Abbott said he often gave advice to ambitious backbenchers, saying “good things come to those who wait and perform”. He added he was now taking his own advice.
The ReachTel survey of 743 Warringah residents in his 65% Liberal electorate was conducted on Thursday night for the Australia Institute.
The survey put support for Abbott’s retirement at 50.9%, with 36.7% saying it would make them more likely to vote Liberal in 2016. Another 45.8% said it would not affect their decision.
“The polling indicates that the electorate is quickly moving on from the Tony Abbott era,” said Australia Institute executive director, Ben Oquist, who commissioned the independent polling.
Australian Associated Press contributed to this report
