Tony Abbott

Anthony John "Tony" Abbott, born 4 November 1957 is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election. He was Minister for Employment Services, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, and Minister for Health and Ageing in the Howard government at various times from 1998 to 2007 and Leader of the House from 2001 to 2007.

After the defeat of the Howard government at the 2007 federal election, he was Shadow Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs until he resigned from Malcolm Turnbull's shadow cabinet on 26 November 2009 in protest against Liberal Party support for an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Following a spill motion, Abbott defeated Turnbull 42 votes to 41 in a party leadership election.

The 2010 federal election resulted in a hung parliament with the incumbent Labor government led by Julia Gillard, forming a minority government after gaining support of an Australian Greens MP and three independent MPs. Abbott was re-elected unopposed to the party leadership following the election.

Early life and family

Abbott was born in London, England, to Australian parents. In 1960, his family returned to Australia, living first in the Sydney suburbs of Bronte then moving to Chatswood. Abbott was schooled at St Aloysius' College before completing his secondary school education at St Ignatius' College, Riverview in Sydney (both are Jesuit schools). He graduated with a Bachelor of Economics (BEc) and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Sydney where he resided at St John's College, and was president of the Student Representative Council. He gained media attention for his political stance opposing the then dominant left-wing student leadership. He was also a prominent student boxer. He then went on to attend the Queen's College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and graduated with a Master of Arts (MA) in Politics and Philosophy.

When Abbott was 19, his girlfriend became pregnant and believed Abbott to be the biological father. She was keen to get married but Abbott refused, so she left him seven months into her pregnancy. She later gave birth to a son and had him adopted. For 27 years, Abbott believed that he fathered this child. In 2004, the boy sought out his biological mother and it was publicly revealed that the child had become an ABC sound recordist who worked in Parliament House, Canberra, and was involved in making television programs in which Abbott appeared.

Abbott began public life as a journalist for The Bulletin, an influential news magazine, and The Australian Newspaper. He became well-known for his strongly worded criticism of trade unions and left-wing politics. For a time he was a plant manager for Pioneer Concrete before becoming press secretary to the Leader of the Opposition, Dr John Hewson from 1990 to 1993 and worked on the Fightback! policy. Between 1993 and 1994 he was the Executive Director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy.

Despite his right-wing leanings, Abbott has acknowledged he voted for Labor in the 1988 NSW state election as he thought "Barrie Unsworth was the best deal Premier that New South Wales had ever had." Nevertheless, Abbott then clarified that he has never voted for Labor in a federal election.

Abbott was elected to the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Warringah at a by-election in March 1994 following the resignation of Michael MacKellar. He served as the parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (1996–98), Minister for Employment Services (1998–2001), Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Small Business (2001), Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations (2001–03) and Minister for Health and Ageing from 2003 to November 2007. From late 2001 to November 2007, he was also Manager of Government Business in the House of Representatives.

According to Sydney Morning Herald Political Editor Peter Hartcher, prior to the defeat of the Howard Government at the Australian Federal Election, 2007, Abbott had opposed the Government's centrepiece Workchoices industrial relations deregulation reform in Cabinet, on the basis that the legislation exceeded the government's mandate; was harsh on workers; and was politically dangerous to the government.

Abbott campaigned as Minister for Health at the 2007 Election. On 31 October, he apologised for saying 'just because a person is sick doesn't mean that he is necessarily pure of heart in all things', after Bernie Banton, (an asbestos campaigner and terminal mesothelioma sufferer) called him 'gutless' for not being present to collect a petition.

Action against the One Nation party

In 1998, Abbott established a trust fund called "Australians for Honest Politics Trust" to help bankroll civil court cases against the One Nation party and its founders, Pauline Hanson and David Ettridge.Prosecution ultimately resulted in Hanson & Ettridge being imprisoned. The conviction against Hanson was ultimately overturned, leading to criticism of a range of politicians for political interference by the adjudicating justice.

Post Howard Government: shadow minister

After the Coalition lost government in 2007 and he lost his health portfolio, in opposition Abbott was re-elected to the seat of Warringah with a 1.79% swing toward the Labor Party. Following Peter Costello's rejection of the leadership of the Parliamentary Liberal Party, Abbott nominated for the position of party leader, along with Malcolm Turnbull and Brendan Nelson. After canvassing the support of his colleagues, Abbott decided to withdraw his nomination. He seemingly did not have the numbers, noting that he was "obviously very closely identified with the outgoing prime minister." He also said he would not rule out contesting the leadership at some time in the future.

In December 2007, Abbott was assigned the Shadow Portfolio of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. As indigenous affairs spokesman, Abbott said that it had been a mistake for the Howard Government not to offer a National Apology to the Stolen Generations.; spent time teaching at remote Aboriginal communities; and argued for the Rudd Government to continue the Northern Territory National Emergency Response which restricted alcohol and introduced conditional welfare in certain Aboriginal communities.

The number of unauthorised boat arrivals to Australia increased in Australia during 2008. Abbott claimed that this was an effect of the Rudd Government's easing of border protection laws and accused Kevin Rudd of ineptitude and hypocrisy on the issue of boat arrivals, particularly during the Oceanic Viking affair of October 2009, and said "John Howard found a problem and created a solution. Kevin Rudd found a solution and has now created a problem".

In November 2009, Abbott resigned from shadow ministerial responsibilities due to the Liberal Party's position on the government's Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), leading to the resignation of other shadow ministers.

On 1 December 2009, Abbott was elected to the position of Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia over Malcolm Turnbull and Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey (See 2009 Liberal Leadership ballot). Abbott proposed blocking the Rudd Government's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in the Senate whereas Turnbull sought to amend then pass the bill which the majority of the Liberal Party did not support.Abbott named his Shadow Cabinet on 8 December 2009.

Abbott described Prime Minister Rudd's Emission Trading plan as a 'Great big tax on everything' and opposed it. The Coalition and minor parties voted against the Government's ETS legislation in the Senate and the legislation was rejected. Abbott announced a new Coaltion policy on carbon emission reduction in February, which committed the Coalition to a 5 per cent reduction in emissions by 2020. Abbott proposed the creation of an 'emissions reduction fund' to provide 'direct' incentives to industry and farmers to reduce carbon emissions. In April, Rudd announced that plans for the introduction his ETS would be delayed until 2013.

When appointed to the Liberal leadership, the subject of Abbott's Catholicism and moral beliefs became a subject of repeated media questioning. Various commentators suggested that his traditionalist views would polarise female voters.

During his time as Opposition Spokesman for Indigenous Affairs, Abbott spent time in remote Cape York Aboriginal communities as a teacher, organised through prominent indigenous activist Noel Pearson. Abbott has repeatedly spoke of his admiration for Pearson, and in March 2010, introduced the Wild Rivers (Environmental Management) Bill to Parliament in support of Pearson's campaign to overturn the Queensland government's Wild Rivers legislation. Abbott and Pearson believe that the QLD law will 'block the economic development' of indigenous land, and interfere with Aboriginal land rights.

Abbott completed an Ironman Triathlon event in March 2010 at Port Macquarie, New South Wales and in April set out on a 9 day charity bike ride between Melbourne and Sydney, the annual 'Pollie Pedal, generating political debate about whether Abbott should have committed so much time to physical fitness. Abbot described the events as an opportunity to "stop at lots of little towns along the way where people probably never see or don't very often see a federal member of Parliament.

Constitutional monarchist

Abbott is a supporter of the constitutional monarchy in Australia. Prior to entering Parliament, he was Executive Director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy from 1993-94. Arguing against the case for a republican system of government in Australia in 1999, Abbott outlined his beliefs on conservatism and the monarchy.

“ There are some people who believe that any republic would be better than what we have now. “Republic or bust” zealots are incapable of perceiving any difficulties. Conservatives, however, don’t change anything lightly. Conservatives approach issues with instinctive respect for institutions and approaches that have stood the test of time. “If it is not necessary to change” the conservative ethos runs, “it is necessary not to change”. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” say conservatives, “and if it is broke, recycle it, don’t throw it away”. ”

Speaking in July 2009, Abbott told the ABC's 7:30 Report that though he thought the science of climate change was "highly contentious" and that he thought that the economics of an ETS was "a bit dodgy", he nevertheless thought that the Opposition should pass the Rudd Government's ETS as he did not think it would be "a good look for the Opposition to be browner than Howard going into the next election".

At an October 2009 meeting in the Victorian town of Beaufort, Abbott was reported to have said: "The argument is absolute crap... However, the politics of this are tough for us. 80% of people believe climate change is a real and present danger". 

On 1 December 2009, when questioned about that statement, he said he had used "a bit of hyperbole" at that meeting rather than it being his "considered position".

Speaking in November 2009, prior to being elected Leader of the Opposition, Abbott told the ABC's Lateline program that in relation to Climate Change Policy:

“ I am always reluctant to join bandwagons. I think there are fashions in science and in the academe, just as there are fashions in so many other things. But look, we should take reasonable precautions against credible threats. I think it is perfectly reasonable to take action against climate change. The problem with the Rudd Government's position is that Australia could end up impoverishing itself through this dramatic ETS, and not do anything for the environment if the rest of the world does not adopt an ETS or something like it. ”

Outgoing Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull wrote that Abbott had described himself as a 'weathervane' in relation to climate change policy in the months prior to his becoming leader of the Liberal Party.

Upon becoming Leader of the Opposition, Abbott put the question of support for the Government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), to a secret ballot and the Liberal Party voted to reject support for the policy - overturning on an undertaking by Abbott's predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, to support an amended version of the government's scheme. Under Abbott, the Coalition voted against the CPRS in the Senate, and the bill was defeated twice, providing a double dissolution trigger.

Abbott is pro-life, an opponent of embryonic stem cell research and euthanasia. He supports legal abortion but with restrictions; he has said that abortion should be "safe, legal and rare". He also tried, but failed, to block the introduction of the abortion pill RU-486, but promised not to change abortion law if elected.

As Health Minister, Abbott said that he saw reducing the number of abortions performed each year as a national priority. In March 2004, he asked, "Why isn't the fact that 100,000 women choose to end their pregnancies regarded as a national tragedy approaching the scale, say, of Aboriginal life expectancy being 20 years less than that of the general community?" In February 2006, he said, "We have a bizarre double standard, a bizarre double standard in this country where someone who kills a pregnant woman's baby is guilty of murder but a woman who aborts an unborn baby is simply exercising choice."

Abbott promised to launch an investigation into a product called Pink or Blue, produced by the American firm Consumer Genetics. This test is one of several pre-natal blood tests designed to detect the sex of a fetus as early as six weeks into pregnancy. Some ethicists and anti-abortionists have raised concerns that it would become a "sex select" tool.

Abbott opposed allowing the introduction of embryonic stem cell research or therapeutic cloning in another conscience vote. He argued, "There are very important ethical questions here and even the very best end does not justify every possible means.

In his 2009 book, Battlelines, Abbott proposed that consideration should be given to a return to an optional at-fault divorce agreement between couples who would like it, similar to the Matrimonial Causes Act, which would require spouses to prove offences like adultery, habitual drunkenness, cruelty, dessertion, or a 5 year separation before a divorce would be granted. 

Religion

Abbott is a socially conservative Catholic. As a former Catholic seminarian, Abbott's religiosity has come to national attention and journalists have often sought his views on the role of religion in politics. Abbott says that a politician should not rely on religion to justify a political point of view:

“ We are all influenced by a value system that we hold, but in the end, every decision that a politician makes is, or at least should, in our society be based on the normal sorts of considerations. It's got to be publicly justifiable; not only justifiable in accordance with a private view; a private belief.”

Various of the political positions supported by Abbott have been criticised by church representatives, including aspects of Coalition industrial relations policy, asylum seeker and Aboriginal affairs policy. After criticisms of Liberal Party policy by clergy, Abbott has said: "The priesthood gives someone the power to consecrate bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. It doesn't give someone the power to convert poor logic into good logic.

According to John Warhurst from the Australian National University, academics have at times placed an "exaggerated concentration on the religious affiliation and personal religious background of just one of [the Howard government's senior ministers, Tony Abbott. Journalist Michelle Grattan wrote in 2010 that while Abbott has always "worn his Catholicism on his sleeve", he is "clearly frustrated by the obsession with it and what might hang off that.

Abbott is a volunteer member of the NSW Rural Fire Service as a member of the Davidson Rural Fire Brigade.

Abbott has participated in many events for charity including running in a 100 km charity ultramarathon.

In April 2007 he launched the tenth annual Pollie Pedal, a charitable event which aimed to raise money for breast cancer research. Federal Territories Minister Jim Lloyd said that the event was Abbott's "brainchild".

As Opposition spokesman on Indigenous Affairs, Abbott spent weeks teaching in a remote Aboriginal settlements in Cape York in 2008 and 2009, organised through prominent indigenous leader Noel Pearson. He taught remedial reading to Aboriginal children; worked with an income management group, helping families manage their welfare payments; and visited children who had not been attending school—with a goal 'to familiarise himself with indigenous issues'.

Books by Abbott

Abbott has published three books. In 2009 he launched "Battlelines"; a personal biography, reflections on the Howard Government and discussion of potential policy directions for the Liberal Party of Australia. Previously he had published two books in defence of the existing constitutional monarchy system, "The Minimal Monarchy" and "How to Win the Constitutional War".

Abbott, Tony (2009). Battlelines. Carlton Victoria Australia: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 9780522856064.

Abbott, Tony (1997). How to Win the Constitutional War: and give both sides what they want. Kent Town South Australia: Wakefield Press. ISBN 1862544336.

Abbott, Tony (1995). The Minimal Monarchy: and why it still makes sense for Australia. Kent Town South Australia: Wakefield Press. ISBN 1862543585.