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| Abbott and Credlin's 'destructive' relationship led to downfall, says author | Abbott and Credlin's 'destructive' relationship led to downfall, says author |
| (6 months later) | |
| The very close relationship between Tony Abbott and his chief of staff, Peta Credlin, directly led to the downfall of his government, the author of a controversial book on the pair, said. | The very close relationship between Tony Abbott and his chief of staff, Peta Credlin, directly led to the downfall of his government, the author of a controversial book on the pair, said. |
| Excerpts from journalist Niki Savva’s book, The Road to Ruin, were released on Saturday. It revealed parliamentary secretary, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, warned Abbott rumours about a romantic relationship between the prime minister and Credlin were damaging his reputation. | Excerpts from journalist Niki Savva’s book, The Road to Ruin, were released on Saturday. It revealed parliamentary secretary, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, warned Abbott rumours about a romantic relationship between the prime minister and Credlin were damaging his reputation. |
| “There is no doubt that those rumours were running rife throughout the Coalition,” Savva told ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday. “You know, whether they were or whether they weren’t [having an affair] is, in many respects, immaterial. | “There is no doubt that those rumours were running rife throughout the Coalition,” Savva told ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday. “You know, whether they were or whether they weren’t [having an affair] is, in many respects, immaterial. |
| “The fact is that the relationship between those two people at the very heart of the government, the way they were conducting themselves, the way they were trying to run the government, was very destructive and led to their downfall. | “The fact is that the relationship between those two people at the very heart of the government, the way they were conducting themselves, the way they were trying to run the government, was very destructive and led to their downfall. |
| “It wasn’t just those rumours, it was everything else to do with their behaviour. Their behaviour, the way they ran the office, the way they ran the government, ultimately led to their downfall,” Savva said. “That is what people inside the Coalition genuinely believe and so many people told him [Abbott], they warned him about this, and he wouldn’t listen.” | “It wasn’t just those rumours, it was everything else to do with their behaviour. Their behaviour, the way they ran the office, the way they ran the government, ultimately led to their downfall,” Savva said. “That is what people inside the Coalition genuinely believe and so many people told him [Abbott], they warned him about this, and he wouldn’t listen.” |
| Abbott and Credlin have both rubbished the book. | Abbott and Credlin have both rubbished the book. |
| “Niki Savva never made contact with me or my office on any of the claims in her book,’’ Abbott told News Corp on Sunday. “I’m not going to rake over old coals and I don’t respond to scurrilous gossip.” | “Niki Savva never made contact with me or my office on any of the claims in her book,’’ Abbott told News Corp on Sunday. “I’m not going to rake over old coals and I don’t respond to scurrilous gossip.” |
| Credlin said, also to News Corp: “After 16 years in politics, I’ve always made it my practice not to comment on gossip or stories from unnamed sources. | Credlin said, also to News Corp: “After 16 years in politics, I’ve always made it my practice not to comment on gossip or stories from unnamed sources. |
| “Sadly, modern politics is full of both. So I’m hardly going to change this practice especially when the so-called journalist didn’t make any effort to contact me. This book says a lot more about her lack of ethics than it will ever say about me.” | “Sadly, modern politics is full of both. So I’m hardly going to change this practice especially when the so-called journalist didn’t make any effort to contact me. This book says a lot more about her lack of ethics than it will ever say about me.” |
| Savva admitted she did not contact either party, saying both Abbott and Credlin can air their version of events in public through the media. | Savva admitted she did not contact either party, saying both Abbott and Credlin can air their version of events in public through the media. |
| “Their version of events often differs very widely from everybody else’s. There are people who had been abused for years during that administration, who suffered in silence, and I thought they should be given the chance to tell their story,” she said. | “Their version of events often differs very widely from everybody else’s. There are people who had been abused for years during that administration, who suffered in silence, and I thought they should be given the chance to tell their story,” she said. |
| Abbott survived a potential leadership challenge in February 2015, but was successfully deposed by Malcolm Turnbull seven months later. | Abbott survived a potential leadership challenge in February 2015, but was successfully deposed by Malcolm Turnbull seven months later. |
| Senior ministers are playing down divisions in the Coalition, after Abbott weighed in on Turnbull’s handling of economic and national security matters last week. | Senior ministers are playing down divisions in the Coalition, after Abbott weighed in on Turnbull’s handling of economic and national security matters last week. |
| On Wednesday, sections of the draft defence were leaked. They showed the acquisition of Australia’s next generation of submarines lies outside Abbott’s preferred timeline. Abbott said he was “flabbergasted” by the delay, but defence officials said the subs would never have been ready by the mid-2020s. | On Wednesday, sections of the draft defence were leaked. They showed the acquisition of Australia’s next generation of submarines lies outside Abbott’s preferred timeline. Abbott said he was “flabbergasted” by the delay, but defence officials said the subs would never have been ready by the mid-2020s. |
| A day before the leak, Abbott stood in the party room to defend his government’s handling of tax matters. | A day before the leak, Abbott stood in the party room to defend his government’s handling of tax matters. |
| “He made some observations that nobody disagreed with. And Mr Turnbull, in responding to what Mr Abbott had to say, commended him and the work that his government had done,” the attorney general, George Brandis, told Sky News on Sunday. | “He made some observations that nobody disagreed with. And Mr Turnbull, in responding to what Mr Abbott had to say, commended him and the work that his government had done,” the attorney general, George Brandis, told Sky News on Sunday. |
| “Mr Turnbull’s description of some of the work that Mr Abbott had done during his period, he described it as courageous, and not in the Sir Humphrey Appleby sense, by the way. It was a well meant and very sincere compliment.” | “Mr Turnbull’s description of some of the work that Mr Abbott had done during his period, he described it as courageous, and not in the Sir Humphrey Appleby sense, by the way. It was a well meant and very sincere compliment.” |
| By Friday, Abbott had pulled back, telling a Liberal party meeting in Tasmania he would work hard for the Turnbull government’s re-election. | By Friday, Abbott had pulled back, telling a Liberal party meeting in Tasmania he would work hard for the Turnbull government’s re-election. |
| “I’m sure he will stand by those commitments,” Brandis said. “I think the government is disciplined and stable.” | “I’m sure he will stand by those commitments,” Brandis said. “I think the government is disciplined and stable.” |
| The attorney general dismissed comparisons between Abbott and the scorned former leader before him, Kevin Rudd. | The attorney general dismissed comparisons between Abbott and the scorned former leader before him, Kevin Rudd. |
| “Tony Abbott has absolutely no respect whatsoever for Kevin Rudd, but more importantly, for he has no respect for that kind of politics, that modus operandi,” Brandis said. | “Tony Abbott has absolutely no respect whatsoever for Kevin Rudd, but more importantly, for he has no respect for that kind of politics, that modus operandi,” Brandis said. |
| “I’m absolutely certain that he will do everything he possibly can to secure its re-election.” | “I’m absolutely certain that he will do everything he possibly can to secure its re-election.” |
| The communications minister, Mitch Fifield, told Insiders the leadership spill of last September would take “some people time to process”, but he too dismissed suggestions of disunity. | The communications minister, Mitch Fifield, told Insiders the leadership spill of last September would take “some people time to process”, but he too dismissed suggestions of disunity. |
| “I think we have done remarkably well in presenting a united front,” he said. | “I think we have done remarkably well in presenting a united front,” he said. |
| Fifield said he expected Abbott to stick to his promise to help the government be re-elected, but offered a caution. “Former leaders and former prime ministers also have a particular duty of care to the government to not do or say anything that would effect the electoral prospect.” | Fifield said he expected Abbott to stick to his promise to help the government be re-elected, but offered a caution. “Former leaders and former prime ministers also have a particular duty of care to the government to not do or say anything that would effect the electoral prospect.” |
| He said the Liberal party had “embraced” Turnbull as leader, and his centrist views mirrored the majority of voters. | He said the Liberal party had “embraced” Turnbull as leader, and his centrist views mirrored the majority of voters. |