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| Tony Abbott says no reason why he can't work well in Turnbull cabinet | Tony Abbott says no reason why he can't work well in Turnbull cabinet |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Tony Abbott says there is no reason why he couldn’t work well inside the Turnbull cabinet, because John Howard and Peter Costello worked well as a team, despite not being great friends. | Tony Abbott says there is no reason why he couldn’t work well inside the Turnbull cabinet, because John Howard and Peter Costello worked well as a team, despite not being great friends. |
| “You don’t have to idolise someone to be able to work with them,” he said. | “You don’t have to idolise someone to be able to work with them,” he said. |
| “Peter Costello and John Howard sometimes had difficult moments but they worked very effectively together.” | “Peter Costello and John Howard sometimes had difficult moments but they worked very effectively together.” |
| Asked if he would work closely and effectively with Malcolm Turnbull if he retuned to cabinet, Abbott said: “One of the things that I’ve always said to my colleagues is the important thing is to focus on the job at hand. And to do that job as well as you humanly can, and that’s advice that I would be more than happy to take myself.” | |
| In the wide-ranging interview on Sky News he said the Coalition need not overreact to the threat from Pauline Hanson, but warned Turnbull must lead a strong, centre-right party to stop fringe parties becoming more popular in Australia. | In the wide-ranging interview on Sky News he said the Coalition need not overreact to the threat from Pauline Hanson, but warned Turnbull must lead a strong, centre-right party to stop fringe parties becoming more popular in Australia. |
| “This is exactly what John Howard did after the 1998 election when One Nation got a very strong vote,” he said. | “This is exactly what John Howard did after the 1998 election when One Nation got a very strong vote,” he said. |
| He said it was a good thing the government had stopped using language like “innovation” and “agility” in its daily messaging – words favoured by Malcolm Turnbull – because it did not inspire voters. | He said it was a good thing the government had stopped using language like “innovation” and “agility” in its daily messaging – words favoured by Malcolm Turnbull – because it did not inspire voters. |
| “That frankly loses people, we have got to talk about the issues that they understand,” he said. | “That frankly loses people, we have got to talk about the issues that they understand,” he said. |
| However the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, said they were still a “very important part” of the government’s economic plan. | However the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, said they were still a “very important part” of the government’s economic plan. |
| “Obviously, for an open, trading economy like Australia it is critically important that we’re agile and innovative and always able to be as competitive as we possibly can be internationally,” Cormann told ABC television on Sunday. | “Obviously, for an open, trading economy like Australia it is critically important that we’re agile and innovative and always able to be as competitive as we possibly can be internationally,” Cormann told ABC television on Sunday. |
| Abbott also said there needed to be a “big new push on budget repair”, and that should include looking at savings measures left over from this controversial 2014 budget. | Abbott also said there needed to be a “big new push on budget repair”, and that should include looking at savings measures left over from this controversial 2014 budget. |
| “This is where the government must be prepared to have that tough conversation with the Australian people,” he said. | “This is where the government must be prepared to have that tough conversation with the Australian people,” he said. |
| “I think we need to have another look at some of the issues from the 2014 budget because we can’t go on indulging in what I used to describe as a ‘cash-splash’ with borrowed money. | “I think we need to have another look at some of the issues from the 2014 budget because we can’t go on indulging in what I used to describe as a ‘cash-splash’ with borrowed money. |
| He said Christian Porter, the social services minister, and Alan Tudge, the minister for human services, were thankfully starting to talk about tough, potential savings measures in the welfare portfolio. | He said Christian Porter, the social services minister, and Alan Tudge, the minister for human services, were thankfully starting to talk about tough, potential savings measures in the welfare portfolio. |
| “You saw Alan Tudge pointing out in the last few weeks that not a single financial penalty in the last financial year was imposed on someone for breach of the job search rules,” Abbott said. | “You saw Alan Tudge pointing out in the last few weeks that not a single financial penalty in the last financial year was imposed on someone for breach of the job search rules,” Abbott said. |
| “Now that’s frankly ridiculous. There have got to be consequences for bad behaviour.” | “Now that’s frankly ridiculous. There have got to be consequences for bad behaviour.” |
| Abbott also defended the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, who suggested last week that former prime minister Malcolm Fraser should not have let people of “Lebanese-Muslim” background into Australia in the 1970s because 22 people who had recently been charged with terrorist-related offences were from second- and third-generation Lebanese-Muslim backgrounds. | Abbott also defended the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, who suggested last week that former prime minister Malcolm Fraser should not have let people of “Lebanese-Muslim” background into Australia in the 1970s because 22 people who had recently been charged with terrorist-related offences were from second- and third-generation Lebanese-Muslim backgrounds. |
| “Could Peter have expressed himself a little differently? Of course he could have,” Abbott said on Sunday. | “Could Peter have expressed himself a little differently? Of course he could have,” Abbott said on Sunday. |
| “The problem is not what Peter said, the problem is the outrage industry which has been working overtime since then and fanning the very problem that they claim to be against. | “The problem is not what Peter said, the problem is the outrage industry which has been working overtime since then and fanning the very problem that they claim to be against. |
| “Most Muslims, they want to be good Australians ... but we can’t avoid the fact that two thirds of those who have been involved in terrorism come from a particular community.” | “Most Muslims, they want to be good Australians ... but we can’t avoid the fact that two thirds of those who have been involved in terrorism come from a particular community.” |
| When asked about the legacy of Fidel Castro, who died on Friday, Abbott said no one would “get gush from me on this.” | When asked about the legacy of Fidel Castro, who died on Friday, Abbott said no one would “get gush from me on this.” |
| “Castro was a brutal dictator. He killed thousands of people. He reduced his country to abject poverty and frankly, his legacy is a bad one,” he said. | “Castro was a brutal dictator. He killed thousands of people. He reduced his country to abject poverty and frankly, his legacy is a bad one,” he said. |
| “There’s no doubt that Castro has been an enemy of the United States, he’s been an enemy of western values, he’s been an enemy of human decency. | “There’s no doubt that Castro has been an enemy of the United States, he’s been an enemy of western values, he’s been an enemy of human decency. |
| “It’s a bad legacy, certainly not one that should be celebrated in any way.” | “It’s a bad legacy, certainly not one that should be celebrated in any way.” |