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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jul/16/nick-greiner-says-he-will-tell-tony-abbott-to-stop-undermining-turnbull
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Nick Greiner says he will urge Tony Abbott to stop undermining Turnbull | Nick Greiner says he will urge Tony Abbott to stop undermining Turnbull |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The new federal Liberal party president, Nick Greiner, says he plans to take Tony Abbott aside in coming weeks to urge him to stop undermining the Turnbull government. | The new federal Liberal party president, Nick Greiner, says he plans to take Tony Abbott aside in coming weeks to urge him to stop undermining the Turnbull government. |
| He has warned that the Coalition will lose the next election if it doesn’t present a unified face to voters, who have witnessed a month of infighting led by the former prime minister. | He has warned that the Coalition will lose the next election if it doesn’t present a unified face to voters, who have witnessed a month of infighting led by the former prime minister. |
| “It is as simple and as stark as that,” Greiner said on Sunday. “I think we have got to be adults about it.” | “It is as simple and as stark as that,” Greiner said on Sunday. “I think we have got to be adults about it.” |
| The former New South Wales premier told Sky News that while the Coalition government had been talking about itself, Labor and the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, were “totally escaping scrutiny”. | The former New South Wales premier told Sky News that while the Coalition government had been talking about itself, Labor and the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, were “totally escaping scrutiny”. |
| He said he planned to talk to Abbott, who has been particularly critical about the Turnbull government’s policy direction, in the next week or so. | He said he planned to talk to Abbott, who has been particularly critical about the Turnbull government’s policy direction, in the next week or so. |
| “I think everyone understands a prime minister who loses his position in the way it happened [to Abbott] has all sorts of human emotions and has responded in a particular way which is very open and public,” he said. | “I think everyone understands a prime minister who loses his position in the way it happened [to Abbott] has all sorts of human emotions and has responded in a particular way which is very open and public,” he said. |
| Greiner’s renewed criticism of Abbott comes less than a week after he warned that the former prime minister’s increasing dissension, and the media’s reporting of it, had contributed to the run of bad polls for the Turnbull government. | Greiner’s renewed criticism of Abbott comes less than a week after he warned that the former prime minister’s increasing dissension, and the media’s reporting of it, had contributed to the run of bad polls for the Turnbull government. |
| He also admitted the Liberal party had a “problem with women”, saying the push in the NSW branch to reform the way candidates are selected ought to be part of a broader push to reform the party’s membership generally. | He also admitted the Liberal party had a “problem with women”, saying the push in the NSW branch to reform the way candidates are selected ought to be part of a broader push to reform the party’s membership generally. |
| “I think candidate selection is an important issue but frankly it isn’t the only issue coming up in terms of party reform,” Greiner told ABC radio on Tuesday. “I think the Liberal party has a problem with women and clearly have not done as well as our political opponents in terms of gender diversity. | “I think candidate selection is an important issue but frankly it isn’t the only issue coming up in terms of party reform,” Greiner told ABC radio on Tuesday. “I think the Liberal party has a problem with women and clearly have not done as well as our political opponents in terms of gender diversity. |
| “But indeed in diversity generally. I think the argument about how do you select candidates is really part of a broader need to make the party reflective of the community.” | “But indeed in diversity generally. I think the argument about how do you select candidates is really part of a broader need to make the party reflective of the community.” |
| The Nationals leader and deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, unloaded on his Liberal colleagues last week, saying that constant infighting was driving disaffected voters to One Nation. | The Nationals leader and deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, unloaded on his Liberal colleagues last week, saying that constant infighting was driving disaffected voters to One Nation. |
| He said many voters were now of the view that the Coalition government was a “philosophers’ club” rather than a group of people concerned with improving living standards and jobs. He said a renewed debate within the Coalition about marriage equality would aggravate voters even more. | He said many voters were now of the view that the Coalition government was a “philosophers’ club” rather than a group of people concerned with improving living standards and jobs. He said a renewed debate within the Coalition about marriage equality would aggravate voters even more. |
| The deputy Liberal leader, Julie Bishop, said she could understand the frustration, because the government should be talking about the legislation it has been getting through the Senate and the policies it is implementing. | The deputy Liberal leader, Julie Bishop, said she could understand the frustration, because the government should be talking about the legislation it has been getting through the Senate and the policies it is implementing. |
| “We are getting on with some very significant reforms,” she told ABC television on Sunday. “And I agree with Barnaby Joyce – that’s what we should be focusing on.” | “We are getting on with some very significant reforms,” she told ABC television on Sunday. “And I agree with Barnaby Joyce – that’s what we should be focusing on.” |
| She said she could not understand why people from her own side of politics would criticise the government’s performance because all it does is drive voters to the Labor party. | She said she could not understand why people from her own side of politics would criticise the government’s performance because all it does is drive voters to the Labor party. |
| “And if Bill Shorten, by accident, becomes prime minister of this country, I think it would be very dangerous,” she said. | “And if Bill Shorten, by accident, becomes prime minister of this country, I think it would be very dangerous,” she said. |
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