Former prime minister Tony Abbott should quit Parliament at the next election to make way for new talent according to a majority of electors within his own safe Liberal seat of Warringah.

With Liberal MPs and supporters reading the signs of growing disunity within the Turnbull government as Mr Abbott and other malcontents continue to speak out, exclusive ReachTel polling conducted for the Australian Institute, has found most voters in the 65 per cent Liberal electorate believe the ex-PM's time has passed.

The survey has also laid bare the scale of the political challenge for Mr Abbott's replacement as prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, in the crucial area of tax reform. Just 16.6 per cent of respondents are "strongly in favour" of a GST hike – which would fund income tax cuts – and less than 40 per cent overall are in favour, compared to 46.5 per cent who opposes a GST increase  . Just over 14 per cent remain undecided.

Voters polled on Tony Abbott want the former prime minister to go.
Voters polled on Tony Abbott want the former prime minister to go. Photo: Andrew Meares

Another finding has challenged the accepted wisdom that conservative voters are unfazed by climate change, revealing that even in blue-ribbon Warringah three quarters of electors believe the country should be moving gradually towards the goal of 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.

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In July this year, Labor leader Bill Shorten released a policy of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030 prompting derision from the government, which said the 50 per cent target was impractical and potentially ruinous to the economy.

The Thursday night survey of 743 residents in Mr Abbott's well-to-do North Shore electorate, found just over half of those polled believe their longstanding local member should fold his tent at the next election and make way for another Liberal candidate.

Mr Abbott has not said whether he will quit Parliament in the 2016 election.
Mr Abbott has not said whether he will quit Parliament in the 2016 election. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

It put support for Mr Abbott's retirement at 50.9 per cent, with 36.7 per cent of voters saying it would make them more likely to vote Liberal in 2016. Another 45.8 percent, however, 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.

The poll is a morale blow to the famously punchy Mr Abbott who was unceremoniously dumped by colleagues in September after a series of broken promises, unproductive political fights, and an unwillingness to address structural problems identified by those colleagues including an ineffective treasurer and a dysfunctional prime ministerial office.

Illustration: Ron Tandberg
Illustration: Ron Tandberg

Mr Abbott has not said whether he will remain in parliament beyond the next election, but has been urged by a small cabal of conservative backers to pursue a come-back to the leadership. 

Interestingly, the poll also found that 77.2 per cent of voters want Australia to move to 100 per cent renewable energy.

Mr Oquist said the public was ahead of the rhetoric from all political parties "when it comes to renewable energy".

The survey comes as the cracks widen in the coalition facade especially over the nature of Islam as a religion, and its violent manifestations.

Mr Abbott recently called for government and community leaders to openly acknowledge the "massive" problem at the heart of Islam


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott-should-go-say-...
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Jovial Monk wrote on Dec 19^th, 2015 at 4:36am:


who knows what he's going to do in the future?

he'll decide when the time is right, I would suspect he may quit politics at the next election but he may stay on

this is just another leftist media beatup such is their hatred of tony abbott who keeps making them look like the fools that they are

but the thing is, while they are chasing abbott around the world they are not laying a glove on Turnbull

so it really is good for Turnbull

And Turncoat is keeping all of the thug’s policies so reminding people of that is good for Labor

But really, Morrison is floundering around with no idea how to manage the Budget or the economy.

BlueBeard wrote on Dec 19^th, 2015 at 5:39am:

If translated hopefully it won't be Tony deciding his political future.  . So much for the thousands of supporters he had.  Typical idiot probably got one letter, probably from cods or armpit, and decided to enlarge this into "thousands upon thousands support me."

The worst pm in history should quietly retire and become invisible.

BlueBeard wrote on Dec 19^th, 2015 at 6:33am:


Sir Dunce never lets the facts get in the way of a bad lie.

If Tony quits Parliament how is he going to earn the $200K or so he needs to live?

His career is a litany of failures, including failure as PM. Before that he failed as Cabinet Minister but Howard carried him, probably as a counterpoint to Costello

Left the seminary, buggered up a cement plant, speech writer to Hewson who hardly ever used abbott’s speeches etc.

No, abbott will stay on as MP for a couple more terms.

REVENGE

is another reason the thug will stay in Parliament.

WTF Armpit?

The fact abbott is an unemployable klutz is well known. So is his desire for revenge.

Jovial Monk wrote on Dec 19^th, 2015 at 7:52am:


Yeah? He was a pretty effective Opposition Leader, having destroyed two Labor PM's - one of them not once but twice. He didn't do a bad job as PM. He did make some regrettable decisions but he was nowhere near the trainwreck that was Rudd and Gillard. they're far and away the two worst PM's this country ever had - by far. Abbott won't be remembered as one of our best, but nor is he one of the worst by a long shot.