As Do-nothing Malcolm works hard on his power vacuum, someone else is enjoying filling it:
Tony Abbott has flown to Port Moresby where he will meet Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and a group of Australian Federal Police officers deployed to the Pacific nation during his time as prime minister.
Mr Abbott – whose presence outside cabinet as a high-profile and increasingly vocal backbencher has become a potentially dangerous point of friction inside the Turnbull government – also delivered a speech to a fundraising dinner for Anglicare PNG during his 48-hour visit.
An ally of the former PM says he should be placed on the frontbench causing another political stir.
Mr Abbott told Fairfax Media he would reflect on the Abbott government’s foreign and security policy achievements as they relate to PNG in his speech, but rejected any suggestion he is running a “parallel prime ministership” by sitting down with the leader of Australia’s nearest neighbour.
Abbott must be finding this very amusing. I know I am. Having said that, we’re all paying for the party.
I’m not sure why Tony wants back onto the front bench. His campaign of destabilisation will be more effective outside of the constraints of Cabinet. Just keep destabilising, the polls will fall, and Abbott’s colleagues will eventually come to him.
