It appears a leadership spill is not far away:
Tony Abbott has credited the Labor Opposition as being stronger on regional security that the Turnbull government in another speech which will further fuel the destabilisation of the federal Liberal Party.
In an address to the Centre for Independent Studies, Mr Abbott has slammed the French submarines chosen by the government to replace the ageing Collins Class fleet, saying they will take too long to build and may not be up to the job.
He advocates in the short-term a least, the acquisition or lease of a nuclear powered submarine from the United States and in the long-term, possible a fleet of such vessels.
Mr Abbott said Labor’s support would be needed and he credited Labor under Bill Shorten for not playing politics on national security. He was “confident” Mr Shorten’s Labor would give his idea “a fair hearing”.
In a shot at Mr Turnbull and Foreign MInister Julie Bishop, who have been dovish in terms of declining to send ships to protest China’s territorial grab in the South China sea, Mr Abbott said:
“Labor has actually been stronger than the government on the assertion of freedom of navigation rights in the South China Sea.”
He’s right about the subs. That was a disgraceful bit of pork thrown at Christopher Pyne to the tune of $75bn.
Still, it may prove cheaper than Tony’s killing of the car industry over $500m.
