Via The Australian, Tony’s great dummy spit runs unabated:
Liberal frontbencher Arthur Sinodinos says the government “can’t control Tony Abbott”, and Malcolm Turnbull has dug in amid leadership tensions, saying he intends to be Prime Minister for a very long time to come.
Mr Abbott meanwhile defended his relentless public commentary over the past few weeks, saying the Liberal Party is haemorrhaging members and the party needs to do a better job of representing and “re-energising” them.
Asked whether Mr Abbott had contributed to the government’s failure to get a boost in the polls despite passing key policies recently, Senator Sinodinos said the government could only control what it could control.
“I can’t control Tony Abbott, so what I can do as a minister is keep doing the things I’m doing in my portfolio, what the Prime Minister is doing, what we’re all doing as a team, as a cabinet, as a political party to get that message out there, get the message out about what we can control,” Senator Sinodinos told ABC radio.
And Turnbull:
“I know you may think that at 62 I am too old,” he said.
“I can assure you I will be Prime Minister for a very long time.
“I will be running at the 2019 election and will win. So that’s my commitment.
“I will be Prime Minister for a long time and I look forward to meeting you at many press conferences like this over many, many years to come.”
And:
A year after the Coalition’s narrow election victory, the Prime Minister said he understood the difficulty that Mr Abbott has had adjusting to life as a backbencher. “It is a big wrench going from being leader to not, I understand that,” he told News Corp Sunday newspapers.
Amid tensions after a number of interventions by Mr Abbott, the PM refused to comment on whether Mr Abbott should leave the parliament, But he did speak candidly about his own future.
“When I cease to be Prime Minister, I will cease to be a Member of Parliament. I am not giving anyone else advice but I just think that’s what I would do,” Mr Turnbull pledged.
Can’t wait for Newspoll -15.
