Former prime minister Tony Abbott has delivered a clear message to voters who have turned their backs on the Liberals, vowing the party is “serious about being a clear alternative” to Labor.
Mr Abbott was elected unopposed as the Liberals’ federal president last week, stepping into the role more than a decade after last serving as party leader. His election comes amid a surge in support for One Nation – which has received higher primary support than the Coalition in recent polling.
A Call to Disillusioned Voters
Mr Abbott has now declared the Liberals are “serious about being a clear alternative” to Labor following the change in the party's organisational leadership. In an interview with Sky News host Peta Credlin, he acknowledged past disappointments but stressed a renewed focus.
“I don't deny that at times we've been a disappointment to our strongest supporters,” he said. “I think we are now trying to re-engage with our strongest supporters and to demonstrate by our words and by our actions that we are serious about being a clear alternative to a really bad government, the best alternative to a bad government, if you want to get things done.”
Addressing viewers directly, Mr Abbott urged people to “get more engaged” if they wanted a “stronger democracy”. He posed a critical question: “Ask yourself this: Do you want to use your vote as a protest or do you want to use your votes to give us a different and better government? I'm confident that the decent people of this country will make the right decision.”
Party Under New Management
In his first speech after taking the presidency role, Mr Abbott asserted the party was “under new management”. “We are hungry to win for our country's sake,” he said.
Surge in One Nation Support
Meanwhile, the latest Sky News Pulse / YouGov polling has shown a surge in public support for One Nation on key political issues. In the polling conducted from May 12-19, support for One Nation grew to 25 per cent of the primary vote, ahead of the Coalition on 23 per cent and the Australian Greens on 13 per cent. The results also showed a two-point fall in support for Labor, which recorded a near-historic low of 28 per cent.
This shift in voter sentiment underscores the challenge facing the Liberal Party as it seeks to reclaim lost ground. Mr Abbott's message is clear: the Liberals are positioning themselves as a credible alternative, urging voters to back them rather than turning to protest parties like One Nation.
