However John Howard says the man many hold responsible for Liberal instability should be returned to the frontbench

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Tony Abbott is facing calls from some Liberal party colleagues to retire at the next election, but another former Liberal prime minister, John Howard believes Abbott should be promoted to cabinet.

Howard, Australia’s second longest serving prime minister says Scott Morrison needs to muster as much talent as possible for his frontbench.

“I have been of the view for quite a long time that Tony should be back in the ministry ... but that is entirely a matter for Scott,’’ Howard told the Australian.

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Some government backbenchers are encouraging Abbott to call time on his political career afterhe broke his pledge not to snipe, wreck and undermine the Turnbull government.

“I think he’ll retire at the next election,” the Queensland Liberal MP Andrew Laming told ABC radio on Saturday. “I’d encourage him to.”

Fellow Queensland MP Warren Entsch also said Abbott’s time was up.

“I think his mission is accomplished; he has gotten rid of his nemesis,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

“Everything there was purely about revenge.”

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Abbott himself was keen to talk up party unity on Saturday morning, telling the ABC he was “very pleased to support the new leadership team”

“It’s very important that all of us put the past behind us now, we unite behind Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg, who are both extremely capable people, and take the fight up to Labor, because Bill Shorten is eminently beatable.

Everything there was purely about revenge. Warren Entsch

“So, look, I think this is a reset. I think it is a fresh start. I certainly am going to give Scott Morrison total support, and I’m looking forward to working with him in the weeks and months and years to come.”

Morrison, meanwhile, was coy on the makeup of his front bench amid speculation he has offered Julie Bishop and Peter Dutton senior roles.

Instead he has turned his attention to the business of governing – he had phone conversations with the US president, Donald Trump, and the Indonesian leader, Joko Widodo, on Saturday.

He also received a drought briefing from the deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, and the national drought coordinator, Major General Stephen Day.

He is expected to visit drought-stricken parts of Queensland next week.

Victorian Liberal Tim Wilson said it would be an uphill battle for the government to win back the faith of voters after such a damaging week.



“I’ve had a lot of very angry constituents who believe that they had a right to decide who was the prime minister,” he told the ABC.

“I think that one of the big tasks we’ll all have is to explain to the Australian people why this situation has occurred, and then how we’re going to unite and focus to go and win the election, which can be won ... because we have a very strong track record.”

The Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, warned that Australia’s political system was broken and said bold reforms to lobbying rules and political donations were needed to combat the corruption of politics by vested interests.

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“We’ve seen this narrow political class over the last decade engage in petty infighting ... forgetting what they’re actually elected to do,” Di Natale told the ABC on Saturday.

He said the Greens would not give the new government a blank cheque on energy policy.

“We can’t support a policy that has been written by the coal, oil and gas lobby,” he said.

“They have a policy that will line the pockets of the big three energy companies, that will lock in coal, that will delay the transition to renewable energy.”

Meanwhile, the new treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, has turned to an old hand for some mentoring.

Frydenberg and Peter Costello, the longest serving Australian treasurer in the Howard government, shared a coffee at a Melbourne cafe on Saturday morning.

“I will be turning to Peter for advice, as I begin my role as treasurer in the Morrison government,” Frydenberg told reporters.

“It is a great privilege to serve in this important position, and our job is to deliver lower taxes, more jobs, and to grow the Australian economy to create better standards of living for all Australians.”