"Those surpluses weren't just John Howard's and Peter Costello's," he said. Tony Abbott asks Australians to judge him on his record at the Liberal Party federal council. Credit:Ken Irwin "They were Abbott surpluses and Hockey surpluses and Bishop surpluses and Turnbull surpluses and Robb surpluses - because we were all senior members of the team that delivered them and have the same commitment to prudent, orthodox administration that's always been a hallmark of Liberal and National Party government." Mr Abbott said he was not asking the Australian people to take him on trust "but on the record of a lifetime and an instinct to serve ingrained long before I became Opposition Leader". He pointed to his service as a student president, trainee priest, Rhodes scholar, surf lifesaver, and volunteer firefighter as well as a member of Parliament and a minister in a government.

"I understand that the prime ministership should not be just a realisation of personal ambition or the vindication of years of plotting but the most effective way to bring about a better Australia," he said. Mr Abbott said that through all the partisan contention of the past two years over the carbon tax, border protection, the speakership and the Health Services Union debacle, "the Coalition's objective has been to promote more effective policy and greater integrity in public life". He said that at a low ebb in his prime ministership, John Howard declared that politics was a hard and unforgiving business – but that it was also the highest and noblest form of public service. "I have always tried to be ambitious for the higher things, not for the higher office, and did not enter politics to become prime minister but to serve my country," he said. "Every member of my team understands that politics is a calling, not a job."

A Coalition government would commit $4 billion to tackle the backlog of road construction in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Mr Abbott said that a Coalition government would commit $4 billion to tackle the backlog of road construction in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, saying inadequate road infrastructure and traffic congestion were having a negative impact on the productivity of Australia's major cities. There would be $1.5 billion for the East-West Link in Melbourne, $1.5 billion for the M4 East in Sydney and $1 billion for road upgrading in Brisbane. Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey said a Coalition government would fix the budget. He acknowledged that reducing public expenditure would be tough but said "the age of entitlement has come to an end". Mr Hockey described the Labor government as "merely an eclipse".

"The Rudd-Gillard government has merely covered the sun for a short time. We are going to bring the sun back," he said. Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop described Mr Abbott as a "deeply principled person who can be trusted". Earlier in the day, Scott Morrison said the "crisis" on Australia's borders "grows by the hour, grows by the minute," following the arrival of another asylum seeker boat. The opposition immigration spokesman told the council that the latest 67 arrivals meant that the June intake was the largest on record for any single month. The council passed a resolution condemning Prime Minister Julia Gillard's policy on onshore processing, saying it had resulted in an increase in illegal immigrants, and urged stronger border protection policy.

The council also passed a resolution to repeal the carbon tax as soon as the Coalition wins office. Mr Morrison said the Gillard government was even softer on border protection than Kevin Rudd's government had been, and Ms Gillard should put the issue to the Australian people. In a passionate speech, former Howard government foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer said he could claim to be the "father" of the Pacific solution. He said the policy the Howard government had set up, which was strongly criticised by people on the left, had saved hundreds of lives. Mr Downer also said Opposition Leader Tony Abbott was right in saying that boats could be turned back.

"You can make Indonesia part of this solution," he said, claiming that Indonesia was currently getting away with things. "They were part of the solution, they are not now." The council also unanimously agreed to repeal the Labor government's carbon tax once the Coalition gained power. Victorian Liberal members said the tax would have significant implications in Victoria. The state's health minister, David Davis, said it would hurt patients and public health, and the sector would not receive any compensation.

Billionaire Clive Palmer said the tax would force thousands of people onto Centrelink benefits. Loading The motion was passed unanimously. With AAP