Tony Abbott and Rupert Murdoch

Tony Abbott – the man likely to become Australia's next prime minister on Saturday – has given his most enthusiastic endorsement of Rupert Murdoch since the election campaign began, describing the News Corp Australia chairman as a “hometown hero”.

Speaking to Triple M radio on Friday morning, after Murdoch-owned Australian papers unanimously backed the Coalition leader at the election, Abbott said: “I've got a lot of time for Rupert Murdoch because whether you like his papers or don't like his papers he's one of the most influential Australians of all time.

"Aussies should support our hometown heroes, that's what I think in his own way Rupert Murdoch is."

The comments follow a sustained criticism of the Labor prime minister from News Corp Australia titles, which began on the day the election was called with the Sydney Daily Telegraph publishing a front page editorial lambasting Rudd under the headline "Kick This Mob Out!"

Abbott has long been an admirer of the media owner. Speaking at the Institute of Public Affairs’ (IPA) 70th anniversary earlier in the year, the Coalition leader described Murdoch as “probably the Australian who has most shaped the world through the 45 million newspapers that News Corp sells each week and the one billion subscribers to News-linked programming”.