Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott tells MPs to work hard to keep Australians' trust

Updated

Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott has addressed Coalition colleagues for the first time since the election, saying the party must work hard to keep the trust of the Australian people.

Mr Abbott said the Coalition should "briefly" savour the win, but warned that the challenges ahead were considerable.

"We must stop the boats, we must scrap the carbon tax, we must build the roads and we must get the budget back into the black," he told MPs.

"But we will do these things because that is what the Australian people have elected us to do, that is what the Australian people have a right to expect.

"My friends, we have won the trust of the Australian people. Our challenge now is to earn it and to keep it."

He says the incoming Coalition Government will move "purposefully, calmly, methodically" as it delivers on its election promises.

One of his first tasks will be to decide who gets frontbench positions, something he is expected to announce in the coming days.

Coalition industry spokeswoman Sophie Mirabella yesterday ruled herself out of contention, given the uncertainty over whether she will actually hold her Victorian seat of Indi.

At this morning's party room meeting, Mr Abbott was officially re-endorsed as leader, and Julie Bishop as deputy Liberal leader.

The Nationals have re-elected Warren Truss as federal leader, meaning he will serve as Deputy Prime Minister.

Barnaby Joyce has been elected Deputy Nationals leader, after his successful move from the Senate to the House of Representatives.

Northern Territory Senator Nigel Scullion will be the party's leader in the Upper House, supported by Senator Fiona Nash as deputy.

Topics: nationals, political-parties, government-and-politics, australia, nsw, qld

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