Turnbull the new KRudd

[Black Orchid]

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has shared a character assessment of his predecessor Tony Abbott, in his first publicly recorded comments since quitting politics.

Mr Turnbull announced he would resign as the Member for Wentworth in the wake of the Liberal leadership turmoil, forcing a by-election in his safe Liberal seat in Sydney's leafy eastern suburbs.

Shortly after being ousted as Liberal leader, the former prime minister, along with his wife Lucy, jetted off to New York where the pair own an apartment on the upper West Side overlooking Central Park.

Mr Turnbull told an event in Manhattan that he was the first prime minister to have been in favour of same-sex marriage.

"Julia Gillard — whom I admire in many ways — Julia, even though she was living with her boyfriend without the benefit of the closure as it were, for political reasons said 'I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman'.

"And my predecessor and opponent in the Liberal Party, Tony Abbott — who's sort of a right-wing character, to say the least — he had the same view."

"And I was to say they were both wrong, but at least he was sincerely wrong."

Kevin Rudd changed his stance on same-sex marriage in May 2013 during his second stint as prime minister, months before losing an election to Mr Abbott.

Mr Turnbull spruiked what he described as the successful postal plebiscite as a way to navigate the political obstacles in the same-sex marriage debate, and criticised opponents of the process who said it was at risk of having a low participation rate.

>snip<

Some concerned the Liberals will suffer significant backlash at the Wentworth by-election for ousting a popular local member from the prime ministership.

The former leader's preferred candidate, Dave Sharma, was picked as the Liberal candidate for the poll, to be held on October 20.

Liberal party elders have launched scathing criticisms of Mr Abbott for his role in undermining his successor, and called on him to quit politics.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-21/m ... g/10292306

Tony Abbott is a "sort of a right wing character to say the least"? Ummmm hello Mal it's the Liberal party didn't you know?

It also seems that Mal has forgotten how he became Prime Minister himself and it sounds like he is going to become another whinging Obama.

Just what Aussie politics needs. Another whinging bad sport who loves to dish it out but can't take it himself.

[brian ross]

The Liberal Party was a "broad church", it appealed to many on the right side of politics by suggesting it was well, liberal in it's social attitudes at the very least. Abbott however, attempted to overturn that by showing he was what Maggie Thatcher called a "dry". True liberals believe in being socially liberal in their attitudes. Abbott was never socially liberal, he was an outright religious traditionalist maniac. Who remembers the kerfuffle over Ru486? Where Tone was willing to delay legalisation of the drug in order to buy Catholic votes under Pell? Who remembers his "confession" to the Cardinal? Mmmm?

[Rorschach]

The Liberal party has nothing to do with today's so called "liberal" or progressive values etc..

Menzies was referring to freedom and equality, there are many variations of Liberalism, he wouldn't back idiocies like SSM, or communism, or LW progressivism as it is today.

[Patriot]

Will Malcolm apply for a job at the United Nations ?

Maybe Malcolm will replace Michelle Guthrie at the ABC ?