Former prime minister Tony Abbott says Liberal voters felt “let down” by a succession of past coalition governments, including his own, which has led to the rise of One Nation.
At his United States book launch in Washington DC, Abbott fielded questions in a wide-ranging interview moderated by former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet.
He reflected on a worldwide trend of “political insurgencies, particularly on the Right”, and compared One Nation to the MAGA movement in the US.
“In the States, it was, if you like, an in-house insurgency. Donald Trump managed what was effectively a hostile takeover of the Republican Party from within,” he said.
“Our problem in Australia is that the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government was felt by many of its strongest supporters to have been a letdown.
“If the people you vote for consistently let you down, you will end up voting for someone else. It’s a political marketplace”
Last month, Abbott returned to political life, becoming the Liberal Party’s new federal president at a time when both major parties are flailing in public opinion polls.
One Nation has surged ahead of both the Labor and Liberal parties in recent Newspoll, YouGov and Redbridge polls.
Reflecting on the 2025 election, Abbott said a “lack of conviction and a lack of political confidence” brought the Liberal Party undone after a “dreadful year” in which the Coalition broke up twice.
