Can Tony Abbott save the Liberal party?

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Can Tony Abbott save the Liberal party?"

Podcast: 7am
Host: Daniel James (Solstice Media)
Guest: Paul Bongiorno (Press gallery veteran)
Date: June 5, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode explores Tony Abbott’s dramatic return to frontline Liberal Party politics as its newly-elected federal president. With the party in crisis—hemorrhaging votes to One Nation and struggling in the polls—Abbott’s comeback is positioned as a possible “rescue mission.” The conversation with Paul Bongiorno dives into whether Abbott is the answer to the Liberal Party’s woes, what his presidency means for the party’s direction, internal divisions it exposes, and how this turmoil affects both the Coalition and Labor.
Major themes include the right’s dominance in the Liberal Party, One Nation’s electoral surge, the role and real power of party presidents, and the government’s response to opposition disarray.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tony Abbott Returns as Liberal President

• Abbott’s Election: Tony Abbott has been elected as the new federal Liberal Party president, a role with significant behind-the-scenes influence.
• Conservative Dominance: Bongiorno notes that right-wing (conservative) Liberals are now the dominant faction, and were always likely to secure Abbott’s presidency.
• The Downer Factor: Alexander Downer, another stalwart conservative, was briefly floated as an alternative with moderate backing, but he withdrew in favor of Abbott.

  "We know he'll be like a dog with a bone." — Paul Bongiorno (01:32)
  "He's a brutally effective communicator and let's face it, our backs are to the wall." — Paul Bongiorno (01:36)

• Historical Justification: Liberals cite Abbott’s 2013 landslide election victory as evidence of his ability to win government, while overlooking his inability to retain government.

2. Abbott’s Strategy: Attack Labor, Not One Nation

• Focus on Labor: Abbott argues the main fight should be against the Labor government, not One Nation.

  “We are in a degree of competition with other parties and voices on the centre right. But in the end, our opponent, our enemy, if you like, is a really bad labor government, a really bad green left labor government.” — Tony Abbott (03:02)

• Internal Debate: Bongiorno highlights that targeting Labor (rather than combating One Nation directly) has not arrested the exodus of voters; polling shows One Nation overtaking both Coalition and Labor in some polls.
• Coalition’s Poll Woes:
  • Coalition’s primary vote has dipped to 20% in several recent polls.
  • One Nation has, for the first time, outpolled both major parties in some surveys.
• Dangerous Preference Tactics: Bongiorno critiques how Liberal/National preferences helped legitimize One Nation as a mainstream alternative, thus deepening the crisis.

  “It's like cutting their own throats.” — Paul Bongiorno (04:30)

3. The Power and Limits of a Party President

• Role Clarified: The party president ensures organisational strength—fundraising, branch life, backing the parliamentary party—but cannot direct parliamentary policy.
• Abbott’s Impact: As a former PM and aggressive public persona, Abbott will not be “just” an administrator, potentially creating a second power centre within the party.

  “I don't expect to be in the media every day, but on the other hand, I do think that my presence now in this senior role will demonstrate to people who might have been sceptical that Liberal Party is faired income about abolishing net zero faired income about cutting back mass migration.” — Tony Abbott (07:04) “They’re creating another focus other than the parliamentary leader.” — Paul Bongiorno (07:24)

4. Is Abbott Eyeing a Parliamentary Return?

• Speculation: Discussion over whether Abbott might use the presidency as a springboard to return to Parliament—now or after the next election.
• Seat Dilemma: Bongiorno points out the challenge: Abbott lost a “rock solid” Liberal seat to a Teal independent in the last election.

  “He was the first to lose a rock solid liberal seat to a teal independent. He knows how to do that.” — Paul Bongiorno (08:05)

5. The One Nation Surge and Labor’s Dilemma

• One Nation’s Rise: Since the budget, One Nation’s polling has increased in virtually every survey, shifting the electoral landscape.
• Redbridge Polling Data: Some models now show One Nation as the most popular party, raising the stakes for Labor and threatening their ability to hold government—even pushing them potentially into opposition if trends continue.
• Labor Response: Wayne Swan (Labor president) connects Pauline Hanson’s industrial relations agenda to a threat reminiscent of John Howard’s “WorkChoices”—this time “on steroids”.

  “What she thinks and where she wants to head her agenda on workplace relations ... basically a revisiting of John Howard’s work choices on steroids, where the employer has all the cards and the employee cops the hindmost.” — Paul Bongiorno (09:46)

• Pauline Hanson’s Own Words:

  “You can't even sack anyone if they're not working, they steal from you, then you see yourself through the courts. This has to change. ... There's a give and take in employment and people have the right to employ who they want to.” — Pauline Hanson (10:13)

6. Media Coverage and the ‘Budget Backlash’

• Press Hostility: Bongiorno accuses Murdoch outlets (The Australian, tabloids) of relentless negative coverage against Labor’s budget, with little attempt at balance.

  “The Australian and the Murdoch tabloids have become, well, basically propaganda sheets ... make very little attempt to any sort of balanced approach.” — Paul Bongiorno (12:07)

• ALP’s Strategy: Albanese government knew a backlash was coming, especially if negative gearing/capital gains were touched, but insists reforms needed for the housing crisis could not wait.

7. Australia & US Relations: Aukus and Trump's Tariffs

• Submarines & Tariffs: The Australian government appears powerless as the US gives “secondhand” nuclear submarines under the Aukus deal and imposes steep new tariffs on Australia.
• Client State:

  “It's making us look like a client state. And I'd have to say ... that's exactly what we are.” — Paul Bongiorno (13:37)

• Trump’s Impact: Trump’s moves are more damaging to Australia than any other “putative enemies”; the host and guest poke fun at the government’s attempts to “sell” used submarines as if they were demo cars.

  "They are sounding like used car salespeople, Paul." — Daniel James (14:53) "This demo's just, it's only got 200 kilometres on the clock, you know, so..." — Paul Bongiorno (14:57)

• Paul Keating’s Outrage: Former PM Paul Keating's disbelief at Australia "ceding so much sovereign wealth to the Americans".

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Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• Tony Abbott’s blunt assessment:

  “Our opponent, our enemy, if you like, is a really bad labor government, a really bad green left labor government.” (03:02)

• On party direction and danger:

  “They're creating another focus other than the parliamentary leader.” — Paul Bongiorno (07:24)

• On Liberal/National strategy:

  “It does seem to be a recipe for even greater disaster.” — Paul Bongiorno (05:34)

• Abbott on activism as president:

  “I don't think there' ever been a party president who's taken a vow of silence and I'm certainly not going to start.” — Tony Abbott (07:40)

• On Australia’s subservience to US policy:

  “It's making us look like a client state. And I'd have to say ... that's exactly what we are.” — Paul Bongiorno (13:37)

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Important Timestamps

• Abbott elected as party president, impact on Liberal direction – 01:44–02:58
• Abbott’s strategy: Focus on Labor over One Nation – 03:02–05:53
• Analysis of party president’s influence and Abbott’s ambitions – 06:05–08:33
• Labor’s response to One Nation’s surge – 08:59–11:41
• Media’s response to the budget – 12:07–13:13
• Australia’s relationship with US: Aukus, tariffs, sovereignty – 13:13–15:22

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Conclusion

This episode frames Tony Abbott’s return as reflective of deeper splits and questions within the Liberal Party: whether reviving “Abbott-era” politics is a solution or a path to further disaster. Paul Bongiorno delivers pointed criticism about party strategy, the effectiveness of focusing attacks on Labor, the broader rightward shift, and the consequences for both sides of politics.
The episode concludes by linking party turbulence to broader global challenges, particularly Australia’s precarious position between US interests and domestic priorities.

For listeners seeking to understand the current crossroads in Australian conservative politics and its ripple effects, this is an essential episode.

Transcript

[Paul Bongiorno]

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[Daniel James]

I'm Daniel James and you're listening to 7am. Tony Abbott is back at the centre of Liberal party politics. The former prime minister has been elected un as federal Liberal Party president, a role that sounds administrative but carries real political weight. And a moment of deep trouble for the coalition. The Liberals are watching voters drift to one nation while Abbott argues the answer is to take the fight directly to Labor. But his return sharpens a deeper question inside the party about whether the Liberals can rebuild by reviving the politics of the Abbott era or whether that only deepens the crisis they're trying to escape. Today, Press gallery veteran Paul Bongiorno on Tony Abbott's comeback, the future of the Liberal Party and how the government is trying to turn the opposition's crisis into a test of its own authority. It's Saturday, june 6th. Paul this week One Nation became the most popular political party in the country. It's obviously bad news for the coalition which hasn't been very effective at fending off Hanson's party. But now former PM Tony Abbott has put his hand up to be the white knight that saves the Liberals as party president. Paul is Abbott the answer?

[Paul Bongiorno]

Well, I can tell you that the Conservatives in the Liberal Party certainly believe he is and certainly have reached out to him. But mind you, I believe he reached out to them as well. And what we should keep in mind is that the so called right wing Liberals or Conservative Liberals are dominant in the national party structure. So he always had the numbers and it was quite interesting to see that the other potential saviour, Alexander Downer, who all his life has been a very conservative liberal, well the moderates were behind Downer but in the end Downer pulled out and everybody said look, we've got to give Abbott a go. We know he'll be like a dog with a bone. He's a brutally effective communicator and let's face it, our backs are to the wall. So basically what they were counting on was the fact that Tony Abbott won in a landslide from opposition in 2013 against the Rudd Gillard Rudd government. But that great victory, which was a landslide victory, said, well look, he knows how to win government. They maybe forgot he didn't quite know how to hang on to government, but that's not quite their problem at the moment.

[Daniel James]

ABS indicated that his focus will be on labor rather than One nation.

[Tony Abbott]

Obviously we are in a degree of competition with other parties and voices on the centre right. But in the end, our opponent, our enemy, if you like, is a really bad labor government, a really bad green left labor government.

[Daniel James]

Is that the right strategy at this point, Paul?

[Paul Bongiorno]

Well, there've been nine polls since the budget and in those nine polls the coalition has gone backwards. In three polls this week, the coalition's primary vote was just 20%. And what we've seen is for the first time this week, one nation in two polls even had more support than Labor. So the strategy that's been employed since the Budget by Angus Taylor and the Coalition to go hard, to attack labor, to talk about broken promises, to talk about how damaging it will be to Australia as we know it, all that sort of language, if anything, it's fed into one nation rather than fed into the coalition. All of this simply isn't working. And Paul Kelly, the venerable Paul Kelly and the Australian, said that basically there's defeatism in the Liberals and the nationals, with some of them saying, oh, we should form an alliance with one nation, forgetting that one nation is part of the existential threat to the Liberals and the Nationals for a very good reason. If the primary vote stays where it is and where it's been for a while now, then the Liberal or national candidate will come in behind one nation and therefore their preferences will elect a one nation candidate and at the expense of a Liberal. It's like cutting their own throats. And there's a bit of an example of this. Even though the nationals did extremely well in Farah, they still didn't get a majority in their own right. They needed preferences to get over the line. And there is an argument, and people within the parliamentary party are having this argument that had the Libs and the Nats preference, for example, the leading independent, maybe that would have pushed her over the line, but it certainly would have sent the message that, look, if you're inclined to our way of politics, then don't vote one nation. Instead, by preferencing one nation in the way they did, they helped it get up and they, I don't like to use the word legitimize. It's a democracy and they're a legitimate, you know, player. But it certainly, as it were, authorised one nation as a mainstream option. And this is a tactic that Abbott seems happy with. That, when you analyse it a bit further, does seem to be a recipe for even greater disaster.

[Daniel James]

I've often wondered, Paul, about party presidents of all persuasions. I mean, how much power does Abbott have? As Liberal Party president. And what does the party president actually do?

[Paul Bongiorno]

Well, they make sure the party is organised, that its branches are there, that it's fundraising, that it's able to back up the parliamentary party. In fact, Robert Menzies, when he found Liberals, he wanted to make sure that the organisational wing, unlike the structure formerly of the Labor Party, was subservient to the parliamentary party, couldn't direct it on anything and was there merely to serve what the parliamentary leader and the parliamentary party wanted. However, what we do know, that a party president, let's just talk Liberals for the moment, has the cachet of being leader of the organisation when the organisation is in such dire straits and they turn to someone like Abbott, a former prime minister, a political pugilist of some note, it's clear they're saying, look, we want you to be the president and probably lift us, do more than just make sure we're fundraising.

[Tony Abbott]

Look, I don't expect to be in the media every day, but on the other hand, I do think that my presence now in this senior role will demonstrate to people who might have been sceptical that Liberal Party is faired income about abolishing net zero faired income about cutting back mass migration.

[Paul Bongiorno]

And the danger here is that in making someone like Abbott the president, they're creating another focus other than the parliamentary leader.

[SpinQuest Advertiser]

There will be some public facing to this role rather than it just being an administrative role.

[Tony Abbott]

Look, the party president is the organisational leader, not the political leader. But I don't think there' ever been a party president who's taken a vow of silence and I'm certainly not going to start.

[Daniel James]

Do you think Tony Abbott will be satisfied with just being party president or could we see him trying to make a full political comeback and return to Parliament? There's been musings, Paul.

[Paul Bongiorno]

Well, it's certainly in his blood, there's no doubt about that. He has been asked this question and he's given the impression that if he ever does make a comeback which is not on his mind now, it'd be after the next election. I guess one of his problems would be finding a seat where the voters would actually vote for him, given that he lost his seat to. He was the first to lose a rock solid liberal seat to a teal independent. He knows how to do that.

[Daniel James]

Coming up, how one nation's rise is changing the calculation for labor as well. Paul, if we go back to one nation, the party has risen in every single opinion poll since the budget. Now, the election is still a long way Away two years. So where does this leave Labor? What's the worst case scenario for them?

[Paul Bongiorno]

Well, if you take some of the work done by the Redbridge polling group, first of all, their MRP poll, which went to every electorate in Australia trying to work out which way they would go, and then just the normal poll, if you like, this week that found one nation the most popular political party. The challenge is there for labor to hang on to government either as minority or majority or worst case scenario, depending on the trend of the polls, it seems to be established they could be pushed themselves into opposition. So, you know, it's very high stakes. In fact, Wayne Swan, the national president of the Labor Party, sent out a fundraiser this week pointing out that the, that Pauline Hanson gave last weekend on sky where she for the first time went into quite a bit of what she thinks and where she wants to head her agenda on workplace relations, on hiring and firing people, on who should be paid. What was basically a revisiting of John Howard's work choices on steroids, where the employer has all the cards and the employee cops the hindmost.

[Pauline Hanson]

You can't even sack anyone if they're not working, they steal from you, then you see yourself through the courts. This has to change. It has to change. There's a give and take in employment and people have the right to employ who they want to. We've become too dogmatic and we're not listening to the employer out there.

[Paul Bongiorno]

Well, Wayne Swan and the Labor Party jumped on this. They sent out a fundraising letter to their supporters and they pointed out that this is part of one nation's agenda and furthermore, it's being bankrolled by billionaires. And the plea was, look, labor has to get busy. We have to be fighting fit on the ground now because the only time to begin holding on to power is now, not when an election is called. So the other point to make too is that the budget without a doubt has cost labor politically. But I was talking to a cabinet minister during the week who said, look, look, the political design of this budget is once it has passed, once it is no longer creating the headlines, people say, well, what was that all about? Because they've grandfathered most of it and some of it doesn't come in for a couple of years and anyway, it won't directly affect millions in the way in which, you know, which the naysayers are pointing out.

[Daniel James]

I mean, if we look at the way that the commentary has gone around the budget pool, I mean, what have you made of the reaction from the mainstream media in particular, when it comes to this, you watch the nightly news, you watch the commercial television news, you listen to commercial radio, and you would swear that the budget was the worst thing to happen to the country since federation. What have you made of it? As a veteran of the press gallery,

[Paul Bongiorno]

you'd have to say that the Australian and the Murdoch tabloids have become, well, basically propaganda sheets, you know, if not of the Liberals, certainly of the opponents of the labor government and make very little attempt to any sort of balanced approach to it. I mean, we just see acres of negative stories digging up the most extreme examples as reasons why this budget is such a failure. I was told in a group meeting with the Prime Minister about three or four weeks ago that the people at the Australian warned him that if you do touch negative gearing or capital gains tax, then we will go in hard on the broken promises. So Albanese was given forewarning that this sort of approach would happen. The government, however, says, look, we're at the stage where we could not just sit back and do nothing for the next two years without addressing the core, the radical causes of what is a genuine housing crisis.

[Daniel James]

And finally, Paul, if we turn to our great friends across the Pacific, the, the Americans, this week's been a busy week on that front too. First we were told we would only be getting second hand subs from the US under the Aukus deal. And then Trump slapped a 12.5% tariff on US and 43 other countries. Is America making the government look good or bad right now?

[Paul Bongiorno]

Well, it's making us look like a client state. And I'd have to say to you, General, that's exactly what we are. It's what we've come to. We're now in the situation where our most important ally is doing us and basically the rest of the world more damage than any of our putative enemies. I mean, Trump's war in the Middle east has completely thrown the world trading order and economy into disarray at great cost. Now, when it comes to Trump putting tariffs on us, well, the reality is that Trump has to pay for his excesses, especially for his massive tax cuts to himself and his billionaire mates. And this is the way he's doing it. As we know, tariffs are actually a tax that American consumers pay. But what it does, of course, is make our exports dearer and harder to get into the market. But the other point, of course, is the decision on the submarines. The discussion there is it's better to get in service submarines than used submarines.

[Tony Abbott]

That.

[Paul Bongiorno]

Did you see the argument put by the Defence Minister that these nuclear powered submarines have 30 year life and if you get them in the first six years, it's like getting a demo, a demo car.

[Daniel James]

They are sounding like used car salespeople, Paul.

[Paul Bongiorno]

That's exactly right here. This demo's just, it's only got 200 kilometres on the clock, you know, so. Yes, so it looks like, well, what we've got up in lights is that we take what the Americans will give us. And of course, Paul Keating, the former prime minister, just can't believe that we would cede so much of our sovereign wealth to the Americans. You know, what is it, $300 billion worth in the process?

[Daniel James]

Paul it's hard to make sense of it all, but you do a really good job of it. So thank you once again for joining us.

[Paul Bongiorno]

Thanks very much, Daniel. Bachelor.

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[Daniel James]

play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details. 7:00am is a Daily show from Solstice Media. It's made by Ariel Richards, Atticus Bastow, Chris Dengate, Crystal Keller, Ruby Jones, Travis Evans, Zoltan Fetcho and me, Daniel James. Our theme music is by Ned Beckley and Josh Hogan of Envelope Audio. Thanks so much once again for listening to 7am this week. Have yourself a great weekend.