Australia’s ousted leader Tony Abbott has long history of gaffes
Australia’s ousted prime minister Tony Abbott has a history of gaffes that did little to improve his standing with the public and prompted many to question his leadership abilities. A look at some of those moments:
August 2013: Abbott prompts laughter during an election campaign speech by telling a gathering of conservative party faithful that no one is “the suppository of all wisdom.” The Rhodes scholar apparently meant to say “repository.”
October 2014: Abbott is accused of sounding embarrassingly crass and overly macho after threatening to “shirtfront” Russia’s president during an international summit of leaders. A shirtfront is a shoulder charge to an opponent’s chest in Australian football. Russian officials ridicule the threat and warn that President Vladimir Putin is a judo expert.
December 2014: A man who once rated sex appeal as a political asset of a female Liberal candidate does little to improve his image problem among women after saying his government’s biggest achievement for women in 2014 was abolishing a tax on the nation’s worst carbon polluters. “As many of us know, women are particularly focused on the household budget,” Abbott said, “and the repeal of the carbon tax means a $550 a year benefit for the average family.” The remarks echoed a similar comment he made in 2010 as opposition leader, when he said an emissions trading scheme would hurt housewives. “What the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing is that if they get it done commercially, it’s going to go up in price and their own power bills when they switch the iron on are going to go up,” Abbott said.
January 2015: Abbott raises the ire of many Australians by making Queen Elizabeth II’s 93-year-old husband, Prince Philip (pictured below), an Australian knight on Australia’s national day. Born in London, Abbott is a great admirer of British royalty, but giving such an honour to a foreign citizen who already has a long list of titles alienated even some monarchists.