This morning former prime minister Tony Abbott joined the chorus of congratulations for Liz Truss, who just became the new British prime minister, winning the ballot to replace Boris Johnson.
But being Abbott, he had to add a weird wrinkle, congratulating Truss for “winning the world’s second most important job”.
It invited two questions: first, who Abbott had in mind for the top job — knowing Abbott, it’s as likely he views the British PM as secondary only to Queen Elizabeth, the Pope, or Truss’ own duties as a wife and mother as he was thinking of the US president. The second question is: why the hell he felt the need to rank her in the first place.
It’s all part of Abbott’s slightly wonky approach to the etiquette of public life.
Shirtfront diplomacy
In 2014, then PM Abbott promised to “shirtfront” Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, at the G20 in Brisbane the next year, after Russian-backed rebels were alleged to have shot down Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, killing all on board. No one would say a strong approach wasn’t appropriate, but the use of the AFL slang term for a fierce tackle was an odd choice. Extra marks for following it up with the oddly poetic: “You bet you are, you bet I am.”
An arm around the prince
You really would expect the guy who burned through his prime ministerial credibility to give Prince Philip a knighthood to be entirely across royal etiquette, but he managed to attract some (very minor, to be fair) criticism for channelling his inner Paul Keating and putting his arm around Prince William during a state visit.
Vale Bob Hawke
The night before the election that would sweep him from his seat of Warringah, Abbott responded to the news that former prime minister and Labor Party luminary Bob Hawke had died with the absolute worst tribute you could imagine. Het claimed Hawke’s legacy both for his party — “You might say he had a Labor heart, but a Liberal head” — and, implicitly, a bit for himself: “[Hawke] changed our country for the better because he was always willing to argue his case, even if it meant persuading key people on his own side.”
It was almost the perfect final act as his time in Parliament.
Will Tony Abbott ever learn? Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.
