FORMER Prime Minister Tony Abbott has raised concerns about Australia’s deteriorating strategic situation saying the nation’s economy is not as strong as it should be nor its citizens as united as they need to be.
In his third and final interview with the Institute of Public Affairs on Thursday, Mr Abbott spoke about his current unease and outlined what needed to be addressed as Australia faced uncertain times.
“Our country is probably not quite as safe as it was given the deteriorating strategic situation,” the 28th Prime Minister told IPA’s Executive Director John Roskam.
“Our economy is not as strong as it should be given our reluctance to build baseload power, dams, etc and our people are not as together as they should be.”
FIVE EYES
Mr Abbott pointed to “embarrassment” over Australia’s history and a decline in shared values for the fault lines fracturing the community.
“We need to be very clear eyed about who our friends are around the globe – which countries we are like-minded with,” he said.
“Obviously our friends are the Five Eyes [New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada and the United States] but countries like Japan, Singapore, India are countries we are very, very like-minded with and we should have the strongest possible bonds with.”
Mr Abbott said Australia also needed to be much more hard-headed about its economic future.
“Frankly we shouldn’t let exaggerated and often trivial environmental concerns stop us from building the infrastructure that we need.
“Building the dams we need, the baseload power that we need.
“And in terms of our national self-confidence, we have far more to be proud of than we have to regret or to apologise for.”
Mr Abbott signalled out the misguided Black Lives Matter movement for assisting to divide the Australian community.
VIOLENCE
“Sure, it is terrible that Aboriginal people are ten times more likely to be in jail than non-Aboriginal people, it’s terrible that an Aboriginal woman is something like 20 times more likely to be subject to domestic violence than a non-Aboriginal women.
“These things are terrible, but bemoaning them on its own isn’t going to help.
“What we need is an insistence that for every Australian, Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal, the kids have got to go to school, the adults have got to go to work, communities have got to be safe and that means they have to be policed.”
He encouraged all Australians to be brave and to call out serious errors of fact or judgment – rather than let it slip.
WORKPLACE
“We should be prepared to ask ‘why do you think that?’ or ‘are you sure that’s the case?’. I do think we need to be ready to engage in a courteous discussion with people even on subjects that are contentious,” he said.
“All of us have to do our bit, whether it’s joining the political party of your choice, whether it’s speaking up in your workplace, whether it’s being prepared to chat to your children and grandchildren about issues – we’ve all got to do more.
“If there is one thing that is absolutely certain, it’s that a majority that stays silent does not long remain a majority.”PC
Having just read Tony Abbott’s interview with the IPA I am even more convinced that he has and has always had the wisdom and conviction of a great leader, surely what Australia needs now more than ever to build a better future. His clear thinking and genuine concern for our country is refreshing and positive and way ahead of any other political commentator in Australia today which leads me to think: why do we not have the advantage of his unwavering commitment and proven ability In Australian politics today? It is my opinion that it is to our detriment that we do not.
It seems that the powers that be are missing a great opportunity. What a waste of talent!
Tony’s comments were absolutely spot on particularly about about calling out mistakes that have been made and not trying to pretend they never happened.
Our govt has sold us out to the U.N and China. The crooked UN runs our govt, we are f#cked, traitors.
Brilliantly put as always. One of the biggest losses to Australia was the loss of this man’s voice and experience from our parliament and our leadership.
Whilst I think that Scot Morrison is doing a reasonable job l wish we still had Tony Abbot in the Parliament. He really has a brilliant mind and is on top of all that is happening in around the world.
Why didn’t you order nuclear subs, sack the HRC, reform and reduce the ABC and SBS, sack every commie coward VC of every university, slash immigration and govern for Australians when you had the chance?
What a load of total divisive garbage from the tin foil hat brigade.