General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMeet Australia's New Conservative PM, Tony Abbot
He appears to be a genuine right winger. He's socially conservative. He thinks climate change is "crap". He once testified as character witness for a pedophile priest. first up he plans to get rid of Australia's carbon tax. He's vowed to crack down on illegal immigration.
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Abbott supports lower taxes, smaller government and tough border controls and backs the government's policy of processing asylum seekers -- many of them illegal boat arrivals -- offshore. He recently announced that almost 32,00 asylum seekers who already in Australia will never be granted permanent settlement.
He has also pushed a "tow-back" policy that would see asylum seekers' boats turned around when it is safe to do so.
Dismissing the climate debate as faddish and fashionable, Abbott has vowed to roll back the controversial carbon tax put in place by Gillard, which he has condemned as "socialism masquerading as environmentalism."
He has pledged to get rid of the 30% mining tax introduced by Labor, saying that it is a serious disincentive to investment in Australia's booming commodities sector.
On social issues, he has remained true to his Catholic faith, consistently voting against relaxing abortion laws, same-sex marriage and stem cell research. He has stated that he wants abortions to be "safe, legal and rare." As health minister in 2005, he opposed the use of the abortion drug RU486, but it was later overturned by parliament.
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http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/07/world/asia/australia-election/
http://www.businessinsider.com/tony-abbott-climate-change-policy-2013-9
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Abbott
Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)demmiblue
(36,823 posts)Published on Oct 8, 2012
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has hit back at Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's call for Peter Slipper to be removed as Speaker, attacking Mr Abbott as a misogynist.
CK_John
(10,005 posts)NV Whino
(20,886 posts)mattclearing
(10,091 posts)He ran a stealth campaign against an overreaching government. Australia will soon figure out that he is too extreme.