Mark Higgie

The truth about Tony Abbott

Last night’s confirmation that Tony Abbott is joining the Board of Trade has been reported, bizarrely, with accusations that he is somehow misogynist or homophobic. There was little mention of why the British government actually headhunted him: his ability to achieve big free trade deals quickly. In his two years in office, he did more to help Australia’s exporters than any other leader in the country’s history, finalising free trade deals with what are (now) Australia’s three most important markets: Japan, China and Korea. He also initiated talks on a trade deal with the EU after his Labor predecessors lazily ignored the opportunity for years.

But as this is not very well known in Britain, it’s easier for critics to ignore it all and recycle these ridiculous claims. Who is there to come to his defence, given that no one really knows him in Britain? Who can give a different picture: about the nature of the man, or his qualification for the job? I was his international adviser for four years and I can tell you – the British government has just recruited an eminently-qualified trade adviser. I can also tell you how little foundation there is behind those smears.

1. ‘By physiology or temperament’

The claim that he is in some way a misogynist was most famously made by Australian Labor prime minister Julia Gillard in 2012 while Abbott was leader of the opposition. She dug up a partial quote from 1998 where he questioned why women were under-represented in positions of power. In debate, he had raised whether men are – by physiology or temperament – more likely to take jobs of authority.

The source? From 1998 when Abbott was at a round table that included Michael Costa, then a minister in New South Wales – he wasn’t making a statement but asking a question in a wide-ranging discussion.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in