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Battleground: Why the Liberal Party Shirtfronted Tony Abbott
Battleground chronicles the paradox of the Abbott prime ministership: the virtues of loyalty when pragmatism was required; strong social values at odds with community attitudes; and honesty when tactics and strategy were essential. All would bring him undone.
Tony Abbott came to office lauded as the most effective leader of the opposition since Whitlam, but the signs of an imperfect transition to the prime ministership would soon emerge. Why did Abbott fail to grow into the job to which he had aspired for decades?
Backbenchers complained about the leader's office, the lack of access, front benchers leaked cabinet processes to the media. His long apprenticeship in religion, journalism and political life prepared him for neither the mundane business of people management nor the commanding heights of national leadership. Public goodwill evaporated after a tough first budget the government failed to explain. Inside the Liberal party individual ambitions and a succession of poor polls produced increasing concern that the next election was lost. As a result, the horse named self-interest won yet again.
Tony Abbott came to office lauded as the most effective leader of the opposition since Whitlam, but the signs of an imperfect transition to the prime ministership would soon emerge. Why did Abbott fail to grow into the job to which he had aspired for decades?
Backbenchers complained about the leader's office, the lack of access, front benchers leaked cabinet processes to the media. His long apprenticeship in religion, journalism and political life prepared him for neither the mundane business of people management nor the commanding heights of national leadership. Public goodwill evaporated after a tough first budget the government failed to explain. Inside the Liberal party individual ambitions and a succession of poor polls produced increasing concern that the next election was lost. As a result, the horse named self-interest won yet again.
277 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 2, 2015
‘It was Abbott’s failure to recognise and seek to rectify his own leadership flaws that saw him ousted.’
In this book, published just two months after the event, Wayne Errington and Peter van Onselen look at why Tony Abbott lost the prime ministership to Malcolm Turnbull. Why did the man who was arguably one of the most effective leaders of the opposition in the last forty years fail to make the transition to effective leadership? What went wrong?
Having watched the performance of the government under Tony Abbott, I wondered whether Tony Abbott ever realised that while being elected to lead the government signifies the end of a particular ‘race’ it is only the beginning of the process of governing. I wonder, too, whether he realised that the election was lost by Labor rather than won by the Coalition.
As portrayed in this book, Tony Abbott seemed out of step, somewhat anachronistic. Yet, he displayed loyalty to colleagues which surely was sometimes misplaced. He seemed unable to change course when a different approach might have delivered better outcomes, and made ‘captain’s picks’ which had at least some of us questioning his judgement.
‘Because Abbott had always been able to rely on Howard for preferment, he had built no base of support in the party to fall back on.’
But this book is not an in depth analysis of the Abbott government, it’s an analysis of the factors that caused the Liberal Party to replace Tony Abbott with Malcolm Turnbull. It’s an interesting read, a case study in the causes and effects of ineffective leadership. The role of the Prime Minister’s Office receives a lot of attention, as does the use of particular elements of the media. Clearly, Tony Abbott did not learn much from his ‘near-death experience’ in February 2015. If he had, I doubt that the Liberal Party would have removed him as leader.
For those interested in Australian political leadership, this book is well worth reading. Many of the issues that bedevilled Tony Abbott’s prime ministership: communication, leadership and management are issues for every effective leader.
‘We are going to keep the promise that we actually made, not the promise that some people thought that we made or the promise that some people might have liked us to make.’
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Melbourne University Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In this book, published just two months after the event, Wayne Errington and Peter van Onselen look at why Tony Abbott lost the prime ministership to Malcolm Turnbull. Why did the man who was arguably one of the most effective leaders of the opposition in the last forty years fail to make the transition to effective leadership? What went wrong?
Having watched the performance of the government under Tony Abbott, I wondered whether Tony Abbott ever realised that while being elected to lead the government signifies the end of a particular ‘race’ it is only the beginning of the process of governing. I wonder, too, whether he realised that the election was lost by Labor rather than won by the Coalition.
As portrayed in this book, Tony Abbott seemed out of step, somewhat anachronistic. Yet, he displayed loyalty to colleagues which surely was sometimes misplaced. He seemed unable to change course when a different approach might have delivered better outcomes, and made ‘captain’s picks’ which had at least some of us questioning his judgement.
‘Because Abbott had always been able to rely on Howard for preferment, he had built no base of support in the party to fall back on.’
But this book is not an in depth analysis of the Abbott government, it’s an analysis of the factors that caused the Liberal Party to replace Tony Abbott with Malcolm Turnbull. It’s an interesting read, a case study in the causes and effects of ineffective leadership. The role of the Prime Minister’s Office receives a lot of attention, as does the use of particular elements of the media. Clearly, Tony Abbott did not learn much from his ‘near-death experience’ in February 2015. If he had, I doubt that the Liberal Party would have removed him as leader.
For those interested in Australian political leadership, this book is well worth reading. Many of the issues that bedevilled Tony Abbott’s prime ministership: communication, leadership and management are issues for every effective leader.
‘We are going to keep the promise that we actually made, not the promise that some people thought that we made or the promise that some people might have liked us to make.’
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Melbourne University Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
May 15, 2020
This book has been well-reviewed by others, so I won't be adding much. I found it an easy-to-read, informative account of a most peculiar episode in Australia's recent slide into political incompetence: multiple prime-ministers; failure to effectively deal with climate change; the many blunders of both major parties and their failure to truly engage the young, who have felt impelled to take to the streets.
For those who lived through the Abbott prime ministership it felt like a mini-Trump episode. A guy who started with some political cred seemed to veer off the deep end, munching onions and wanting to give Prince Philip a knighthood! I well recall an incident on the news which showed Abbott trying to pat a horse in its stall: the horse was in a towering rage and every time Abbott's hand came anywhere near its neck, it reared around with teeth at the ready! Abbott did this several times, which seemed to symbolise his inability to learn from past mistakes - a notable feature of his short reign. The other feature, of course, was his excessive reliance on his Chief of Staff, Peta Credlin. This looked like a co-dependent "mother-son" relationship and figured heavily in his eventual ousting.
I would recommend this book to those who might be coming to the summary of recent Australian politics from a fairly low information-base. It's a good introduction, rather than a heavy analysis. Not bad, though.
For those who lived through the Abbott prime ministership it felt like a mini-Trump episode. A guy who started with some political cred seemed to veer off the deep end, munching onions and wanting to give Prince Philip a knighthood! I well recall an incident on the news which showed Abbott trying to pat a horse in its stall: the horse was in a towering rage and every time Abbott's hand came anywhere near its neck, it reared around with teeth at the ready! Abbott did this several times, which seemed to symbolise his inability to learn from past mistakes - a notable feature of his short reign. The other feature, of course, was his excessive reliance on his Chief of Staff, Peta Credlin. This looked like a co-dependent "mother-son" relationship and figured heavily in his eventual ousting.
I would recommend this book to those who might be coming to the summary of recent Australian politics from a fairly low information-base. It's a good introduction, rather than a heavy analysis. Not bad, though.
November 30, 2015
Wayne Errington and Peter van Onselen’s hot take (as I believe the young kids call it, coming just 10 weeks after the spill) on the replacement of Tony Abbott doesn’t tell us an awful lot that we don’t already know. What it does do is catalogue Abbott’s shortcomings as a leader in such a way makes you wonder how he even lasted two years.
The portrait that emerges is of a man with an utterly adolescent attitude towards authority. Having spent so many years currying favour with authority figures, he expected to be able to wield authority unquestioned, paying only lip service to the notion of accountability even to his own party, let alone the wider electorate. The lack of self-awareness is tragi-comic.
The last chapter contains new information about how the various players made the decision to depose Abbott and why they chose to strike when they did.
There are some sloppy moments, like when Alan Jones is described as a 2UE announcer (he’s been on 2GB for over ten years), and the assertion that Abbott told Tony Windsor her would “sell his arse” to become prime minister. It’s well known that Windsor alleged Abbott said he would do anything BUT sell his arse.
On the whole, Battleground is a merciless account of Abbott’s professional failings, any one of which would be forgivable, but in combination could only be terminal.
The portrait that emerges is of a man with an utterly adolescent attitude towards authority. Having spent so many years currying favour with authority figures, he expected to be able to wield authority unquestioned, paying only lip service to the notion of accountability even to his own party, let alone the wider electorate. The lack of self-awareness is tragi-comic.
The last chapter contains new information about how the various players made the decision to depose Abbott and why they chose to strike when they did.
There are some sloppy moments, like when Alan Jones is described as a 2UE announcer (he’s been on 2GB for over ten years), and the assertion that Abbott told Tony Windsor her would “sell his arse” to become prime minister. It’s well known that Windsor alleged Abbott said he would do anything BUT sell his arse.
On the whole, Battleground is a merciless account of Abbott’s professional failings, any one of which would be forgivable, but in combination could only be terminal.
September 15, 2016
This is the 4th book I've read about the farce that was Tony Abbott's stint as Prime Minister of Australia &, quite frankly, I could read a new one every week. While Captain Flagpole's greatest hits - Sir Prince Philip, the onion, installing himself as Minister for Women - are all included what I didn't expect was a little more insight into the man himself. While it was apparent, by the increasing number of Australian flags that appeared behind him at press conferences, that his confidence was simultaneously evaporating the authors of this book expose a vulnerability that I didn't expect. It exposes a man who just might have known that he was entirely incapable of performing the role he had lusted after for more than 2 decades but had no idea how to reconcile that with the fact that he had finally got there. I found that fascinating. But he's still the worst Prime Minister in our country's history, although Malcolm Turnbull now seems determined to give him a run for his money.
February 26, 2022
Good political commentary and background. Just, like, fun and easy to read.
He interviews her ...
Q: Would you ever vote Tony Abbott again?
A: I didn't vote him in the first place.
Q: Oh sorry. What would make you consider voting for him if he ran again?
A: An unelectable other side.
Q: What, if any, are his redeeming features?
A: He's very community-minded.
Q: By the way, I need you to try and avoid words with hyphens in them. My typist's keyboard is fucked. How do you rate his Catholicism?
A: Old fashioned. I mean, that's fine. But I'd also say uninspired.
He interviews her ...
Q: Would you ever vote Tony Abbott again?
A: I didn't vote him in the first place.
Q: Oh sorry. What would make you consider voting for him if he ran again?
A: An unelectable other side.
Q: What, if any, are his redeeming features?
A: He's very community-minded.
Q: By the way, I need you to try and avoid words with hyphens in them. My typist's keyboard is fucked. How do you rate his Catholicism?
A: Old fashioned. I mean, that's fine. But I'd also say uninspired.
February 26, 2022
A critique of Tony Abbott's awkward tenure as prime minister, written with an admirable lack of cheap partisanship, this book is nevertheless a fairly boring affair unless you absolutely live and breathe Australian politics. Personally, I find our political climate quite dull and uneventful, which is exactly how I like it. Keep the hysteria and theatrics to the Americans.
June 22, 2016
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
Tony Abbott came to office lauded as the most effective leader of the opposition since Whitlam, but the signs of an imperfect transition to the prime ministership would soon emerge. Why did Abbott fail to grow into the job to which he had aspired for decades? Backbenchers complained about the leader's office, the lack of access, front benchers leaked cabinet processes to the media. His long apprenticeship in religion, journalism and political life prepared him for neither the mundane business of people management nor the commanding heights of national leadership. Public goodwill evaporated after a tough first budget the government failed to explain. Inside the Liberal party individual ambitions and a succession of poor polls produced increasing concern that the next election was lost. As a result, the horse named self-interest won yet again.
Where to start with this book? There are a number of positives that need to be mentioned. I will try my best to do just that.
For those of us in Australia, the Prime Ministership of Tony Abbott was one of a man whose failure to keep in step with the electorate proved itself time and again. There are many examples of times when Tony Abbott's loyalty to his friends got him in trouble, in particular: the perception that Peta Credlin was effectively "leading" Tony by the nose; the whole Bronwyn Bishop "Choppergate" scandal; and his failure to call out those in the far right who were making fools of themselves (Bernardi and Christensen for example.) He was a man who's "Captain's Picks" quickly became a laughing point for both the media and the electorate. He was a man who constantly made gaffes of George W. Bush proportions. All these things are outlined through this book, providing a lot of analysis into the machinations of parliament at the time.
However, while there may have been a laugh at every turn as PM, Tony Abbott was a very successful Opposition Leader. He is considered to be one of the finest, having removed a first-term PM and also pressured the Labor Party so much, they changed leaders during that same term. His aggression and pinpoint attacks made for an extremely effective leader. However, once in the PM seat, he failed to change his focus - it seemed that even in the top job, he thought he was still in opposition. He failed to take advice from most people in his own party, rather, he was heavily reliant on Credlin in the PMO to help him with decision-making. He failure to change and adapt - to become a leader - was the biggest downfall of his Prime Ministership.
This book, while focusing on a lot of the mistakes of the Abbott government, does provide a pretty fair narrative to Abbott. He is praised for the things he did well, and used his personal beliefs and faith as an explanation for his actions. We get to understand a little bit about what makes Abbott tick - and how that didn't really translate into the highest office in the country. It seems a shame that Abbott didn't learn the lessons from the spill in February 2015 and changed his leadership style a little bit - if he had of done so, he may very well have been leading the party to this coming election.
As a politically-minded person, I recommend this book for people who have an interest in Australian politics.
Paul
ARH
Tony Abbott came to office lauded as the most effective leader of the opposition since Whitlam, but the signs of an imperfect transition to the prime ministership would soon emerge. Why did Abbott fail to grow into the job to which he had aspired for decades? Backbenchers complained about the leader's office, the lack of access, front benchers leaked cabinet processes to the media. His long apprenticeship in religion, journalism and political life prepared him for neither the mundane business of people management nor the commanding heights of national leadership. Public goodwill evaporated after a tough first budget the government failed to explain. Inside the Liberal party individual ambitions and a succession of poor polls produced increasing concern that the next election was lost. As a result, the horse named self-interest won yet again.
Where to start with this book? There are a number of positives that need to be mentioned. I will try my best to do just that.
For those of us in Australia, the Prime Ministership of Tony Abbott was one of a man whose failure to keep in step with the electorate proved itself time and again. There are many examples of times when Tony Abbott's loyalty to his friends got him in trouble, in particular: the perception that Peta Credlin was effectively "leading" Tony by the nose; the whole Bronwyn Bishop "Choppergate" scandal; and his failure to call out those in the far right who were making fools of themselves (Bernardi and Christensen for example.) He was a man who's "Captain's Picks" quickly became a laughing point for both the media and the electorate. He was a man who constantly made gaffes of George W. Bush proportions. All these things are outlined through this book, providing a lot of analysis into the machinations of parliament at the time.
However, while there may have been a laugh at every turn as PM, Tony Abbott was a very successful Opposition Leader. He is considered to be one of the finest, having removed a first-term PM and also pressured the Labor Party so much, they changed leaders during that same term. His aggression and pinpoint attacks made for an extremely effective leader. However, once in the PM seat, he failed to change his focus - it seemed that even in the top job, he thought he was still in opposition. He failed to take advice from most people in his own party, rather, he was heavily reliant on Credlin in the PMO to help him with decision-making. He failure to change and adapt - to become a leader - was the biggest downfall of his Prime Ministership.
This book, while focusing on a lot of the mistakes of the Abbott government, does provide a pretty fair narrative to Abbott. He is praised for the things he did well, and used his personal beliefs and faith as an explanation for his actions. We get to understand a little bit about what makes Abbott tick - and how that didn't really translate into the highest office in the country. It seems a shame that Abbott didn't learn the lessons from the spill in February 2015 and changed his leadership style a little bit - if he had of done so, he may very well have been leading the party to this coming election.
As a politically-minded person, I recommend this book for people who have an interest in Australian politics.
Paul
ARH
April 13, 2016
Sometimes I like PvO, sometimes I don't. On this occasion: I like.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews