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Tony Abbott on the backfoot in Leigh Sales interview

Tony Abbott was left dodging questions left, right and centre from Leigh Sales on 7:30.

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Opposition Leader Tony Abbott was left dodging questions left, right and centre from Leigh Sales on 7:30.

Abbott tried to spin answers to her questions, frequently avoiding the question in favour of point-scoring against the government.

Whilst criticising the government’s carbon tax and how it had contributed to BHP abandoning the Olympic Dam, she quizzed Abbott on whether he had read the statements from BHP boss Marius Kloppers.

TONY ABBOTT: You’re not seriously – you’re not seriously telling me, Leigh, that the mining tax and the carbon tax have made Australia an easier place to invest in.

LEIGH SALES: I’m going on the facts that Marius Kloppers said today when he was directly asked if the decision on Olympic Dam was affected by Australia’s tax situation and I’m going on the facts that are outlined in their results statement that they’ve issued. Have you actually read BHP’s statements?

TONY ABBOTT: No, but I’ve also got again the statement of Jacques Nasser, who says, “While we’re still evaluating the impact of the carbon tax, but it just makes it more difficult.”

LEIGH SALES: But hang on, no, no, you haven’t read their statements today, but you’re commenting about what they’ve announced today and how the Federal Government’s to blame for that.

Later she asked him about asylum seekers.

LEIGH SALES: Do you – I’m asking you though, not about the Government. I’m asking: do you accept that it’s legal to come to Australia to seek asylum by any means – boat, plane – that it is actually legal to seek asylum?

TONY ABBOTT: I think that people should come to Australia through the front door, not through the back door. If people want a migration outcome, they should go through the migration channels.

LEIGH SALES: That’s an answer to the question if I asked you: how do you think people should seek asylum?, it’s not an answer to the question: is it legal to seek asylum?

TONY ABBOTT: And Leigh, it’s the answer I’m giving you because these people aren’t so much seeking asylum, they’re seeking permanent residency. If they were happy with temporary protection visas, then they might be able to argue better that they were asylum seekers, but obviously the people who are coming to Australia by boat, they want permanent residency.

He was also asked about an industrial relations policy and his questions on Julia Gillard’s history with Slater & Gordon.

LEIGH SALES: What are the questions you want to hear her answer in the Parliament?

TONY ABBOTT: And the point I’m making is that various reputable media bodies have put questions to her. I think the …

LEIGH SALES: I’m just asking what those questions are.

TONY ABBOTT: I think the circumstances of her departure from a previous employer are of public interest, but in the end it’s not whether she was an unethical lawyer that matters, it’s the fact that this is an untrustworthy prime minister that counts, and that’s the main game for us.

LEIGH SALES: But if you can’t put to me – if you can’t put to me specific questions that you want answered, then why are members of your frontbench running with it as an issue?

TONY ABBOTT: Well, look, don’t forget it was Robert McClelland, Leigh, who first raised this recently.

Leigh Sales was trending on Twitter as a result of the interview.

“There’s no way I can respond to or even get through the deluge of reaction to Tony Abbott on #abc730 tonight but thanks for engaging,” she tweeted.

You can watch the full interview here.

44 Responses

  1. Both Sales and Ullman give Labor pollies a grilling when warranted but at least most of them know what their policies are and are able to explain the reasoning behind them. Abbot’s ignorance is, frankly, frightening.

    @Andy G – (Getting a little off-track here) It’s not Bolt’s bias that I object to but his bullying of those who hold differing viewpoints, his quote-mining, and his wilful distortion of facts.

    @Hoin – I’m also surprised that it took so long for someone to chuck in the tired old ABC-leftie chestnut. I hope you enjoy living in the last century as you obviously missed when Howard stacked the ABC board with right-wingers.

  2. @davis. Go check some of the reviews for the newsroom this week. (Start at whatsalanwatching, hithix.com) to see how badly the mock debate episode has been panned as one of the worst hours of TV HBO has ever done. The main reason is the naivety of the newsroom staffers honestly thinking the RNC (or DNC for that matter) would allow their candidates to be publically chastised in a Debate format such as that. Both sides of politics try to protect their candidates. When was the last time you saw Gillard in a shopping centre or away from a structured environment. Not since she was chastised by a pensioner re: the carbon tax introduction

    Back to the Newsroom overall and while I agree with the overall philosophy of the show and watch it every week (mainly because I’m a Sorkin fan… Good or Bad) a “moderate republican’s” views in the Australian sphere would be far more conservative than Abbott.

    To compare the US political system to ours is like comparing apples and oranges. You could argue that Obama is more right wing than Abbott. You don’t see Obama wanting to give paid parental leave or middle class welfare for example because their government system is skewed for more to the right than ours. Obama is being called a socialist for trying to install universal health care, (where people still have to buy healthcare from their post tax income) none of our parties would ever consider that. As I said its apples and oranges

  3. Slowlyy but surely he has no more fodder as w have heard it all so much before and he and the Coalition is now being found out for the scare mongers they are, they have been getting away saying “no”, “being negative” and never questioned on what they would do instead

  4. @Kenny. Im no Abbott fanboy but I get why the Liberals in particular are weary of Q&A. At best its a 3-2 Left wing-right wing mix (counting Tony Jones). Its the same reason not only 1 Labor front bencher has ever appeard on Bolts program (which is now close to outrating insiders).

    Say what you will about so called conservative commentators such as Bolt, at least he is up front with his bias which is more than you can say re: Sales, Bonjorno, Gilbert the whole panel of the Project

  5. I am worried about this guy becoming PM as much as anybody, But can see a place for this news item on this site. If this site is going to be politically balanced then I suppose you have to start somewhere and look forward an article when the current PM gets grilled on air next. (And yes – I hate the Bolt Report with a passion as it is not ballenced and refuse to watch it)

    He was the same as he normally is – hopeless. She was loosing her cool a bit.

    This can’t be compared to the Willesee/Hewson GST cake interview many years ago as a TV moment which was famous for Mike’s facial expression (saying – I have got ya now buddy) he keeping his cool and interview summary.

    youtube.com/watch?v=WndWM71-jSQ

  6. It’s funny because on The Newsroom one of the things they’ve touched on is how politicians (in that case the then six candidates for the Republican party nomination for President) have failed to back rhetoric with actual answers when questioned on the spot.

    That interview transcript looks exactly like the script from The Newsroom’s mock debate scene.

  7. @Hoin – Oh, look. Took 21 posts before someone showed their true-blue Lib colours. Surprised Andrew Bolt isn’t the suggested Leigh Sales replacement. But Nony still won’t appear on Q&A.

  8. Leigh Sales is a typical biased ABC left wing stooge. She should be sacked and the unbiased Chris Uhlmann should take over the hosting and interviewing role full-time.

  10. Sales was the consummate professional. She listed off all the facts, sourcing every one. She brought Abbott back to the question when he attempted to side-step them and simply answer his own. She challenged him to deliver the reasoning behind his opinions, and to nail him down to the policies behind the positions. If you actually watch the interview, you’ll see that at no point does her tone vary from polite. Abbott is exposed as ill-prepared, desperately evasive and dishonest. Only the most desperately partisan viewer could watch this and criticise Sales. The transcript alone is evidence that she eviscerated a fool merely with knowledge and logic.

  11. @mistaken – That’s what I meant by partisan – these sort of prograns are viewed through the prism of party allegiance. None of the other major newsites are referring to this interview (SMH, Age, Tele, Australian) so it’s certainly not a Willesee/Hewson moment. Abbott came off no worse than he usually does.

    And @Dean – good point. Not balanced to cite this interview and ignore the Paul Kelly one with Gillard which did genuinely attract media interest.

    And, no, I’m not a Liberal voter.

  13. As a swing voter, not some rusted on try hard; I am absolutely appalled by this interview.

    Sales with her sighs, eye rolling, exasperated tone and hand-waving and the increasingly shrill tone seems to suggest her anger is not with his bad answers but with his good ones, because they fail to confirm her startlingly obvious prejudices.

    Sales’ outrage is not that Abbott is wrong in fact at all. but that his attitude seems different to hers.

    I really rate Chris Uhlmann as you would have no idea how he votes, like a good journalist should be but compare Sales’ interviews with Gillard and Abbott and there is a seismic difference in style, tone and general approach.

  14. @paul2 “handled himself fine”? If that’s handling oneself fine than I would love to see how a bumbling fool comes across. He was absolutely clueless.

    Kudos to Leigh Sales. Her interview was exceptional. She finally called out Abbott on his total lack of understanding on major political issues and his lack of policies.

  15. Well David that interview actually made national headlines on Sunday – you can watch the fiery portion on The Australians website. She accused interviewer Paul Kelly of being asked to ask her specific questions….

  19. Thanks to Seven actually running H&A 7-7:30, not their usual 7:05-7:37, I was able to catch all of 7:30.
    Yes, my viewing tastes span all genre.
    Leigh’s performance was one of those classic TV moments. Like Mike Willesee having John Hewson explain the GST on a birthday cake.

  20. Abbott really liked like a complete amateur last night.Really bad in that he doesn’t do his homework..just spouts slogans.He makes George Bush jr look really smart.
    Leigh Sales did a brilliant job on exposing how ill informed he is.
    Australia will be so worse off when he becomes PM.
    Abbott won’t go on Q ans A…..now we know why..too many hard questions he obviously can’t answer because he’s lazy and doesn’t research facts.

  21. She did ask one question that was edited out.
    LEIGH: And what do you blame for Channel TEN’s current woes?
    NONY: Well, look, ah, look, Leigh, this carbon tax and this mining tax, and these illegal arrivals, well, you know, they all make it more difficult for Channel TEN.
    (The mining resources tax does not apply to Olympic Dam).

  22. Not sure whether this belongs on a TV website, more in a politcal comments column/article in a newspaper. Leigh Sales should be able to get all sides of politics squirming, not just dippy Tony…still good on her. Now do the same to Govt and then to the mad anti semitic quasi communist party…The Greens

  23. I’m starting to get very worried about this bloke potentially running this country. Gillard is no angel but I think it’s becoming clear she is a much better politician and seems a more genuine person than Abbott.

  25. Tone was just embarrassing last night. Saying that Julia cannot be trusted is one thing (and probably true), but doing so whilst showing just how two-faced and evasive he is while at the same time trying to put forward that he isn’t, is just plain dumb.

    The unfortunate thing is that he will be this country’s next Prime Minister and that we will end up looking as stupid for electing him as the US did when they had Junior in power 🙁

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