Tony Abbott has quite spectacularly botched his attempt to pay tribute to former prime minister Bob Hawke.
Hawke, who once described Abbott as “mad as a cut snake”, has been celebrated as a Labor legend, a giant of politics, and a true Aussie character beloved by all. In a statement on social media, Abbott opened his tribute by declaring Hawke a “great prime minster.”
“In my judgement, he was Labor’s greatest prime minister.”
AND THEN:
“But his key achievements – financial deregulation, tariff cuts, and the beginnings of privatisation – went against the Labor grain, as Labor’s more recent policy direction shows.
“You might also say that he had a Labor heart, but a Liberal head.
“Certainly, the Coalition supported nearly all of his big reforms, helping to make his tenure a time of economic revitalisation.”
Statement on the death of The Hon Bob Hawke AC, GCL: pic.twitter.com/M8fzbFlVTE
— Tony Abbott (@HonTonyAbbott) May 16, 2019
Honestly, the top replies say it all.
At the time of writing, Abbott’s tweet has 730 likes, 201 retweets, and almost 4,000 – mostly negative – comments.
Abbott is campaigning for re-election in his seat of Warringah against chief political opponent, independent candidate Zali Steggall.
