You may disagree with him, but Tony Abbott is a man of principle. His religion and his loyalty to the Crown are foremost. In his forthcoming book, Battlelines, he says that in 1993 the then Labor leader of the NSW Legislative Council ”Jonno” Johnson, launched “his final recruitment drive.”
Mr. Johnson suggested he return to his “true home.”
Tony Abbott said he had never left the Catholic Church.
“Not that one,” he said, “ the Labor Party.”
Tony Abbott explained that while he was dismayed by the Liberal’s post election then manoeuvring, he was even more appalled by “ Paul Keating’s attack on the monarchy.
“ Comrade, there is no hope for you,” Jonno Johnson replied.
Months later they ran into one another when Tony Abbott was ACM’s executive director. He was on his way to an ACM lunch at Parliament House.
“If you’d accepted my advice, “ he said, ” you’d be a member of this place by now.”
Within months Tony Abbott was a Member of the House of Representatives.
( An extract appeared in The Weekend Australian Magazine, 25-26 July, 2009. This is not on the web, but a comment by Paul Kelly on a proposal concernng the problems of the federation is there. A further instalment is to appear in Monday's Australian. )