Tony Abbott held talks with Peter Dutton about a shock political comeback, highlighting the former prime minister’s enduring appetite for public life as he warns the Liberal Party is in such a state of disarray it can no longer claim it is a party capable of winning elections.
Three sources in the party, not willing to go on the record because the talks were private, said Dutton was sceptical about reviving Abbott’s political career in the lead up to the 2025 federal election after he was pushed to preselect the former leader for a western Sydney seat such as Parramatta or McMahon.
Tony Abbott held talks with Peter Dutton about a shock political comeback ahead of the 2025 federal election.Credit: Aresna Villanueva
In an interview with this masthead’s Inside Politics podcast, Abbott said the talk about a potential tilt at a lower house seat at the May election was exaggerated but revealed a conversation with Dutton after the death of veteran Jim Molan, which created a NSW Senate vacancy in 2023.
“I had one conversation with Peter Dutton after it was publicly suggested that I could possibly take Jim Molan’s Senate seat, and Peter basically said that it would make his life more complicated if that were to happen,” Abbott said.
“I completely accepted that. Now, different people said to me, ‘Oh, Tony, why don’t you have another go?’ and my view then and now is that I couldn’t or shouldn’t do anything that makes the life of the leader of the Liberal Party more complicated.”
Dutton confirmed the conversations, telling this masthead, “I love Tony, but I didn’t encourage any return.”
“I thought it was beneath him. He is a distinguished former prime minister, and why on Earth would he want to return to the arena? The answer is he has always seen politics as a calling and a vocation. He is one of the most misunderstood people in Australian politics,” Dutton said.
Some federal MPs are keen for Abbott, 68, to replace Liberal Party president John Olsen, 80, when Olsen leaves the role. But Abbott’s critics, particularly among moderate MPs, are frustrated with his continued involvement in internal party affairs.
