Tony Abbott

Anthony John Abbott (born 4 November 1957) is an Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015, holding office as the leader of the Liberal Party. He was the member of Parliament (MP) for the New South Wales division of Warringah from 1994 to 2019 and is the current president of the Liberal Party.

Born in England, Abbott studied economics and law at the University of Sydney before attending Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Prior to entering politics, he trained briefly for the priesthood and worked in journalism and political advisory roles. Abbott entered parliament at the 1994 Warringah by-election and rose through the ranks during the Howard government, serving in various ministerial roles, including Health and Ageing. In 2009, he challenged and defeated Malcolm Turnbull in a leadership spill over Turnbull's support for the Labor Party's Emissions Trading Scheme. Abbott subsequently led the Coalition to the 2010 federal election, which resulted in a hung parliament, and then to a landslide victory at the 2013 election.

As prime minister, Abbott's government introduced Operation Sovereign Borders, repealed the carbon pricing scheme and the mining tax, and pursued budget austerity measures. His administration launched several initiatives including the Medical Research Future Fund, trade agreements with China, Japan and South Korea, and the New Colombo Plan. Abbott also committed troops to the fight against ISIS and pledged to resettle 12,000 Syrian refugees. Domestically, he advocated for constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians and a plebiscite on same-sex marriage.

Abbott's leadership faced widespread criticism over unpopular budget cuts and declining public support, culminating in his replacement by Malcolm Turnbull in 2015. He remained in parliament until his defeat at the 2019 election by independent Zali Steggall. In 2020, Abbott was appointed to the UK Board of Trade and continues to engage in public discourse as a writer and speaker, championing conservative viewpoints. In 2026, he was elected as the federal president of the Liberal Party, a primarily administrative role within the party.