Tony Abbott
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Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He led the Liberal Party and represented the New South Wales seat of Warringah from 1994 until 2019. Abbott studied economics and law at the University of Sydney before attending Oxford 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 via a 1994 by-election and rose through the ranks during the Howard government, serving in various ministerial roles including Health and Ageing. In 2009, he challenged Malcolm Turnbull for the Liberal leadership over opposition to Labor’s Emissions Trading Scheme, winning by a narrow margin. He led the Coalition through the 2010 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 As prime minister, Abbott's government introduced Operation Sovereign Borders, repealed the carbon pricing scheme and the mining tax, and pursued budget austerity measures.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 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 in 2019 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.