Confident Tony drops his cossie in Mackay for charity

Michael Madigan - Courier Mail Friday 11/6/10

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott looked like he had the election won at Mackay's Shamrock Hotel yesterday afternoon as the LNP faithful not only embraced their leader but also snared a pair of his budgie smugglers to raffle off.

Introduced by Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, using slightly awkward language - "Tony is a person who is a great human being, Tony is a person who is humble" - Mr Abbott looked infinitely self-assured as he launched a character assassination on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Nothing less than chaos was descending on the nation because of Mr Rudd's economic mismanagement, broken promises and misguided policies, he said. Changes to the mining tax would not stop the cot. "He might try to change it, he might try to fiddle around the edges, but the damage has been done," he said.

"The only way to stop this is to change the government." Mr Abbott, addressing the Queensland LNP's Senate launch, fondly recalled the more placid days of former prime minister John Howard, who he said presided over a government that was not without faults, but "a good government" nonetheless. His frontbench, he gently reminded the audience, were all experienced in the art of government, and experience meant fewer mistakes.

The audience, which included Mayor Col Meng, lapped it up, while the endorsed LNP candidate for Dawson, George Christensen, declared "Tony Abbott will be the next
prime minister" with some conviction. The autographed budgie smugglers were hustled off for a charity raffle.