Machiavellian Tony Abbott

Barry O'Farrell's Second Crossing

At the time of creating this cartoon in 2012, the construction of a second airport for Sydney had been a contentious issue for many years. The existing airport had been at capacity and beyond for a considerable period of time and an additional airport was desperately needed. Because of the potential loss of votes in an electorate where such a facility would be established, the then Premier of New South Wales, Barry O’Farrell, proposed that Sydney’s second airport be located in Canberra, the capital city of the Australian Capital Territory, to be linked to Sydney via a Very Fast Train (VFT) service. If approved, not only would the new airport not be in Sydney, it won’t even be in New South Wales. It would be hundreds of kilometers away, in Canberra! I couldn’t help but wonder, when Premier O’Farrell proposed a new harbour crossing for Sydney, if he is intending that it too be located in Canberra!

https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/10bn-tunnel-for-8bn-sydney-rail-20120620-j2jcu

Tony Abbott Under Threat

At the time, Tony Abbott was the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives. He was known for his homophobic sentiments. In 2009, he infamously stated that he felt threatened by gay people. 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-03-09/abbott-still-threatened-by-homosexuality/356168