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Tony Abbott all over the place, says Malcolm Fraser From: AAP May 26, 2010 10:36AM
Mr Fraser, who was the prime minister between 1975 and 1983, reportedly told friends Mr Abbott was "all over the place" on policy and disliked the racist overtones adopted by the party in the debate on immigration.
Mr Abbott said he was not prepared to say anything negative about Mr Fraser, who quit the party in December.
"I think he was a fine Liberal prime minister," he told Macquarie Radio.
"He was a distinguished leader of our party through some difficult times as well as some successful times."
Mr Fraser "obviously" had a right to make judgments about where he stood these days.
"I thought that the most interesting thing that Malcolm Fraser's done recently, though, was declare that the Rudd Government was worse than the Whitlam government," Mr Abbott said.
Liberal MP Petro Georgiou, a former Victorian state director of the Liberal Party, said he was deeply saddened by news of Mr Fraser's resignation.
"Malcolm's made an enormous contribution to Australia and to the party," he told ABC radio.
"He's shown that it's possible to be very politically tough but also compassionate and have a real social conscience."
Mr Fraser was a person who took his personal convictions very seriously, Mr Georgiou said.
"Malcolm's had a classical Menzian view of the party and has been troubled by where he's seen the party go over recent years.
"I think it is a general view by Malcolm that the party differs from the party that he joined."
Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce said Mr Fraser was on a new chapter of his "life-discovery mission" and was more than entitled to it.
"He's philosophically moved on from his former base - that's his gig and good luck to him, but it really means very little," he said.
But Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said the resignation would be a turnoff for many a Liberal voter.
"If they're losing a great Australian like Mr Fraser from their ranks, then there'll be many other Australians who would be Liberals who will be looking elsewhere," he said.
"It's a commentary about the Liberal Party having drifted so far away from its roots."
Senator Joyce denied the Liberals were leaning too far to the right.
"There was a time there when I was really struggling to find a difference between Mr Rudd and (former Liberal prime minister John) Mr Howard," he said.
But post-election, the political divide between the two sides was now stark, Mr Joyce said.
"The state of our bank balances being one, this moronic (mining) tax being another and the fact that he's been burning down houses around the countryside," he said.
"I don't know whether that makes you conservative or socialist or just completely and utterly hopeless."
Independent senator Nick Xenophon said the resignation would cause angst for small-l liberals.
Some critics might label Mr Fraser "a grumpy old man", he said, adding others would say the Liberal party had grown more than he had.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/abbo...#ixzz0x78fG5Em
Mr Fraser, who was the prime minister between 1975 and 1983, reportedly told friends Mr Abbott was "all over the place" on policy and disliked the racist overtones adopted by the party in the debate on immigration.
Mr Abbott said he was not prepared to say anything negative about Mr Fraser, who quit the party in December.
"I think he was a fine Liberal prime minister," he told Macquarie Radio.
"He was a distinguished leader of our party through some difficult times as well as some successful times."
Mr Fraser "obviously" had a right to make judgments about where he stood these days.
"I thought that the most interesting thing that Malcolm Fraser's done recently, though, was declare that the Rudd Government was worse than the Whitlam government," Mr Abbott said.
Liberal MP Petro Georgiou, a former Victorian state director of the Liberal Party, said he was deeply saddened by news of Mr Fraser's resignation.
"Malcolm's made an enormous contribution to Australia and to the party," he told ABC radio.
"He's shown that it's possible to be very politically tough but also compassionate and have a real social conscience."
Mr Fraser was a person who took his personal convictions very seriously, Mr Georgiou said.
"Malcolm's had a classical Menzian view of the party and has been troubled by where he's seen the party go over recent years.
"I think it is a general view by Malcolm that the party differs from the party that he joined."
Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce said Mr Fraser was on a new chapter of his "life-discovery mission" and was more than entitled to it.
"He's philosophically moved on from his former base - that's his gig and good luck to him, but it really means very little," he said.
But Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said the resignation would be a turnoff for many a Liberal voter.
"If they're losing a great Australian like Mr Fraser from their ranks, then there'll be many other Australians who would be Liberals who will be looking elsewhere," he said.
"It's a commentary about the Liberal Party having drifted so far away from its roots."
Senator Joyce denied the Liberals were leaning too far to the right.
"There was a time there when I was really struggling to find a difference between Mr Rudd and (former Liberal prime minister John) Mr Howard," he said.
But post-election, the political divide between the two sides was now stark, Mr Joyce said.
"The state of our bank balances being one, this moronic (mining) tax being another and the fact that he's been burning down houses around the countryside," he said.
"I don't know whether that makes you conservative or socialist or just completely and utterly hopeless."
Independent senator Nick Xenophon said the resignation would cause angst for small-l liberals.
Some critics might label Mr Fraser "a grumpy old man", he said, adding others would say the Liberal party had grown more than he had.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/abbo...#ixzz0x78fG5Em
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