Tony Abbott granted travel exemption to take on UK Brexit job
London: Former prime minister Tony Abbott was granted an exemption from the Australian government's international travel ban to fly to London where he has accepted a job spruiking British trade after Brexit.
Abbott was appointed by Trade Secretary Liz Truss to the UK Trade Board and the pair had breakfast together in London on Wednesday to confirm his new role advising the UK Trade Board and spruiking British trade after Brexit.
Neither released a photograph or statement acknowledging the meeting, nor has the UK government released any official statement. It is unclear if his role is paid or unpaid.
Former Australian PM Tony Abbott pictured a few days ago with French golfer Romain Langasque at the Wales Open.Credit:Getty Images
The news comes days after Mr Abbott was photographed attending a golf tournament in Wales. On Wednesday night Australian time, Mr Abbott was in Italy but expected to return to London by next week to deliver a speech to The Policy Exchange think tank chaired by former foreign minister and former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Alexander Downer.
Mr Abbott will speak about the international response to the coronavirus pandemic.
He did not respond to questions from The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age about the nature of his travel and why it warranted an exemption.
In a promotional video for International Sports Promotion Society Handa, Mr Abbott said the tournament he attended in Wales was an example of the power of sport for good.
"What we've seen over the last few days is not just the power of sport but golf for good, not just have we seen normal life starting to come back but obviously, through today, this event, there's been wonderful good work done for some great causes like the Invictus Games," he said.
The Australian government has banned citizens from leaving the country and effectively locked out thousands of Australians trying to return home by imposing daily and weekly caps on the number of people who can return home.
The Australian Border Force did not respond to specific questions about why Mr Abbott's travel warranted an exemption or how long it took to be granted.
However, an Australian government spokesman said each was "unique and considered individually, based on the information and supporting evidence provided in the application."
"Decisions by the ABF Commissioner to grant exemptions for travel must be balanced against the Government’s intent for imposing the travel ban and the health risks posed to the Australian community by international travellers," the spokesman said.
Mr Abbott also refused to answer questions about whether he would hotel quarantine at his own expense.
His appointment was met with derision by the British Labour party. Shadow trade secretary Emily Thornberry said the nomination of a failed Australian prime minister was a "humiliation," particularly given the UK was hosting the next round of global climate talks.
"On a personal level, I am disgusted that Boris Johnson thinks this offensive, leering, cantankerous, climate-change-denying, Trump-worshipping misogynist is the right person to represent our country overseas," Thornberry said.
"He was ousted by his own colleagues after two years in power, and kicked out of Australian politics by his own constituents just last year.
"They are the people who know him best, and they wanted rid of him — yet here we are, hiring him to negotiate our trade deals around the world. If it wasn’t so downright humiliating, it would be almost hilarious."
Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison praised the UK government's appointment as a "good hire". The Australian government was not made aware of the appointment until they read about it in the British press, a spokesman said.
Labor's Senate Leader Penny Wong has criticised a travel exemption for former PM Tony Abbott.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Australian Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong also criticised the decision to grant Abbott a travel exemption.
"Last week it was a wealthy entrepreneur with Morrison government connections given an exemption to pick up his luxury yacht in Italy," she said.
"Now it’s a former Liberal Prime Minister allowed to leave for a breakfast meeting about a plum job with a foreign government. With Scott Morrison it’s clearly one rule for the privileged few while other Australians can’t get exemptions to visit dying relatives."