The government’s policies on climate change, healthcare and the NBN are likely to stay the same even if a leadership spill one day replaces Malcolm Turnbull with Tony Abbott, according to former prime minister Kevin Rudd.
Speaking on ABC Radio this morning, the former Labor leader was asked whether friction between Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott was proof the Liberals had failed to learn from the leadership tussle that plagued Mr Rudd’s own prime ministership.
He said the differences between the two men were superficial on the “big policy changes facing Australia”.
Among those policies were “the future of the national broadband network, the future of climate change action, the future of a sustainable economic growth strategy, NDIS and the future of health reform,” Mr Rudd said.
“Frankly if I look at Mr Abbott and Mr Turnbull it just seems to be tweedledum or tweedledee."
It comes following a week in which Mr Abbott made frequent media appearances, suggesting changes to government policy.
Mr Abbott has also blasted his Liberal colleague Christopher Pyne for a recently leaked recording in which the Turnbull Government minister promised swift action on same-sex marriage and said his moderate faction had gained control of the party.
Mr Abbott has denied claims he is seeking to topple Malcolm Turnbull to regain the prime ministership.
"I am very happy being a backbench member of the government because it gives me the freedom to speak as I think best, and it gives me more time to be a very conscientious local member," he said in an interview published in The Manly Daily on Wednesday.
