Abbott disappointed with poll result

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says he is disappointed with the decision of
independents to support a minority Labor government.
"It's a disappointing day, it's a disappointing result," he told reporters in
Canberra on Tuesday.
"Nevertheless I could not have asked for more support from my colleagues, from my
staff and from the party at large."
Mr Abbott said the longest election was finally over.
"The coalition won more votes and more seats than our opponents but sadly we did not
get the opportunity to form a government," he said.
Mr Abbott said he would not let his disappointment at the result blind him to the
"great strengths" of Australia's parliamentary system which he would always respect.
Mr Abbott congratulated Prime Minister Julia Gillard for winning the support of the
key independents to remain as prime minister.
"For our country's sake, I hope that she can be an effective prime minister in this
term of parliament," he said.
"For our country's sake, I hope that the Labor Party can provide a better government
in this term of parliament than it has over the last three years."
Mr Abbott said he hoped the Labor Party could rediscover the soul that had been
lacking in the last half of the previous parliamentary term.
Mr Abbott rededicated the coalition to the role of opposition, saying it will hold
the government "ferociously to account".
"We will be an even more effective opposition in the coming parliament than we were
in the last one," he said.
When it delivers, "we will give credit where it's due".
"To the extent that it doesn't, we will hold them ferociously to account."
Mr Abbott thanked his staff and paid particular tribute to his family, who had "not
always revelled being connected to a politician".
He said he was touched and grateful for their support.
Mr Abbott said he watched the independents' press conference "on tenterhooks" and
learned the news at the same time as others.
"I think everyone in this building had an extraordinary feeling of anticipation as
that press conference started," he said.
"In the end I wasn't surprised or shocked, I was disappointed, I was nevertheless
grateful for the opportunity over the last fortnight to put my case to the three
country independents.
"I think that the coalition offered regional Australia a historic new deal, I'm
pleased Bob Katter accepted that but I'm disappointed the other two didn't."
Mr Abbott rejected a suggestion from key rural independent Tony Windsor - who
earlier backed Labor to form a minority government - that if the coalition had got
the numbers it would nevertheless have "rushed off to the polls as soon as (it)
could".
"I'm not going to go into great detail of what was discussed between myself and the
independents," he said.
"I made it absolutely crystal clear that as far as I'm concerned, and as far as the
senior leadership of the coalition was concerned, we wanted the parliament to run
full term."
Mr Abbott said he would be standing for re-election as Liberal leader on Thursday.
Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop said she'd be recontesting her position as well.
Ms Bishop took the opportunity to heap praise on her leader.
"Tony transformed the political landscape in this country. He has secured a place in
political history," she said.
She said Mr Abbott had bought the party together in a way that no-one would have
imagined, and made the coalition even stronger.
"He has proved to be one of the most effective leaders of the opposition in history,
and I believe he would have made a magnificent prime minister," she said.
"On that basis I would be honoured to serve as his deputy again."
Mr Abbott said although his predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, was likely to return to a
senior position on the coalition frontbench, he did not expect a major reshuffle.
"I have great confidence in my team and while inevitably there will be changes,
should that be up to me, I don't think anyone should expect big changes," he said.
"Malcolm is an extremely able person, I've always believed that he was an adornment
to the parliament.
"I'll have to have a talk with him but I think he can expect to be a senior member
of the coalition going forward."
Mr Abbott said the opposition's biggest role was to ensure the government was up to
scratch.
"You won't be surprised if as an opposition, I tend to focus on what can be done
better," he said.
"If the government is seriously incompetent it should be gone as soon as possible,
(but) if it is reasonably up to the mark, it should enjoy a full term."
Mr Abbott said the coalition will now reconsider its policies, and while some of
them could have been "better argued", he was confident they stood up.
This was despite independent MP Tony Windsor's claim that Labor's plans for
broadband were superior to the coalition's.
Mr Abbott maintained the government's national broadband network would be "schools
halls on steroids".
"It is going to be a mine field, an absolute mine field of waste and incompetence,"
he said.
Mr Abbott said it had been an emotional rollercoaster while the trio of independents
decided.
"I certainly felt optimistic and pessimistic, I felt exhilarated and deflated in
turns in the course of the last fortnight," he said.
The opposition leader said while he was disappointed with Mr Oakeshott and Mr
Windsor's decision he believed all three independents had done their best at all
times and had acted in good faith.
Mr Abbott said the coalition would be unlikely to be moving motions of no-confidence
against the government given the circumstances of a minority administration.
"That's entirely in the government's hands and I certainly would not likely move no
confidence against the government given the circumstances that we're now in and I
wouldn't expect people to lightly support such a motion," he said.
But the opposition leader said the likelihood of another election depended entirely
on the government's performance.
"If the government's performance is so manifestly deficient that it loses a vote of
confidence, if it loses a vote of no-confidence in the House then it is highly
likely that we will have an election," Mr Abbott said.