Parliament: the smartest guy in the room?

Who's the wisest person in federal parliament? If you think the PM, Tony Abbott is happy to accept the compliment, despite his criticised captain's picks.

Tony Abbott hopes that when history is written he will be remembered as a wise man.

"That's a very nice thought," he told ABC radio, somewhat bashfully, in Adelaide on Tuesday when it was suggested he was the wisest person in parliament.

"I hope that when the history of these times are written, that's the conclusion people would come to."

Mr Abbott made the remark as his judgment is being questioned in relation to his "captain's pick" of Bronwyn Bishop as Speaker.

Mr Abbott admits he's trying to avoid another captain's pick for Mrs Bishop's replacement.

For those wondering why the leader of the nation wanted to leave it to others to make such an important decision, Mr Abbott was modest.

Asked if the Liberal Party would naturally turn to the wisest person in parliament for an opinion on such matters, Mr Abbott responded: "Who are specifying?

Well, you, prime minister.

"I'm happy to bask in that compliment," he said.

"In the end some judgments are best arrived at without too much guidance from up high."


Share

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world