Former prime minister Tony Abbott has defended his actions after passing out drunk in Parliament in 2009 and missing critical votes on the Rudd government’s global financial crisis spending bills.
On Friday Malcolm Turnbull led a scathing attack on Mr Abbott , who he knew was asleep in his office and unable to be roused after a boozy dinner with colleagues.
‘It’s clearly not acceptable or admirable in any way,’ Mr Turnbull told Neil Mitchell on 3AW radio.
But Mr Abbott has responded in a robust fashion, suggesting his misdemeanor was easily rectified, something that could not be said for the former government’s expenditure.
Tony Abbott (pictured) admitted he ‘passed out drunk’ and missed a crucial parliamentary vote
Malcolm Turnbull slammed the former prime minister for drinking ‘quite a few bottles of wine’
‘I was sober in the morning. But our country is still dealing with the debt and debt hangover of the former Labor government’s spending binge,’ he told 2UE radio on Saturday.
‘That’s what we should be focused on, not the fact that Peter Costello, Kevin Andrews and I had three or four bottles of wine over dinner.’
When questioned over his drinking habits, he revealed that the reason he maintains such good physical health was so he could indulge in ‘food and drink to excess’.
‘I don’t think that anyone has ever accused me of not being a knockabout Aussie,’ he added.
Then-Labor treasurer Wayne Swan also weighed in on Mr Abbott, saying his recklessness knew no bounds.
Mr Abbott laughed off his night in the members-only dining room in early 2009 when ‘quite a few bottles of wine were consumed’ between three MPs.
‘There was one famous occasion when Peter Costello, Kevin Andrews and I hung out rather a long time here,’ he will say in an upcoming episode of the ABC television series The House.
‘I think quite a few bottles of wine were consumed by the three of us. Peter was close to leaving at that stage, and I think all of us were in a mellow and reflective mood, so the reflections went on for longer, and later, than they should have.’
Mr Abbott, who was a member of Mr Turnbull’s then- shadow ministry, admitted he slept through several divisions.
When questioned over his drinking habits, Mr Abbott revealed that the reason he maintains such good physical health was so he could indulge in ‘food and drink to excess’
The Prime Minister (pictured) told Neil Mitchell on 3AW radio Friday morning ‘it’s clearly not acceptable or admirable in any way’
Malcolm Turnbull knew Mr Abbott (pictured) was asleep in his office and unable to be roused after a boozy dinner with colleagues in 2009, but there was nothing he could do
‘The impact was rather greater than it should have been. I think I famously slept through several divisions,’ Mr Abbott revealed
At the time he had dismissed questions about whether he was drunk as ‘impertinent’. ‘I lay down, and the next thing I knew it was the morning,’ he said.
The former prime minister confessed he fell asleep after a night of heavy drinking while he should have voted on Kevin Rudd’s Global Financial Crisis bailout measures back in 2009.
Mr Abbott shared the story on The House with Annabel Crabb – a series which takes viewers behind the scenes at Parliament House.
The leader of the opposition at the time, Mr Abbott remembered it was the night the then-Rudd government was trying to bring in measures to deal with the GFC.
He said the three men were in a ‘mellow and reflective mood’ and the drinks lasted longer than they should have.
Mr Abbott shared his story on The House with Annabel Crabb (pictured together) – a series which takes viewers behind the scenes at Parliament House
In the episode due to air on TV on September 5, Ms Crabb (pictured) described Mr Abbott as the only MP who was ‘reckless enough to smuggle me in’ to the Members Only dining room at Parliament
‘The impact was rather greater than it should have been. I think I famously slept through several divisions,’ Mr Abbott said.
‘It was a late night sitting, against all OH&S rules as you can imagine. I lay down, and the next thing I knew it was morning.’
Mr Turnbull said Mr Abbott missed an important vote and while he was disappointed in his colleague he’d moved on.
‘I can’t remember anyone else missing a vote because they were too drunk to get into the chamber,’ he said on Friday.
‘But the fact is Tony has fessed up to it, he knows it was an error or whatever, he’s acknowledged it and that’s good.’
Mr Swan said Mr Abbott was self-indulgent in sleeping through a vote on policy at a time of economic crisis.
‘He slept through some of the most important votes in the Australian Parliament in over 50 or 60 years,’ he told reporters in Brisbane.
‘When the jobs of Australians were on the line, Tony Abbott didn’t care. His recklessness knows no bounds.’
Ms Crabb described Mr Abbott as the only MP who was ‘reckless enough to smuggle me in’ to the Members Only dining room at Parliament.
The episode is due to air on television on September 5.