Shalailah Medhora Monday 29 December 2014

Prime minister admits he did not expect the budget sell to be easy ‘but we are on the right track’

Tony Abbott: ‘I don’t think the Australian people want to surrender when it comes to the task of fixing our economy and strengthening our budget. And to go back to Labor would be a surrender.’ Photograph: Tom Compagnoni/AAP Image

Prime minister Tony Abbott has acknowledged that 2014 was always going to be difficult for the Coalition, as it floundered in the polls following May’s tough budget.

Abbott spoke to 2GB radio on Monday afternoon, saying he did not expect the budget sell to be easy.

“We always thought 2014 was going to be a tough year because we always thought that the job of budget repair would be incredibly difficult. It’s proven to be every bit as difficult as we expected, but we are on the right track,” Abbott said.

Newspoll surveys show support for the Coalition has tumbled from nearly 46% at the last federal election to 37% now. Primary support for Labor is up five points to 38%.

“It’s always better to be up than down in the polls. Any politician who says he or she doesn’t look at the polls is telling a fib,” Abbott said.

“In the end, what’s important to me and my ministers is not passing popularity, but doing the best job by the people of Australia.”

He has accused Labor of sabotaging budget measures, and said crossbenchers are being “populist”.

“My message to the crossbenchers is, sure there might be individual measures that you don’t like, but you’ve got to look at the big picture as well as the small picture. If all you’re willing to do is point to small things you don’t like, and reject the message of budget repair, you’re part of the problem, you’re not part of the solution.

“I don’t think the Australian people want to surrender when it comes to the task of fixing our economy and strengthening our budget. And to go back to Labor would be a surrender.”

Abbott points to the recent ministerial reshuffle as a sign of good things to come in 2015.

“Every day I’m trying to be the best prime minister I can be, my ministers are trying to be the best they can be, and collectively we’re trying to be the best government we can be,” Abbott said.

Abbott will go on leave from early January, leaving deputy prime minister Warren Truss to hold the fort until his return.

Tony Abbott says 2014 was always going to be difficult for the Coalition | World news | The Guardian