Source : Perth Now news
Josh Frydenberg has not closed the door on running at the next election, fuelling fresh speculation about a return to frontline politics.
In a wide-ranging interview with News24 host Sharri Markson on Monday, tied to the release of his memoir A Grateful Son, the former treasurer stopped short of committing to a return but made clear he had not ruled one out.
“As for my future, I will make those decisions at the appropriate time. There’s a lot to weigh up. There are a lot of considerations,” Mr Frydenberg told the program.
Pressed repeatedly on whether he still wanted to be prime minister, Mr Frydenberg did not shut the idea down, but avoided any firm declaration.
“Look, I think anyone who enters the political race wants to rise up to the top,” he said.
“Certainly, they were my ambitions when I first entered into politics, but now I’m out of politics, so I wouldn’t be so presumptuous to say that’s my ambition today.”
The comments come as the Coalition tries to recover from its election losses and deal with a splintering conservative vote.
Mr Frydenberg described the Liberal Party’s position in stark terms, warning it was facing an “existential” threat as voters drifted to the Teals on one side and One Nation on the other.
“It feels like things are different,” he said, pointing to demographic change and the Coalition’s shrinking base.
He backed Opposition Leader Angus Taylor but warned the party could not continue as normal after its poor result.
“There’s lots of good people there doing important work, but we can’t accept business as usual because the vote is so low for the Coalition,” he said.
Mr Frydenberg also cautioned Liberals not to dismiss the rise of Pauline Hanson’s party as a passing phase.
“The One Nation vote isn’t going to suddenly disappear,” he said.
He argued the deeper threat to the Coalition remained Labor, but conceded the Liberals had not been as strong as they needed to be on the issues voters cared about most, including immigration and the cost of living.
While much of the interview ranged across his memoir and his years in public life, the sharpest political moments came when he reflected on leadership turmoil inside the Morrison government and the state of the opposition now.
Mr Frydenberg revealed colleagues had urged him in late 2021 to challenge Scott Morrison as the government’s standing deteriorated, but he refused to move.
He also spoke candidly about the damage done to his relationship with the former prime minister after the secret ministries scandal.
“My relationship with Scott Morrison is that we speak, it’s amicable, I think it was damaged by the dual ministries. It’s not the same as it was,” he said.
“And my response has been brothers don’t do things like dual ministries to each other in secret.”
Mr Frydenberg indicated the revelation that Mr Morrison had himself sworn into multiple portfolios had left him feeling undermined, and suggested it could have triggered a major revolt if it had been known at the time.
On the 2022 election loss, Mr Frydenberg accepted responsibility and rejected the idea of whether he could have led the Coalition to victory instead.
“I take my fair share of responsibility for that loss,” he said.
He also used the interview to mount a broader critique of the Albanese government, arguing the economy was weakening and the country needed stronger leadership.
“The trend is not our friend and the government’s economic record has been very poor,” he said.
Asked to sum up Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Mr Frydenberg replied with a single word, “Disappointing.”
Mr Frydenberg insisted he had not set a deadline on any return and maintained his book was not written as a launch pad back into politics.
Still, he left little doubt that the question remains alive.
“The Liberal Party is in a low ebb,” he said.
“But we need, for our country’s sake, better leadership than we’ve had to date.”
