[Narrator]: If you think the gaffes from the likes of Sarah Palin and Donald Trump are an embarrassment,
wait until you get a load of the Former Prime Minister of Australia.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 cringe worthy Tony Abbott moments.
For this list we’re sending off the former Australian Prime Minister in style with a look back at … well why he lost his job in less than 2 years.
In the midst of the Syrian Civil War, Tony Abbott was on the campaign trail in his bid to become Prime Minister of Australia
when he was asked the question of how he thought Australia should handle the conflict.
Taking a war that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of lost lives and reducing it to a case of baddies versus baddies,
Abbott’s words would have made far more sense coming out of the mouth of a child.
That's to say nothing of how insensitive some thought his choice of words were to the many lives impacted by the ongoing battle.
Fair or not, many people believe that most politicians are talking out their asses and that you can’t take what they say at face value.
Yet it is still amazing to hear a politician just come out and say exactly that.
While striving to get six months of paid parental leave for Australia’s parents,
Abbott explicitly promised no new taxes, but then a month later introduced just that.
After being called out on the action by journalist Kerry O’Brien, Abbott stated ...
[Tony Abbott]: The statements that need to be taken absolutely as gospel truth is those carefully prepared, scripted remarks.
[Narrator]: ... thus confirming what many already suspected.
In 2014, Abbott made a very disrespectful comment to Australia’s indigenous people while speaking to business leaders:
he referred to the land prior to the forming of Britain’s colonies in 1788 as quote ...
[Tony Abbott]: Nothing but bush.
[Narrator]: Therefore, many observers were not surprised when his government decided to cut funding to remote indigenous communities –
however, his words justifying the lapse in federal funding for indigenous Western Australian communities astonished many.
[Tony Abbott]: What we can't do is endlessly subsidize lifestyle choices
if those lifestyle choices are not conducive to the kind of full participation in Australian society.
[Narrator]: Defending the cuts by saying that it is not taxpayer’s responsibility to fund people’s “lifestyle choices,”
he belittled the culture of a proud people and had critics calling him racist.
We should all strive to show respect for our elders, but when you’re the Prime Minister of Australia
and you’re listening to a 67 year old woman’s tale of woe, that should be an absolute no brainer.
If you’re Tony Abbott and that woman is telling you that to make ends meet in light of recent cuts to health care coverage
she has had to work as a sex phone operator though, then that is apparently not cut and dry.
While chatting on a radio show and listening to this caller’s story, Abbott is seen winking right after the woman mentions her profession.
The PM’s subsequent claim that the timing was just a coincidence hasn’t held much water,
and considering we were able to make a whole top 10 of his embarrassing gaffes, we don’t blame people for not buying it.
When workers for the Australian company James Hardie were suffering and dying due to the results of asbestos exposure,
Bernie Banton served as the loudest voice in the fight to get compensation.
While Abbott was Health Minister, victims petitioned the government to subsidize their medication.
Banton attempted to deliver the signatures to Abbott, but he refused to meet him.
[Tony Abbott]: Look at it, it was a stunt, let's be up front about this.
[Narrator]: He then further added fuel to the fire by stating Banton didn’t have pure intentions.
[Tony Abbott]: I know Bernie is very sick. But just because a person is sick,
doesn't mean he is necessarily pure-of-heart in all things.
[Narrator]: The result was Banton labeling Abbott ‘a gutless creep,’ a label with which many agreed.
[Bernie Banton]: What a gutless effort.
I'm absolutely infuriated that this man has so consistently denied to meeting me.
[Narrator]: In a list populated by many tone deaf and downright disrespectful moments,
this entry is actually quite hilarious and absolutely cringe inducing.
While speaking in front of a party of his supporters,
Abbott gave a brief and relaxed speech that unintentionally left them laughing.
The idea holds true that nobody is the ‘repository of all wisdom’.
However, the politician instead said ‘suppository’, and the term quickly became a trending topic on Twitter
and had the world laughing at him, not with him.
Unfortunately for Australia’s women, Prime Minister Tony Abbott appointed himself Minister for Women –
and this despite many prominent and average women labeling him a misogynist,
with one of the most notable people being former PM, Julia Gillard.
In 2014, he was asked what his biggest achievement in that role was.
Those unfamiliar with him may’ve expected him to discuss fighting the wage gap,
violence against women or other serious issues women face today.
Instead, he said women are particularly focused on budgets for the home, so repealing the carbon tax was his top move.
And though this is silly, he couldn’t have just said nothing… could he?
In 2011, Abbott was met with the news of Australian soldier Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney’s death in Afghanistan.
Whole his response was one that was picked up by a camera during a private conversation,
the fact that he nonetheless eluded to the death of a soldier as "sometimes shit happens" left many incredulous.
As human beings, we understand that in a moment of such gravity, it’s human to be at a loss for words
so if he’d realized his gaffe and apologized, the controversy could’ve easily subsided.
Abbott went a different way though, and when questioned by a reporter about the remark;
he stared in silent anger for 28 seconds before saying that such a question deserved no better response than silence.
For a response like this, we too have no words…
With all of the many mistakes Abbott has seemed to make during his years as Prime Minister,
the idea that he was nearly ousted from the role because of this action doesn’t seem so far-fetched.
But apparently, he did it to suck up to the Queen, which makes it all the more awe-inspiring.
In a move that even disgusted some of his staunchest supporters, like billionaire Rupert Murdoch,
Abbott went behind nearly everyone’s back to make Prince Philip a knight - Australia’s most prestigious honor.
Considering Australia’s contentious relationship with the Monarchy, the choice to give this title to the Queen’s husband –
a man who asked if Australians “still throw spears at each other?” – was called into question.
Before we reveal our number one pick, here are a few honorable – or in this case dishonorable – mentions.
As we’ve previously mentioned, Abbott’s views on women are seen as far from progressive.
[Tony Abbott]: What the housewivews of Australia need to understand is that they do the ironing.
[Narrator]: But in one moment while at a dry cleaner’s, he inspired many people’s jaws to drop
with a quote that revealed his view on a woman’s role in the household.
We actually think that Abbott’s intention was to speak on a level that women understand – which is condescending enough…
but what he doesn’t realize is that no intelligent person could relate to his old-fashioned ideas.
Worst of all, judging from the rest of his career and his comments to and about women, Abbott clearly learned nothing from the furor his comment induced –
since this was made three years before he assumed office as Prime Minister.
Do you agree with our list?
Are you surprised his party’s reaction to all of this was...
[Tony Abbott]: Getting rid of an elected Prime Minister in record time.
[Narrator]: For more amazing top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.