Home / Series / Nemesis (2024) / Aired Order / Season 1 / Episode 1

The Abbott Years

When Tony Abbott swept to power with a thumping victory over the Labor government in 2013 his future seemed assured. As the ultimate political warrior, he’d brought the Coalition back into power with a devastatingly effective campaign promising to ‘stop the boats’, ‘axe the tax’, ‘reduce the debt’ and ‘end the waste’. But in just under two years, he was removed as prime minister. So how did it all go so wrong so quickly? In this episode, Tony Abbott’s allies and enemies take us through those tumultuous years, where successes were overshadowed by a politically disastrous first Budget to eye popping moments of onion eating, shirtfronting and the infamous “captain’s call” to bring back knights and dames.

English