Profile: Former Australian PM Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott was already a polarising figure when he became prime minister of Australia in 2013.
The appointment - which has yet to be officially confirmed - has attracted a lot of comment from British MPs, much of it negative. After graduating in economics and law from the University of Sydney, where he was also a leading student boxer, he attended Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, studying politics and philosophy.He briefly trained as a Catholic priest, before working as a journalist for the Australian newspaper.
As leader of the opposition, Mr Abbott's aggressive approach earned him several nicknames. His tactics led some to call him"Tear-down Tony" or"Mad Monk" - a reference to his time spent training as a priest. Upon his election as prime minister, Mr Abbott was criticised for only having one woman, Liberal deputy leader Julie Bishop, in his cabinet.
He argued that higher concentrations of carbon dioxide act as"plant food" and"are actually greening the planet and helping to lift agricultural yields".Mr Abbott's administration concluded a series of free trade deals with China, Japan and South Korea.
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