Connections between Liberal Party leadership and Eurovision
- aussievision
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Australia's Liberal Party is facing a leadership vote with Angus Taylor set to challenge incumbent leader Sussan Ley at a party room meeting at 9am AEDT tomorrow. The deputy leadership of the party will also be spilled at that meeting.
This got us at Aussievision thinking - what connections do Liberal leaders and deputy leaders have with Eurovision?
The answer - surprisingly, there are a few! Sadly, though neither Angus Taylor nor Sussan Ley seem to have connections, 1970s punk rock doesn't seem to be a common genre at Eurovision.
However, several other Liberal Party leaders and deputies have connections to Eurovision.
Tony Abbott
Australia's 28th Prime Minister, who led the Liberal Party from 2009 to 2015, made remarks in solidarity with Ukraine's Eurovision win in 2016.
In an interview with Sky News just after Eurovision 2016, Mr Abbott was asked for his thoughts on Australia's Dami Im finishing second to Ukraine's Jamala.
Mr Abbott stated, "I have a lot of goodwill for the Ukraine, I think ... Ukraine has suffered a lot over the last couple of decades and I think they're currently suffering at the hands of a bully ... So if [winning Eurovision] helps their morale I think [Australia] should be prepared to accept second place."
These remarks are unsurprising given Mr Abbott once announced he would "shirt-front" Vladimir Putin over the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine. 38 Australians were among the victims.
Mr Abbott's chief of staff during his leadership tenure, Peta Credlin, also has a Eurovision connection as 1974 winner ABBA is one of her favourite bands.
On her Sky News Australia show Credlin in 2021, she revealed that ABBA's Eurovision winner Waterloo is her favourite song from the group. Though she went on to say she was not a fan of their latest album Voyage.
Malcolm Turnbull
Mr Turnbull, who deposed Mr Abbott as both Prime Minister and Liberal leader in September 2015, also commented on Eurovision 2016.
From his official Twitter account, Mr Turnbull congratulated both Dami and Jamala on their Eurovision success.
He wrote: "Congrats [Dami] on winning the jury vote in the [Eurovision] final and to [Jamala] for winning the contest."
The Labor opposition leader at the time, Bill Shorten, also made similar congratulatory remarks to Dami on Twitter.
Julie Bishop
Ms Bishop, who served as Liberal deputy leader from 2007 to 2018, has several Eurovision connections.
In 2015, as Foreign Minister, she tweeted "Exciting news! [Australia] to compete on global stage [Eurovision] 2015."
Three years later she went further posting a video on Twitter in support of Jessica Mauboy representing Australia at Eurovision 2018.
Ms Bishop would later meet Jessica at Australian Fashion Week in 2023.
In 2018, Ms Bishop also met Malta's Eurovision entrant that year Christabelle, when the latter performed her Eurovision entry Taboo at British Parliament.
Christabelle was invited to perform Taboo by Global Citizen to Commonwealth leaders, as the song discusses mental health stigmas. Ms Bishop was in attendance representing Australia, with the two meeting and posing for several photographs.
Scott Morrison
The 30th Prime Minister, who replaced Mr Turnbull in a spill in 2018, made his connection with Eurovision by deciding to hold an election the same weekend as the 2019 contest.
It meant some Aussies got very little sleep as they stayed up to watch the election results come in the evening of 18 May, before waking up early on the morning of 19 May to watch the Eurovision final.
Australian Eurovision broadcaster SBS reported some Eurovision fans were unhappy with Mr Morrison's decision.
Political cartoonists and social media commentators also had a field day with the comparison.
Therefore, that weekend some Australians got to vote twice in two consequential events.
The Liberal leadership vote
Liberal federal politicians will also get to vote in a consequential event as they decide their new leader and deputy leader tomorrow morning.
Regardless of who wins or loses perhaps Mr Taylor and Ms Ley will have more opportunity to form a connection with Eurovision.
The new Opposition leader may decide to publicly support Australia's 2026 Eurovision entrant, as Mr Turnbull and Ms Bishop have done previously. Whilst the loser of the contest may have a lot more time as a backbencher to enjoy some Eurovision hits.
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