http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/malcolm-turnbull-era-abbott-blames-white- anting-media-conniving/story-fn59niix-1227529278708?sv=ba20ccb9e46731e0442174fc2a5f139b Malcolm Turnbull era: Abbott blames ‘white-anting, media conniving’

 THE AUSTRALIAN  SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 12:00AM  Dennis Shanahan

Political Editor Canberra Like deposed leaders before him, Tony Abbott has complained of the debilitating effects of colleagues who “white-ant” the leader and take advantage of a “febrile media culture”.

Although directing his complaints mainly at disloyal MPs who distract governments and create the instability, the former journalist also offered some acidic advice to the media.

He said he was “proud of what the Abbott government has achieved” and had “stayed focused despite the white-anting”. Former Labor leader Simon Crean complained of “white ants” using the media to bring him down. In his final speech as prime minister, Mr Abbott said the “nature of politics has changed in the past decade”.

Echoing the concerns of former prime minister Julia Gillard about the pressures on politicians of the new 24-hour news cycle, Mr Abbott said Australia had more polls and more political commentary than ever, most of it “ sour, bitter, character assassination”.

“Poll-driven panic has produced a revolving-door prime ministership, which can’t be good for our country, and a febrile media culture has developed that rewards treachery,” he said. Mr Abbott’s key supporters believe he was destabilised by anonymous backgrounding of journalists by Liberals MPs seeking a spill.

There is also a view that the final, hectic challenge was kicked off by News Corp tabloid reports on Friday saying Mr Abbott had a hit list of ministers and was about to purge his cabinet. Former Howard ministers Eric Abetz, Kevin Andrews and Andrew Robb reportedly were on the list.

Labor frontbenchers said the story was from the Prime Minister’s Office because the newspapers were a branch of the PMO. The PMO denied being the source and said Mr Abbott had already given assurances to his supporters, but the story sparked a media frenzy and led to Monday’s challenge. Yesterday Mr Abbott appealed to journalists not to write self-serving stories from MPs who refused to give their names.

“If there’s one piece of advice I can give to the media it’s this: refuse to print self-serving claims that the person making them won’t put his or her name to; refuse to connive at dishonour by acting as the assassin’s knife.”

Christopher Pyne, who described himself as a close personal friend of Mr Abbott but is believed to have voted against him, said the Coalition had “a pretty feral press over the last couple of years”.