In this episode of Outposts, James sits down with Tony Abbott, former Prime Minister of Australia (2013–2015), for a candid and wide-ranging discussion on some of the biggest challenges facing the West. As Prime Minister, he was known for his tough stance on border security, economic policy, and his handling of the Asian boat crisis. He also played a key role in shaping the AUKUS pact, strengthening ties between Australia, the UK, and the U.S. Now retired from frontline politics, Abbott’s status as an elder statesman of the West affords him the space to, in his words, “say what needs to be said” as he reflects on his time in office and the difficulties facing the Western world.
Immigration, War, and Decline
“Losing control of your borders,” he says, “isn’t just a crisis—it’s a peaceful invasion.” It’s a statement that echoes his tenure as Australia’s Prime Minister, when he cracked down on illegal boat crossings with a bluntness that won him both furious criticism and devoted supporters. Now, years later, he watches Britain’s small boat crisis with a sense of déjà vu. The same mistakes, he argues, are playing out in Europe.
However, Abbott’s concerns extend beyond border security to the institutions that shape society itself. He points to Oxford and Cambridge—once the pinnacle of Western academia—as examples of an intellectual culture eroding under what he calls “academic socialism.” It’s a shift he believes is weakening Britain, much like the cultural drift he has observed in other Western democracies.
As conflict between China and the United States looms on the Pacific horizon, Abbott argues that peace can only be preserved through strength—but is the West strong enough to prevent such a conflict? That, he suggests, is the real question.
Britain’s Future and the Lessons of the Past
Yet, Abbott remains an optimist. The West has been here before, he reminds us. Looking at Britain’s economic and political turbulence today, he sees echoes of the late 1970s—before Margaret Thatcher’s reforms pulled the country back from the brink. If Britain found resilience then, he believes it can do so again.
AUKUS, in his view, is one such step toward reclaiming strength. The alliance, which binds Britain, Australia, and the United States in a renewed Pacific strategy, is more than just a defense pact—it’s a signal that the English-speaking democracies still matter on the global stage. He sees it as an opportunity for Britain to reassert itself in a world increasingly dominated by China’s influence.
