Election 2016: Full coverage - news, analysis and video Tony Abbott cuts a lonely figure on day one He cut a solitary figure on day one of the federal election campaign, but Tony Abbott will soon jet to sunny Queensland to campaign with fellow backbencher George Christensen. And he'll be campaigning to ensure the Turnbull government is re-elected. Mr Abbott has previously indicated his willingness to leave his seat of Warringah, which he holds with a 15.4 per cent margin, to campaign in marginal seats when invited. The former prime minister's office refused to confirm his travel plans when contacted by Fairfax Media. But Mr Christensen, who holds the seat of Dawson with a 7.6 per cent margin, was only too happy to confirm Mr Abbott would fly to Mackay on Thursday afternoon. An outspoken member of the Coalition's conservative wing, Mr Christensen has previously likened the Safe Schools program to paedophile grooming and spoken at an anti-Islam Reclaim Australia rally. The visit marks Mr Abbott's first entry into the federal campaign outside his own seat. And he said local Liberal National Party supporters in Mackay would be only too happy to welcome him. First off, Mr Abbott will attend a meeting of the party faithful on Thursday where, Mr Christensen said, he would "rally the troops". " Then the next day we have got a meeting with a bunch of cane farmers out on a farm, we'll be talking to them about their issues," Mr Christensen said. "He's popular with the rank and file, the base up here, I think that Tony knows how to fire up a crowd in a rally the troops kind of way. We will talk about the issues impacting on the industry, Tony is gung ho on the carbon tax and the ETS Labor wants to bring in, plus we will talk about a range of other stuff." In the 2010 federal election campaign, dumped Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd was a constant distraction for Julia Gillard. But Mr Christensen said that Mr Abbott - who recently declared the Abbott era was over and that "I don't think the party will ever go back" - said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had nothing to worry about. " Tony is coming up to rally the troops in support of the re-election of the Turnbull government." Follow us on Twitter Follow James Massola on Facebook
