6 days ago
Bizarre moment former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott is seen directing traffic in a car park
Australia's 28th prime minister Tony Abbott has been spotted in a role few would expect - directing traffic in a busy Sydney CBD car park.
A driver recently exited the underground car park beneath the Theatre Royal Sydney on King Street, and was greeted by Abbott as he used hand signals to guide vehicles through the congestion.
The former leader appeared completely at ease, although no hi-vis was in sight but rather he was wearing business clothes that wouldn't be out of place in parliament.
Footage surfaced on social media this week, but it is believed to have been filmed in June during the 40th anniversary run of Cats the Musical, which is currently showing at the historic theatre.
Daily Mail understands that theatregoers had just poured out of the evening performance, creating a significant traffic jam underground as dozens of cars tried to leave at the same time.
Abbott then stepped in to help ease the chaos, waving drivers forward and helping them navigate the bottleneck.
While the sight of a former prime minister managing traffic may seem surprising, it's not out of character for Abbott.
He has been a volunteer with the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Davidson Brigade in northern Sydney for more than 20 years.
RFS members are often trained in traffic control and assist in such duties during emergencies, skills Abbott has put to use both during disasters.
Throughout and after his political career, Abbott has been frequently seen on the front lines of major crises.
During the catastrophic 2019–2020 Black Summer bushfires, he was seen running into a burning home to help extinguish the flames.
In 2018, he was spotted battling aggressive fires in the NSW Hunter region.
His latest hands-on act drew a number of responses.
'I'm impressed. That's leader behavior,' one person commented.
'What a comeback,' said someone else.
'Doing more for the community than Albo,' wrote another.
Others speculated on why Abbott was in the area in the first place.
One commenter suggested it might have been a social visit.
'Was probs visiting John Howard who has his offices in that building in Martin Place. Seen them there quite often,' he claimed.
It's not known if Abbott had been in the theatre to catch a performance of Cats.
Though, if he had, it wouldn't be his first foray into feline capers.
About a decade ago while sitting PM, it was revealed Abbott's office had penned 130 pages of correspondence about a web browser extension someone had made, Stop Tony Meow, that swapped pictures of the former Liberal leader with kittens.
