Rick Santorum praises ‘hardliner’ Tony Abbott, says US conservatives could learn lessons from him

Rick Santorum

A former United States Republican presidential candidate says his party could learn lessons from Tony Abbott’s election victory.

Former senator Rick Santorum says Mr Abbott was able to win government while sticking to his right-wing Catholic principles.

Mr Santorum is still toying with another run at the presidency for the Republican Party.

He said Pope Francis and Mr Abbott were two people who had been able to connect with average people while staying true to their principles.

“Australia is clearly to the left of us on most of these moral cultural issues and yet Tony Abbott is a conservative Catholic who didn’t change his positions one bit, but was able to go out there and connect with average voters,” Mr Santorum told Fox News.

The former senator described Mr Abbott as a “hardliner” who was also a good communicator and that Republicans needed to learn those lessons.

“We’ve done a very bad job of connecting with working Americans,” Mr Santorum said.

“We are out there in a very stressful time in American history, people are full of fear and anxiety about their future, and we are talking about cutting things.”

The former Pennsylvania senator, who lost a 2012 bid for the Republican nomination, said he was preparing for another run but had not made a final decision.

He said he would be in Iowa and New Hampshire later this month.

Mr Santorum, a father of seven, won several primaries in the traditionally conservative southern US states in 2012.

He eventually withdrew from contention, clearing the way for eventual nominee Mitt Romney.

Santorum is known for his conservative views on issues such as the role of religion in government and family values.