Abbott resigned by fax - yes it's true!

I read it through the week and just thought it was satire. No prime minister would do that surely. Apart from it breaking protocol by informing the Governor General in person that you'd been turfed by your own party in the Gov's first term, but a fax!....

Dumped prime minister Tony Abbott reportedly resigned from the nation's most powerful leadership position by sending a fax. 

The more traditional path trodden by knifed Australian prime ministers - we have conventions as the "coup capital of the Western world" - is to visit the Queen's representative in person at Government House in Yarralumla. 

A monarchist with a penchant for dames and knights, it is interesting that Mr Abbott chose to fax his notice of resignation rather than to visit Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove. 

It's also noteworthy that his "subversive" act was performed by using a fax machine, a device that has gone the way of video players, cassette tapes and floppy disks. 

Veteran political correspondent Laurie Oakes reported the news of the faxed letter of resignation on Tuesday night. more

That's like making a recording on a cassette tape and mailing it. Or sending a telegram. What a fitting way for a technophobe to end their position.