There will be tears in the eyes of onion growers across Australia today as they lament the political downfall of one of their most energetic advocates.

The ousted PM set tongues wagging and teeth clenching when he devoured a raw onion – skin and all – on a visit to a Tasmanian farm earlier this year. It was widely considered a political blunder, but the onion industry seized on Abbott’s culinary faux pas with … well, relish.

“Obviously we had a big fan in former Prime Minister Tony Abbott,” Onions Australia’s SA-based chief executive Lechelle Earl reflected to InDaily today.

“He loved his onions.”

So much so that Earl embarked on a pilgrimage from Mount Gambier to Canberra in March to present the Liberal leader with a ‘Thank-You’ basket of onions, which he again couldn’t resist sinking his teeth into.

But while his lack of a peel endeared him to onion advocates, his lack of appeal last night cost him his job. The shock coup leaves a bitter taste for the industry, but Earl is confident the versatile veggie might also get under the fledgling PM’s skin.

“As CEO of Onions Australia, I’ll be throwing down the challenge to Malcolm Turnbull to show the love,” she said.

While she has no plans to repeat her Canberra dash to break bread with Australia’s 29^th Prime Minister, she insists: “My door is always open if Mr Turnbull would like to discuss the Australian onion industry.”

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After all, his ascension has already prompted an ironic outpouring of social media sympathy, with the hashtag #putoutyouronions trending nationally, a less reverent reference to the #putoutyourbats phenomenon that greeted the passing of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes.

“Obviously, this isn’t the most respectful hashtag, however we welcome any attention on our humble allium,” Earl said.

Whether that attention will ever again reach the lofty heights of the Abbott era is a question the industry must today ponder, as it recalls the heady euphoria of ‘Oniongate’.

“The moment Tony Abbott bit into a beautiful Tasmanian onion, the phone started ringing off the hook, and social media went crazy,” Earl recalled.

“People talked about onions, asking us ‘is this the best way to eat them?’”

It was a debate on which, just as in yesterday’s partyroom ballot, Abbott found himself in the minority.

“It’s not my personal preference, but I’m not going to discourage people eating onions whole and raw,” Earl said.

“We do relish the opportunity to have that conversation with the Australian public. People should be eating onions – they’re so good for you.

“I hope people putting out their onions eventually bring them back in and cook them – don’t waste them!”