What a pity spoilsport Costello’s exit from leadership contention has denied us the opportunity to have a Lib party led by Abbot and Costello. But then, with apologies to Neil Young, in the field of opportunity Costello is good at the ploughing part, but fails to show up at harvest time.
Unlike Keating when he challenged Hawke for the leadership, Costello didn’t have the guts to challenge Howard mid-term and risk spending a stint on the backbench if he failed. He has now quite rightly assessed his opportunity as lost.
What’s the alternative to bowing out for Costello? 3 years as Opposition leader, with the likelihood of losing the next election (statistically, the odds are overwhelmingly that a newly elected government in Oz will last two terms)…so, probably 6 years. And what chance of him not being challenged for the Opposition leadership in that time – and almost certainly deposed if the Libs lose the next election? The road in front of him to the Lodge is way too long and way too hard, given his many taxing (sorry) years as Treasurer and his lack of public appeal.
As with Beasley, the timing was never going to be right for Costello to make it to PM, and I doubt the electorate would ever have warmed to him. There is now nowhere left for him to go but out of politics. It is surely not such a surprise that he recognised this and acted accordingly.
It is a surprise, though – to me at least – that fun-guy Tony Abbott should put his hand up for the Lib leadership. This turkey would have to be the most obnoxious in a party full of gobblers. He has all the public appeal of a shit sandwich.
Santa’s come early for the ALP if the Libs’ long stretch in office has left them so out of touch as to give him the nod.
lol. Thank-you for pointing out the Abott and Costello link. Would have been brilliant. Very funny, and correct post. I agree with everything you said. I think the ex environment minister (malcolm turnbull?) will get the nod though.
btw please contact me so I can invite you to something.
Cheers,
Gary
Hi Gary, and thanks for your comments.
Think you’re right about Turnbull. He’s a got a silver spoon protuding through the back of his neck, but must surely get the nod ahead of Brendan Nelson.
Interesting to see if they’ve got enough nouse to see the political advantage in electing Julie Bishop as Deputy. Whatever she bleats about merit, they need something tanglible to throw off the dust of antiquity that has settled over them during the Howard years, and at least appear to be ever so slightly progressive.