Bastardry or brilliance? How about a bit of both?
Peter Costello is mightily miffed that his colleagues didn’t turn to his talents earlier, so he has decided to deny them their benefits opportunity in opposition.
It’s an almighty piece of petulance from Dollar Sweetie, but it’s not without its logic. Costello has given the ALP another scalp, but has also denied them a target.
Costello played a prominent part in the government defeated on Saturday. He was the anointed successor of a prime minister who has managed to lose his own seat.
He banged on endlessly about the Beazley black hole. It’s easy to imagine the lines Labor would have used to target against opposition leader Costello when they repealed “the extreme, unfair industrial relations legislation you wanted for 20 years”.
Costello simply doesn’t have the nerve to be leader. He feinted back in July last, but didn’t challenge.
Take it from someone who was there. Peter Costello could have been leader in the mid nineties. He had the numbers. He didn’t take the job.
If you’re leadership material, you don’t turn down something like that – even if you don’t feel ready.
Peter Costello isn’t, so he is going, but he has one vital task to complete. There will be a by-election in Higgins sometime before the end of next year.
Costello has to ensure the Liberal candidate is his old friend and mentor, Michael Kroger.
Peter, Peter pumpkin eater, had the vote but not the meter. A show pony through, through and through. He lacked the guts to tackle you know who; poor Peter, Peter pumpkin eater.
Fortunately resignation is as close to suicide as it gets in our system. Hubris is a danger, and the labour party is better served by a good opposition than the crippled rememenants of the old guard. Really, the smirk was never electable.
I thought that perhaps he might let the duffers fight it out for 12 – 18 months, and then step up as leader prior to the next election when the King of Wentworth inevitably trips up over his own ego.
…..and a fall on his cutlass rendered him nutless……
These loony bitter letters I read here can’t be real. The writers obviously have computors and can afford a Crikey subscription as well, so they can’t have suffered under the previous government. No wonder our domestic violence stats are so bad. GET HELP!