Four Corners returns mid February with a “whither the Liberals” program that looks at the defeat of the Howard government and directions for the future, and details are already slipping out.
Howard loyalists – the Alexander Downers of the world – are telling the ABC that John Howard would have stepped down if the Ian McLachlan leadership note had not appeared in 2006. They say the Peter Costello forces guaranteed that Howard would stay.
It was the Poison Dwarf wot lost it.
All this introspection is not good for the Liberals. They are looking at their current leader as well.
More and more it is being said that Brendan Nelson has had a terrible start; that he is the unfortunate product of a faction deal.
Some senior figures say Malcolm Turnbull will be running the show by spring.
By coincidence today saw this prescient piece by econ editor Gittins on 6/6/07 p13 SMH ie when it counted “A game of follow the leader” pushing the same line re profound polling boost to ALP on climate. Most of the 4 columns. Greg Hunt MP is your man now
Bull. They lost because at core people are environmental realists. The ‘doctor’ told ’em and the message got over even with the ABC medium hobbled that endless fossil fools is suicide. People still love their kids. They still trust real science.
Libs lost because they stopped being conservatives and betrayed a number of their conviction politics positions, including global warming garbage. Then they became political desperados, and all because some egos couldn’t restrain themselves.
Tom, the Lib failure was to move away from real science & allow propaganda to rule, as demonstarted by Rudd’s failure to commit to anything despite signing Kyoto. A lesson for Turnbull & Hunt in pandering to politics of ignorance.