photo credit: Hengest

He’s almost as persistent as his nemesis, John Howard…

PETER COSTELLO will be forced to declare his political intentions by early April, ending months of speculation about the former federal treasurer’s future.

Supporters of Mr Costello are urging him to fight for his seat at the next federal election, saying the Liberal Party needs him more than ever as Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull fails to make headway in the opinion polls.

via Costello tipped to run for seat again – National – smh.com.au.

Is it really possible that he would wait for Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership to crash? There is actually no  firm evidence that Turnbull’s leadership is in real trouble but surely Costello is not seriously thinking that he’ll hang around just in case. And surely the Liberal Party isn’t seriously considering Costello as a leader of the future?

Well, according to this article perhaps he is and they are.

It seems Costello doesn’t get it. He had his moment and he missed it. He trots out this line about not wanting to damage the party – well, that’s already happened. Howard damaged it (and Costello let him) and now the leadership speculation of the last 12 months is damaging the party too.

He doesn’t seem to understand that his time has come and gone. And the only real explanation for his behaviour must surely be payback. He’s enjoying his role as a thorn in the side of the parliamentary party and he’s enjoying making some of the Howardites of the party sweat. Well that’s all well and good, but the time for action was about 18 months ago and he didn’t have the guts then.

So he appears to be back to the old modus operandi of wait and wait and wait. The only problem with this is, like the last time, the time will never come.

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photo credit: jurvetson

Costello denies he’s spineless

September 14, 2008

PETER Costello says he urged John Howard on several occasions to stand down as prime minister, but rejects the suggestion he lacked the guts to challenge for the Liberal leadership.

The former treasurer said he pressed Mr Howard on the issue on a number of occasions but that the former prime minister always had a reason not to hand over the leadership reins.

Costello denies he’s spineless | The Australian.

WEE don’t know about you, but we are heartily sick of hearing about Costello and his failed bid for leadership. WEE are tired of speculating on what might have been and what definitely wasn’t.

So, while you might feel a little sympathy for the man having to put up with John Howard’s antics over 11 years of the previous government, the fact remains that he did put up with them. And that really is the whole point about the spineless thing, isn’t it? He could have done so much to temper Howard and yet it appears he did nothing – apart from give us a 10% GST rather than an 8% GST. Great work Pete.

WEE hope that after his miserable little book is launched he limps out of Parliament and is never seen again. He is not an inspiring person, and he certainly is not a leader – he proved that over 11 years of the Howard government. And he is sadly proving it again in the way he has conducted himself over the last few weeks.

For everyone’s sake Peter, just give it up. You missed your moment. And to listen to you and now your wife tell us all how great it would have been – well that’s just it ‘would have’. It’s over. Go away.

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