Chaos in the Wake of the HMAS Costello
September 10th 2008 22:23
There are mixed emotions flying around Australia this morning. Some people are feeling ecstatic. Some people are beyond depressed. Some people see opportunities. Some people see doors closing on them around every corner. Some people think it’s the death of politics. Some people think it is the only way politics could be saved. However people feel, however, I think we can all agree on one thing: we are all just glad the speculation over Peter Costello is dead and buried. The backroom drama of backstabbing and secret support and leadership challenges was the most sickening example of civil war in a political party since... well, since the ALP were in Opposition. There are certain facts in the whole situation that are self-evident: no, Brendan Nelson probably can’t win an election against the Russ juggernaut and yes, recruiting Peter Costello would have increased the chances exponentially. That’s just fact. But what people never considered was that maybe Costello never wanted the job. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. All the accolades and sucking-up done by his colleagues and the media were not enough to sway him to take up the mantle. That took strength of character. Not everyone would turn down the leadership of a Federal party handed to them on a silver platter, but that is what Costello did. That should be applauded.
What shouldn’t be applauded is blatant disloyalty. Costello was a great politician, a great economist and is a very charismatic man. But he was burned by Howard and the loyalists in the party room. They blocked him from attempting a peaceful handover of power and he could never muster up the support to do a Paul Keating and take it in a hostile takeover. All Costello must have thought of for the past dozen years was the day he eventually walked up the driveway of Kirribilli House. But it wasn’t to be, and you couldn’t blame him from feeling a little bitter. I could completely understand on the day after the election when he said he wanted no part of leading an Opposition. To some it came across as a sulky kid who lost the game and wanted to take his bat and ball and go home. To me, I could see that he must have felt hurt. If the Coalition had pulled off a win, it was likely Howard would have passed the torch to him in the next term. There’s no way he could have been sure of that, I mean Howard had promised that a few times before. But he had a chance. And all that evaporated. Nelson took the leadership and that was that.
He should have just slinked off the scene, shown his tacit support and taken another job like his colleague Alexander Downer did. But Peter Costello had other reasons for staying. The cynical person would say that staying in Parliament and keeping the speculation over the leadership hot and running, Costello would have more coverage and be able to sell more copies of his memoirs when they come out. In this case, I would say the cynical person is 100% correct. Costello’s memoirs come out in a few weeks, and on the publicity trail he has finally made the claim that he has no interest in the leadership and ended all speculation. But it might just be too little too late. In his wake, ramping up drama to maximise book sales, Costello has left a ravaged party that must be thinking themselves fools this morning. Many in the party had put their hopes in Costello coming back and taking on Rudd in the next election. He kept quiet about it, he was intentionally suspicious and they got their hopes up. Now it seems it was all part of a media ploy. You can imagine Costello has just bred a new breed of bitter politicians in the halls of Parliament House.
They must be asking themselves, where to from here? It was considered a given that Costello would be back, and now the game has dramatically changed. To think that Brendan Nelson can keep up with the pace of Rudd is wishful thinking at best. Not to say anything bad about Nelson, he is a good man and a good public servant. But the Liberal Party are facing down a smooth-operator that has rallied public support around him like no other. They don’t need to be responsive to Rudd, they need a leader who can take the battle to him. That’s something Nelson has had trouble doing. Much of the appeal of Costello came from the fact that many thought he would be able to go after Rudd, send him off guard and take away some of the early shine. That’s something a new leader would have to do to have a chance. If Nelson can change his approach, more power to him. If Turnbull is the man, give him the nod. He is an engaging public speaker, after all. But it will take the common touch to beat Rudd, someone who can appear to relate to the people better than Rudd himself.
Two words for you.
Joe. Hockey.
What shouldn’t be applauded is blatant disloyalty. Costello was a great politician, a great economist and is a very charismatic man. But he was burned by Howard and the loyalists in the party room. They blocked him from attempting a peaceful handover of power and he could never muster up the support to do a Paul Keating and take it in a hostile takeover. All Costello must have thought of for the past dozen years was the day he eventually walked up the driveway of Kirribilli House. But it wasn’t to be, and you couldn’t blame him from feeling a little bitter. I could completely understand on the day after the election when he said he wanted no part of leading an Opposition. To some it came across as a sulky kid who lost the game and wanted to take his bat and ball and go home. To me, I could see that he must have felt hurt. If the Coalition had pulled off a win, it was likely Howard would have passed the torch to him in the next term. There’s no way he could have been sure of that, I mean Howard had promised that a few times before. But he had a chance. And all that evaporated. Nelson took the leadership and that was that.
He should have just slinked off the scene, shown his tacit support and taken another job like his colleague Alexander Downer did. But Peter Costello had other reasons for staying. The cynical person would say that staying in Parliament and keeping the speculation over the leadership hot and running, Costello would have more coverage and be able to sell more copies of his memoirs when they come out. In this case, I would say the cynical person is 100% correct. Costello’s memoirs come out in a few weeks, and on the publicity trail he has finally made the claim that he has no interest in the leadership and ended all speculation. But it might just be too little too late. In his wake, ramping up drama to maximise book sales, Costello has left a ravaged party that must be thinking themselves fools this morning. Many in the party had put their hopes in Costello coming back and taking on Rudd in the next election. He kept quiet about it, he was intentionally suspicious and they got their hopes up. Now it seems it was all part of a media ploy. You can imagine Costello has just bred a new breed of bitter politicians in the halls of Parliament House.
They must be asking themselves, where to from here? It was considered a given that Costello would be back, and now the game has dramatically changed. To think that Brendan Nelson can keep up with the pace of Rudd is wishful thinking at best. Not to say anything bad about Nelson, he is a good man and a good public servant. But the Liberal Party are facing down a smooth-operator that has rallied public support around him like no other. They don’t need to be responsive to Rudd, they need a leader who can take the battle to him. That’s something Nelson has had trouble doing. Much of the appeal of Costello came from the fact that many thought he would be able to go after Rudd, send him off guard and take away some of the early shine. That’s something a new leader would have to do to have a chance. If Nelson can change his approach, more power to him. If Turnbull is the man, give him the nod. He is an engaging public speaker, after all. But it will take the common touch to beat Rudd, someone who can appear to relate to the people better than Rudd himself.
Two words for you.
Joe. Hockey.
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