Saturday 4th of May 2024
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the great tease .....

the great tease .....

The Liberal Party president says he is not sure if former treasurer Peter Costello will be at today's Federal Council meeting in Sydney.

The party is meeting to consider a number of changes to its constitution including strengthening Federal powers and making any future merger with the Nationals more difficult.

It will be the first time Malcolm Turnbull addresses the Federal Council as Opposition Leader.

The party's president, Alan Stockdale, has told Saturday AM even if Mr Costello is there, he does not believe he will be a distraction.

"By no means ... I think the party is in very good shape, conducting its affairs very professionally and the delegates are very interested," he said.

"I've been meeting with people about the subject of this council and I've found a great deal of interest and a great deal of enthusiasm for reforming the party."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/14/2516188.htm?section=justin

pete's progress .....

John Hewson wants someone to take Costello behind the dunny and beat him up.

But who?

In the Coalition schoolyard, Costello looms 10 feet tall. His economic credentials have no equal in the Parliament. His parliamentary skills are unmatched by any sitting member. And this week's Newspoll showed that he has a commanding lead over Turnbull as preferred Liberal leader.

If he wants the leadership, all Costello need do is to campaign for it and to challenge Turnbull for it.

And the opportunity? Unless Turnbull can lead a strong resurgence of the Coalition in the polls, the Liberals will be begging Costello to take the leadership by the end of the year. He has the means, the motive and the opportunity to topple Turnbull. The only uncertainty about Costello remains, as ever, his will.

For now, even Costello's closest colleagues are no clearer about his plans than the blokes in the Labor secretariat. The Costello Transition Project is a file with a question mark on its cover.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/howards-head-prefect-toys-with-playground-revolt-20090313-8xwr.html?page=-1

damn lies, polls and stats...

from Bob Elllis, ABC unleashed...

We're told by Newspoll that 53 per cent of all Australians want Peter Costello to lead the Liberal Party and only 40 per cent of all Australians want Malcolm Turnbull in that position. This means, I guess, that Costello would get more votes if he was Leader in a general election.

Well, no it doesn't meant that, actually. Because 56 per cent of the voters polled said they wanted Labor to win. This then means, or it might well mean, you could say it means, that half of those who were polled want Costello as Liberal Leader because he's more likely to lose. And it might well mean five million Labor-voting Australians fear Turnbull's amiable brilliance more than Costello's acerbic nastiness, and so want Turnbull out of the picture, quick smart.

So Newspoll, not for the first time, seems (or seems to me) to be implying the opposite of what it should know to be true. Had it asked only Liberal voters, or only Coalition voters, or only Undecided voters what Liberal leader they wanted it would have got a true, uncynical result, probably favouring Turnbull, or Joe Hockey. As it is, it's revealed, yes, that Labor voters would like not Turnbull but Costello to oppose them. And so would I. Put me down for Costello. Every time.

There are many ways a poll, if manipulated, can get you a false, convenient result. 

hasta la vista, baby...

Former treasurer Peter Costello has announced he is retiring from politics at the next election.

Mr Costello has released a statement on his website confirming that he will not be nominating for re-election in the seat of Higgins, which he has held since 1990.

Mr Costello was Australia's longest-serving treasurer and presided over 11 federal budgets.

"It has been an honour to serve the Higgins electorate for nearly 20 years," he said.

"I have particularly enjoyed the opportunity to spend more time in the electorate since the 2007 election. I will continue to serve my parliamentary term."

The issue of whether Mr Costello would stand at the next election has caused tensions within the Liberal Party, with some saying it was undermining Malcolm Turnbull's leadership.

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Sayonara, au revoir, buenos tardes, bonjourno, ciao, salamalikoum, aufiderzen, hasta la vista... Discount the toon at top.