Howard says he was not a coward

[pakistani_dalek]

Howard says he was not a coward

August 16, 2008 - 8:58AM


Former prime minister John Howard believes he would have been seen as "a coward" if he had stepped down voluntarily for Peter Costello but would have quit had a delegation of senior ministers demanded him to.

Senior Liberal strategist Andrew Robb told Mr Howard that the coalition was headed for a "train wreck" as he attempted to convince Mr Howard to step aside for Mr Costello last year, a report says.

But Mr Howard told the minister that while he was pessimistic about the election, he "had more show of winning than Peter" and that history would regard him as "a coward" if he stepped down voluntarily, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

A number of senior Liberals tried to convince Mr Howard to step down as prime minister before the November 24 poll.

A crisis meeting of cabinet ministers during the September APEC summit decided that Mr Howard should step aside but left the decision to him.

In a new interview, Mr Howard said he would have quit had a delegation of senior ministers demanded it.

"I'd have responded to that because they'd have been owning that request," Mr Howard said.

Mr Howard's views and those of other key figures are contained in an essay by Sydney Institute executive director Gerard Henderson.

The essay is being published in the August edition of the Sydney Institute Quarterly with an extract appearing in Saturday's Herald, for which Mr Henderson is a columnist.

Mr Robb, who masterminded Mr Howard's 1996 election victory, had attempted to convince Mr Howard to step aside for Mr Costello, in an exchange in September.

"He spent 30 minutes telling me Peter couldn't win, he had more show of winning than Peter," Mr Robb said.

"I found none of it compelling. I spent 30 minutes putting my case and he spent 30 minutes responding."

Mr Howard told Mr Henderson that the party as a whole never made its view clear.

"If my senior colleagues were, as a group, prepared to own a request for me to go, I'd have gone," he said.

"But I was not going to, out of the blue, go because I didn't think that would have produced a different result and that I would have rightly been criticised for cowardice."

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Its as most of us have thought all along...personal goals over the future of his own party..

How can the Liberals ever forgive this man.

He could have ended his career with some dignity ( a stretch at that)..such a shame.

[IQSRLOW]

I think Howard did the right thing strategically.

The chances of the Libs winning the last election where few and far between even with Costello at the reins. This gives the lefty's a chance to fuck things up with idiot policies coupled to a global economic downturn and the chance for Costello to make his return when the timing is right to once again signify the returning of the ruling of this country to the glorious times under the Liberals.

Once again the lefty's will only enjoy their time in power to fuck things up just enough for the population to realise that they were nothing but a bad mistake.

No symbolic fucking populist measures, just sound economics.

[pakistani_dalek]

I think Howard did the right thing strategically.

The chances of the Libs winning the last election where few and far between even with Costello at the reins. This gives the lefty's a chance to fuck things up with idiot policies coupled to a global economic downturn and the chance for Costello to make his return when the timing is right to once again signify the returning of the ruling of this country to the glorious times under the Liberals.

Once again the lefty's will only enjoy their time in power to fuck things up just enough for the population to realise that they were nothing but a bad mistake.

No symbolic fucking populist measures, just sound economics.

Well surprise surprise..what the hell else are YOU going to say huh?

Yeah it was a top move..let the Libs vanquish into the wilderness for 10+ years because the old fart was too senile to wake up to the "train wreck" about to happen.Patently obvious to the whole of Australia by that time.

Costello should have popped the old barstard in the arse.


Fuck off with your "populist" claptrap..put on another song..your repetoire has become tedious and inane.

[Edited my Mod.]

[IQSRLOW]

Well surprise surprise- you have nothing to come back with.

My wife is waiting for me...

[Edited by Mod.]

[Oliver Nickezoff]

Sound economics.

Presently we have a situation whee we are seeing trade surplus for the first time in many years.
We look like we are heading for an official interest rate cut for the first time in years.
Budget 22 Billion in the black after 30 Billion in tax cuts.
11,000 new full time jobs in June.
Unemployment steady at 4.3%.
No wage blowout.
No union bosses shutting down little old grannies businesses.


On the downside, an opposition that is yet to realise that noone can hear you scream in Space.
An opposition intent on talking down the economy.
An opposition incapable of contributing anything in the way of policy.

[IQSRLOW]

You are also looking at banks raising interest rate independent of the RBA and the threat of the banks not passing on the cuts

Budget 22 Billion in the black after 30 Billion in tax cuts.

You can thank the Libs for that

11,000 new full time jobs in June.

Still under the previous govts IR policies

Unemployment steady at 4.3%.

On the back of a resources boom skillfully controlled by the Libs...woefully starting to be mismanaged by Lab. Fucking hell- Peter Garret has just flew into the NW of WA to proclaim it a World Heritage site with no consultation with anyone. Watch the opportunities and employment start to dry up after less than a year under these fuckheads

No wage blowout.

Source?

No union bosses shutting down little old grannies businesses.

Fer fucks sake- how many strikes or threats of strikes have we had already since November?

On the downside, an opposition that is yet to realise that noone can hear you scream in Space.
An opposition intent on talking down the economy.
An opposition incapable of contributing anything in the way of policy.

Come back when you can offer something more substantial than the above fucking drivel

[Swami Dring]

[quote="IQSRLOW"]Well surprise surprise- you have nothing to come back with.

My wife is waiting for me...

[Edited by Mod.]

[Oliver Nickezoff]

You are also looking at banks raising interest rate independent of the RBA and the threat of the banks not passing on the cuts

What policy has the opposition proposed to stop them?

You can thank the Libs for that

Why? I think it should have been put in to Super or infrastructure but it is an example which shows the economy is sound.

Still under the previous govts IR policies

OK so the economist forecasts for job losses are because of previous government policy.

On the back of a resources boom skillfully controlled by the Libs

Libs dig better holes?

Source?

Year to June, CPI increase 4.5%, wage increase 4.2% according to official figures.


No union bosses shutting down little old grannies businesses like the hysterical Lib adverts warned they would.

something more substantial

Checked the Liberals policy announcement page lately? I'll list all their policies below.

Lets face it. The mighty act of taking a cardboard figure into parliament to protest against more sitting days is long gone. They cant live off that achievment forever.

[IQSRLOW]

What policy has the opposition proposed to stop them?

The opposition aren't in govt now- Ask the same question of the fuckheads you put in charge

Why? I think it should have been put in to Super or infrastructure but it is an example which shows the economy is sound.

Because of Lib policies

OK so the economist forecasts for job losses are because of previous government policy.

Because in the short time that Labor have been in govt, business confidence has been severely eroded

Year to June, CPI increase 4.5%, wage increase 4.2% according to official figures.

Thankfully the Labor politicians have made sure that they have kept up with CPI in their latest wage claims

Checked the Liberals policy announcement page lately? I'll list all their policies below.

You need to stop worrying about the opposition policies and start worrying about the lack of policies of the fucktards that you voted into office.
Fuelwatch=FAIL
Whalewatch=FAIL
Grocerywatch=FAIL
IRwatch= FAIL

You lack the same accountability as your beloved Labor party

[pakistani_dalek]

What policy has the opposition proposed to stop them?

The opposition aren't in govt now- Ask the same question of the fuckheads you put in charge

Why? I think it should have been put in to Super or infrastructure but it is an example which shows the economy is sound.

Because of Lib policies

OK so the economist forecasts for job losses are because of previous government policy.

Because in the short time that Labor have been in govt, business confidence has been severely eroded

Year to June, CPI increase 4.5%, wage increase 4.2% according to official figures.

Thankfully the Labor politicians have made sure that they have kept up with CPI in their latest wage claims

Checked the Liberals policy announcement page lately? I'll list all their policies below.

You need to stop worrying about the opposition policies and start worrying about the lack of policies of the fucktards that you voted into office.
Fuelwatch=FAIL
Whalewatch=FAIL
Grocerywatch=FAIL
IRwatch= FAIL

You lack the same accountability as your beloved Labor party

IQ credibility as poster a=FAIL
[Edited by Mod.]