Of notes and wallets
Okay, maybe you can all weigh in to an argument productive discussion happening in our loungeroom last night between Phil, myself and the unnamed gent who lives in the same house as us. In news this week, it turns out that there apparently was a conversation between John Howard a.k.a. the man of steel and deputy leader Peter Costello aka Smarmy McSmugson back in 1994 when Alexander Downer was opposition leader in which Johnny indicated that he would take over as leader of the opposition, serve as PM for one and a half terms and then hand the reins to Petey boy. You can see a more detailed summary here.
Some of the people in our household took the view that this was yet another example of a broken promise by rat boy and proof that he is evil incarnate (apologies to those whom it jars for leaders to be referred to so disrespectfully. There are apparently teenagers who think he is fantastic). In short, there was a deal. These people go on to say that the really abhorrent part of the tale is not so much that the deal was broken, but that Howard specifically denied that there was ever a deal. Kind of along the lines of the argument against Bill Clinton that it wasn’t so much a problem that he had relations with “that woman” but that he lied about it.
Other (arguably more enlightened) members of the household believe that this is just looking for excuses to justify an already existing dislike of the gollum-shaped one. In short that backroom discussions about who will and won’t do what in the world of politics are corrupt in any event, and that everyone should always assume that they are worth not much more than the wallet-stained paper that they are recorded on. There might have been a discussion or even a plan, but it is reaching a bit to dignify such machinations with the word “deal”.
What do you think?
July 11th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
I must admit that I’m not a lover of the gollum one (what were those adolescent girls on?) but I am surprised that McSmugson did come out with this…not only does it show incredible disunity within the party (surprise, surprise!) but it’s not only Gollum who has “lied” but also McSmugson with his repeated denials over the years (until yesterday) that there was no deal…
Can’t see that this little episode really helps anyone…
I continue to see Howard as one who tells many fibs…and has bad taste in friends
Costello continues to look like a smarmy little boy who dobs when things don’t go his way…and gloats when they do…
and the Australian public continues to wear the consequences of their greedy, self-focussed decision to keep Liberal in power…
Not that I can talk…I voted for Latham!!!
July 11th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
Does anybody really care?
July 11th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
The sort of man who is willing to go through two years as Opposition Leader, two election campaigns and then just give away the Prime Ministership on a handshake was never born.
Costello must have been outrageously high on some sort of prohibited substance to think that any such deal would hold. Howard is a pretty ordinary character for offering such a swindle to Costello, and Costello is a fool for allowing himself to be swindled by it.
As to the morality or such of saying ‘there is/was no deal’, well, it’s a lie. But of all the mis-truths, falshoods, half-truths and outright lies that the Prime Minature and his gang have told over the years (and Petey Pete’s told his share), this is hardly the worst one.
But I repeat - Howard is a con-man and Costello is his dunce.
To paraphrase Keating, never bet against the horse called self-interest.
July 11th, 2006 at 1:19 pm
Howard wanted to beat Hawke’s record as PM and now he has his sights on Menzies’.
But, more importantly, I think the global changes (think ‘war on terror’, Dubya’s deputy sheriff) have more to do with the fact that Howard’s still there. He can be relied on to do as he’s told by TPTB.
Plus, he’s a bald-faced liar, we all know that, but for some unfathomable reason we do nothing about it. God help us if Costello does become PM, I hate to say this, but I would prefer Malcolm Turnbull, or even Tony Abbott.
Where’s the Labor party when you really need them?
July 11th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
About 53-47 up in the polls.
July 11th, 2006 at 2:33 pm
Ahhh…just checked the link regarding the “teenage girls”
Year 12 Penrhos girls…it’s all starting to make sense!!!
Their Mummies and Daddies would be saying much the same thing as they drive past in their BMW 4WD…but just a tad more sophistication, one would hope!
July 11th, 2006 at 4:38 pm
Promises and politics never come out positive. Same happens surrounding policy so why would it not surrounding leadership. I come from the country that over through its leader while he was away doing his job. Same style of party - National in New Zealand. That’s why many of us think the Helen was the first female PM of NZ, not that she has ever had my vote either.
Howard will however keep his word to Georgie in the good old USA. Makes my move to Australia next year rather scary! At least Helen can tell Bush to shove off!
July 11th, 2006 at 6:25 pm
I think that it really does matter Matt (and others). We are talking about the person who gets to decide what wars we pick, what taxes we pay and which group of poor people will be the next ones for ostracisation. I think it really matters… and further what matters is the tidy, chummy, ‘I don’t know anything’ attitude that the man of steel has about almost anything which he has had responsibility over in his 10 year (so far) watch.
The fact is that he is a liar, knew about the wheat bribes, got us into a war we have no right to be in, sucks up to the right side of the church (family values and all that) and disregards the left (often prophetic) side, bases his policies on what Alan Jones tells him, appoints people to the board of the ABC (as a reward) whose track record includes dismissal of the genoside of aborigional Tasmanians, wears rugby tracksuits horribly and is an aweful image for Australia to project to the world!
Give Costello a turn liar!
July 11th, 2006 at 9:24 pm
I ain’t thrilled with the leadership squabbles of the Liberals but they have delivered for the self focussed middle and upwards classes. What do the media call them, on the tip of my tongue…. ah yes aspirational classes. Much to the disgust of my husband (an out and out English Tory) I have definite socialist leanings. Unfortunately the labour party and Kim Beasley really don’t do it for me.
This past week at church they showed a slick production by Equip a foundation for christian leadership - founded on the John Maxwell principles for raising up the leadership of the church - very much in the style of leadership discussed in other threads on this blog. You know while I have questions about this sort of thing inside the church the Labour Party could sure do with some of Maxwells insights. When are they going to have decent leadership.
July 11th, 2006 at 9:55 pm
I think the break from Hill$ong Conference this year has done Peter Costello the world of good.
He’s started telling bare-faced truths.
July 12th, 2006 at 9:12 am
I can guess where this thread is going so I’d might as well put my 2 cents worth in early in the piece. Religion and politics are probably the 2 most divisive issues we have.
For all you Aussies out there, this will probably upset many of you, but it’s only my point of view. I went off labour after the Whitlam fiasco as it seems to me his social reforms, civil libertarianism and multicultural experiments have had a detrimental effect on our society.
Morally, we seemed to lose the plot a bit after no fault divorce, lowering the age of consent, legal abortion and relaxed censorship laws on radio, television and printed material came into play. In the seventies, strip clubs, brothels and prostitution were by and large confined to one area-Kings Cross, nowadays you can see page after page of advertisements for brothels and “massage parlours” in the Daily Telegraph and even local papers.
For those of you who can remember the “6 o’ clock swill” when pubs shut no later than 10.00pm, there was a lot less anti social behaviour and relationship problems. Drinking establishments were also closed on Sundays and public holidays so at least by stealth, there was more likelihood of fathers spending more time with their families and, as I recall, there were less dysfunctional families-even where I grew up (Sydney’s outer west-tough neighbourhood). However, in the late 80’s our learned politicians decided 24 hour licences should be granted to “bring us into the 20th century” and later when poker machines were allowed into pubs it brought a lot of suffering
The multiculturalism experiment seemed to backfire as well. In principle it was fine but the countries he chose to open the floodgates to, seem now to be the main protagonists in much of the civil unrest and organised crime (in Sydney at least) at the moment. In no way am I tarring all members of a particular nationality with the same brush, but there is a predominance there. For all you who may think I’m racist, far from it, my wife is a French creole from the Indian ocean islands.
Perhaps all these things were inevitable and part of the global march toward the ‘end times”.
I can’t say that Malcolm Fraser was a shining light either, his” life wasn’t meant to be easy” dogma was a cop out and an affront to those who were unemployed and struggling at the time. Good entertainment value though, our first Prime Minister to lose his pants in public.
Bob Hawke seemed to steady the ship somewhat, but it was around this time that teaching scripture in schools and the observance and celebration of Christian events such as Easter and Christmas began to be frowned upon for fear of “offending other cultures”.
Paul Keating… what can I say? Which leads us to little Johnny Howard.
Howard was dodgy when he was in the Fraser Government and I don’t see the leopard has changed his spots but, for the last 10 years, what has been the alternative?? Kim Beasley may perhaps be intelligent (perhaps) but slouching around in Parliament merely laughing at Howard and Costello as they taunt him and the labour party is perplexing. When he actually puts his grumpy hat on and tries serious comment/debate he is as effective as Humphrey B Bear (and there is also some resemblance).
Howard, Costello, Beasley, Brown (heaven forbid!!). They’re all the same.
Jesus lived in one of the most politically volatile times ever but chose to keep out of politics, it’s a good example to follow. We all have to live in the world and have leaders of our respective countries, but it doesn’t achieve much to stress out over their character or shortcomings. Concentrating on God’s promises is a much surer option and we all know that his government will last more than 2 terms.
July 12th, 2006 at 11:26 am
Quietriot2, it would be very nice to be able to keep out of politics, but unfortunately they are a very integral part of our lives and even more insidiously, religion is now becoming entangled with Australian politics. I’m not just talking about Family First here, but a form of religio-politics that is creeping in via our very close relationship with the theocratic Bush administration.
The problem is the upsurge of dominionist thinking in the neo-con Republican party and how this effects geostrategic posturing and warmongering by the US, and by proxy Australia.
Gracerequired, I’m a bit of a socialist as well, and I think that Latham’s problem was that he didn’t go far enough to the left. Possibly through the heavyweight Labor factions trying to be all things to all voters. But how can you compete with a nation of people who think that having a two storey mansion, an SUV (as they are now being called, grrr!), and a plasma TV, in other words consumerism and materialism is the purpose of life.
Money - which reminds me, Syd Barrett is dead.
July 12th, 2006 at 11:36 am
Agreed Michelle
I wonder if Syd Barrett is singing wish you were here right now?
July 12th, 2006 at 11:59 am
Love that song! Poor crazy bugger.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:42 pm
Today’s Newspoll would seem to answer most of these queries, in that John Howard has been given firm endorsement by the majority of the electorate. The firm fact is that he is a darn good prime minister and one that we should be thankful to have. History will be the judge (in fact, God will ultimately be the judge) and I think it will see him positioned well above the petty snipes about honesty and deals on leadership.
Incidentally, Mark Latham didn’t fail beacuse he didn’t move far eough to the left, he failed because he was incompetent and weak in character. Also, intelligent voters recognised that an endorsement of the Labor party would have meant a return to power for the unions. In the current world climate that would have put Australia back into the fifties.