Bye bye Peter - Costello retires

[topsywaldron]

Keating had you pegged eleven years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnwn4q_ZE9c

Low altitude flier indeed.

[Psyber]

Keating had you pegged eleven years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnwn4q_ZE9c

Low altitude flier indeed.

Or perhaps just reading the trend and the need?

Just as Alexander Downer was when he stepped down for John Howard, and John Kerr when he stepped aside from competiton for the Labor leadership for Gough Whitlam, and Bill Hayden for Bob Hawke.

Of course the two Labor guys got the Governer-General's job as compensation for their altruism....

[redandblack]

Would you like to expand on the John Kerr (excuse me while I throw up) and Gough Whitlam statement, Psyber?

[topsywaldron]

Or perhaps just reading the trend and the need?

Or maybe just cutting and running?

[rogernumber10]

Just let me get this straight.

"I want the top job for 7-8 years and actively campaign behind the scenes for it.
"I get my supporters to push my claims wherever possible, as well as regularly background brief key reporters.
"I am promised the number one job, outside of an election, and then get upset when the bloke who won the election and faced the people, decides to continue a bit longer.
"I am asked by sections of my party to challenge for the job, but don't have the courage to do that, and back down in the lead-up to an election.
"I am then promised the job no matter what, after the election, either leading in government or opposition."

We lose the election, and I'm in opposition.

"I decide I don't want to be in opposition, and walk away."

So, I wanted the job without ever facing the people in an election, and it got too hard, and I walked away.

Peter, I think that's the reason that a lot of us who moved over in either 93 or 96, moved back sides again yesterday. We had you worked out.

[Psyber]

Would you like to expand on the John Kerr (excuse me while I throw up) and Gough Whitlam statement, Psyber?

John Kerr was the other candidate for the leadership of the Labor Party in 1970-72, and was given the governor's job by Gough in return for standing aside, just as Bill Hayden was later when he stood aside for Hawke.

So, the real issue about "The Dismissal" was not the sacking of Labor, but that it was done by a former Labor bigwig, assumed until then to be a puppet of the party machine. Gough's error was that he thought he would intimidate John Kerr by threatening to dismiss him without his pension, and of course all Mal Fraser had to do was say, "We'll look after you John.:" once Gough had tried to threaten him.

In the end of course it went to the people and they voted for Mal in 1975....

[Psyber]

Has Costello actually retired from politics, or just decided not to contest the leadership and to stay in opposition as a back-bencher?

[magpie in the 80's]

Has Costello actually retired from politics, or just decided not to contest the leadership and to stay in opposition as a back-bencher?

in his tv interview just now he said he will serve his term in higgins and that's the end.

[redandblack]

Would you like to expand on the John Kerr (excuse me while I throw up) and Gough Whitlam statement, Psyber?

John Kerr was the other candidate for the leadership of the Labor Party in 1970-72, and was given the governor's job by Gough in return for standing aside, just as Bill Hayden was later when he stood aside for Hawke.

So, the real issue about "The Dismissal" was not the sacking of Labor, but that it was done by a former Labor bigwig, assumed until then to be a puppet of the party machine. Gough's error was that he thought he would intimidate John Kerr by threatening to dismiss him without his pension, and of course all Mal Fraser had to do was say, "We'll look after you John.:" once Gough had tried to threaten him.

In the end of course it went to the people and they voted for Mal in 1975....

Psyber, I doubt that John Kerr was ever an MP. Whitlam became leader after Arthur Calwell and led the ALP to the 1969 election, which he narrowly lost after gaining a large swing. His position as leader was never in doubt and even if it was, it would have been impossible for John Kerr to challenge him, as he was never in Parliament.

Either my recollection of political history has`disappeared, or you're just a bit confused on this one.

[Thiele]

thought he said he would noy go for the leadership but reading on adelaide now Website he was about to quit

[redandblack]

Has Costello actually retired from politics, or just decided not to contest the leadership and to stay in opposition as a back-bencher?

He'll stay for 3 years as the member for Higgins, then go into commerce.

Sudden idea, Psyber, you could hire him

[Hondo]

He'll stay for 3 years as the member for Higgins, then go into commerce.

Where he'll earn twice times as much and get his family life back ....

I can't begrudge him deciding to go down a different path - public life is not the ideal job for work-life balance.

And with Australia rejecting the Howard / Costello ticket big time - its one thing to stay in Office and be the next PM, another entirely to stare down at least 6 years in opposition.

[Psyber]

Would you like to expand on the John Kerr (excuse me while I throw up) and Gough Whitlam statement, Psyber?

John Kerr was the other candidate for the leadership of the Labor Party in 1970-72, and was given the governor's job by Gough in return for standing aside, just as Bill Hayden was later when he stood aside for Hawke.

So, the real issue about "The Dismissal" was not the sacking of Labor, but that it was done by a former Labor bigwig, assumed until then to be a puppet of the party machine. Gough's error was that he thought he would intimidate John Kerr by threatening to dismiss him without his pension, and of course all Mal Fraser had to do was say, "We'll look after you John.:" once Gough had tried to threaten him.

In the end of course it went to the people and they voted for Mal in 1975....

Psyber, I doubt that John Kerr was ever an MP. Whitlam became leader after Arthur Calwell and led the ALP to the 1969 election, which he narrowly lost after gaining a large swing. His position as leader was never in doubt and even if it was, it would have been impossible for John Kerr to challenge him, as he was never in Parliament.

Either my recollection of political history has`disappeared, or you're just a bit confused on this one.

That was my recall of the period but it was a long time ago, and before I took much interest in politics. I had not questioned it what I had been told as a youngster, but I accept you seem to be fairly sure of the facts, and may be correct. My recall was that he was a Labor man prior to being governor.

You have prompted me to look up the Wikipedia entry:
Brief selections follow:

At Fort Street, he met Dr H.V. Evatt who later became a judge of the High Court of Australia, and became a protege of his for many years. Kerr returned to the bar in 1948, becoming a prominent lawyer representing trade union clients and a member of the Australian Labor Party. [1] He intended to seek Labor endorsement for a parliamentary seat at the 1951 elections, but withdrew in favour of another candidate. [2]

Kerr was appointed Chief Justice of New South Wales in 1972. Sir Paul Hasluck retired as Governor-General in July 1974. The Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, offered Sir John the post. Kerr did not know Whitlam well, but he had remained friends with several ministers in Whitlam's government, such as James McClelland and Joe Riordan. [7] Kerr's first wife Alison was a fellow student of Margaret Whitlam during University days. [8] Whitlam seems to have believed that because of Kerr's former membership in the Labor Party he was still politically "reliable," without realising that Kerr's political views had changed and that he had come to see the role of Governor-General differently from Whitlam.

Kerr had made a study of the reserve powers through his earlier professional relationship with Evatt, the author of the standard work on the reserve powers as they applied to the British Dominions, The King and His Dominion Governors (1936). [10] Kerr was familiar with this book, and re-read it before accepting Whitlam's offer of the Governor-Generalship. Kerr took an activist and highly unusual view of the role of Governor-General. Neither temperamentally nor politically was he inclined to accept that the Governor-General was a mere cypher, bound always to act on the Prime Minister's advice.

That will teach me not to always believe my elders - and my father was a Labor man too, which made it seem credible!

[Psyber]

Has Costello actually retired from politics, or just decided not to contest the leadership and to stay in opposition as a back-bencher?

He'll stay for 3 years as the member for Higgins, then go into commerce.

Sudden idea, Psyber, you could hire him

Nope - met him once at a function in Mayo, and chatted to him for about 1/2 an hour - it wouldn't be comfortable. Besides I'm closing everything down and am off to the UK for the next year or two or three.

[topsywaldron]

Besides I'm closing everything down and am off to the UK for the next year or two or three.

Are you the first Coalition supporter to leave the country?

[Psyber]

Besides I'm closing everything down and am off to the UK for the next year or two or three.

Are you the first Coalition supporter to leave the country?

Doubt it - I won't be going until about April or May!
[I was going regardless of the election, and I'm glad I got my introduction letter from Alexander Downer while he was still Foreign Minister!]