Foreign Correspondence

[fuagf]

The Howard Years: the inside story

an excellent ABC series, 2nd of 4 on now ..

By chief political correspondent Lyndal Curtis
Mon Nov 17, 2008


John Howard ... the inside story

A staffer for Peter Costello says most of the Liberal
Party wanted John Howard to stay on as leader.

* Video: Excerpts from the Howard Years (ABC News)
Did Peter Costello and John Howard make a secret deal
on the PMership and did John Howard welsh on the deal?
* Video: Documentary reveals Howard's struggle (ABC News)
The walker who never walked now said he was ready to walk..
* Audio: Howard documentary paints picture of control (AM)
The much anticipated Howard years .. (all inside)

There are revelations, confirmations and salutary lessons to be learned from The Howard Years.

The series, much of which has been seen by AM, makes the point time
and time again how much in control of the government John Howard was.

Mr Howard tells the program, he "came to the prime ministership with
some very clear views as to where I wanted to take the country."

Major decisions were taken by John Howard alone, or in conjunction with just one minister.

He embarked on the GST adventure on his own, which was a surprise to
even senior ministers, such as the then finance minister John Fahey.

"I will never forget the moment I listened to the prime minister on Sunday television
announcing that we're about to embark upon a new tax system underpinned by a GST," he said.

"I suspect at that moment that the expletive that came out of
my mouth came out of the mouth of many colleagues around Australia."

Only then foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer was involved as Mr
Howard changed Australia's policy on East Timor, pressing for independence.

"John Howard and I worked together," he said.

"We didn't necessarily draw everybody in at every stage of these kinds of decisions."

It was also Mr Howard who decided the government would not replicate Labor's policy
of protecting forests in Tasmania, a decision that saw the Liberals take seats from Labor.

"It was as good an example as I can recall of my prime ministership when
going with your gut instinct was the right thing to do," Mr Howard said.

"I had thought about the idea of a big green package and most of my advisers, almost to a man and a woman,
had said 'you ought to', and yet when I got to the point of going in that direction something held me back."

While Mr Howard eventually won four terms as prime minister, his government made decisions in its first term such
as legislating tougher gun laws that alienated some of its base and almost saw it tossed out at the 1998 election.

On election night Mr Howard prepared his family for a loss.

"So I've got the family into the green room at Kirribilli House and administered the last rites," he said.

But he got the government back in, and did so while keeping for all his
time in office the overwhelming support of what was a compliant backbench.

Many MPs had been elected on Mr Howard's coat tails in 1996. He had led the
party out of a bitter wilderness and they paid him with almost unstinting loyalty.

Mr Fahey says Mr Howard's first election gave him enormous power within the party.

"He led and others listened and followed," he said.

The party continued to back him instead of turning to his ever-waiting rival, Peter Costello.

MPs such as Senator George Brandis supported him after he decided
not to retire at his 64th birthday, applauding his decision to stay on.

"There was always applause whenever John Howard said that he was going to stay," he said.

They continued to back him as leadership tensions reignited in 2006.

Former Peter Costello staffer Niki Savva tells the program the support was overwhelming.

"John Howard had probably 90 per cent support in the party," she said.

"Almost everybody was insisting he stay."

One person who was not insisting he stay was Mr Costello, the man who the
program makes clear was put in his place time and again by the prime minister.

While the program shows Mr Howard did think about stepping down but changed his mind, Mr Costello has also made
it plain previously that he does not believe Mr Howard would ever have really willingly stepped aside from his job.

Mr Howard's grip on the top job was helped by having as a rival a man not willing to take him on in
open contest. Mr Downer sees Mr Costello's wait for the leadership to be handed to him as his mistake.

"He was in a good position to become the prime minister but that
wasn't to say that anyone owed him the prime ministership," he said.

"I mean, it's one of those things you have to get somehow or other.
You need a cunning plan as to how to become the prime minister."

Ms Savva has confirmed what was always thought about Mr Costello -
that he did not do the work needed to win over support.

"He should've courted his colleagues better instead of just assuming that
they would naturally be drawn to him because of his obvious talents," she said.

"Peter did not have a killer instinct. If you look at most other leadership
changes or challenges, the challenger has to be prepared to go in for the kill."

Mr Costello says he never challenged because he put the party's interests ahead of his own.

"The reason why people are critical of me is they say 'you didn't put Howard to the knife
and you didn't put blood all over the Liberal Party'. That's a criticism I will wear," he said.

It is a big 'what if' to say that the elevation of Mr Costello to the prime
ministership could have stopped the rout that occurred in last year's election.

But the Liberal party never gave itself the chance to find out.

There is a lesson there for the Rudd Government and the ones that follow - having a compliant and overwhelmingly
supportive backbench might be good for party unity but might not always been in the party's best interests.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/17/2421116.htm?section=australia