I have a friend in the Liberal Party. Not someone I agree with but a friend nonetheless. His name is Brian Loughnane and he is their Federal Director. Every so often I used to join him for coffee. In the beginning it was like a meeting in Panmunjeom (that hut in the Korean Demilitarised Zone) although the back verandah at the Kurrajong Hotel in Canberra was a bit less formal.

World's greatest backbencher: Costello's exile has done Libs no favours

The discussion was not as intense. Most of the discussions were pre-negotiations about the leaders’ debate in the federal election. Nothing was ever given away, no information traded and loyalty to your leader was always a given (whatever the circumstances). After a few of these meetings we’d chat about politics (usually in the US and the UK) and I grew to like the bloke.

One of the reasons we got on was a mutual sense of how difficult our respective jobs could be. He had done tough stints as Downer’s Chief of Staff in Opposition and I was more than half way through a decade long stint at the ALP National Secretariat. Both of us had seen politics and politicians at their best and their worst.

These days when I see the federal opposition behaving as federal oppositions do, I think about my Liberal friend. Lately I’ve been wondering what he would make of Peter Costello’s lurking around the Liberal Party room in Canberra and how this has boxed Malcolm Turnbull in on policies such as the CPRS and Workchoices.

Here at Auspoll we decided to have a look at what the public made of all this. In March we asked a representative sample of more than 1000 Australians whether Peter Costello should challenge Malcolm Turbull immediately, challenge sometime in the future, remain a backbencher, retire at the next election or retire immediately.

The results were only good news for the Labor Government.

The Australian public was deeply divided over whether Peter Costello should stay in federal parliament (58 per cent) or go (42 per cent).

They were also divided over when he should challenge or leave - 15 per cent said he should challenge Malcolm Turnbull immediately, 17 per cent said he should challenge in the future, 26 per cent said he should remain a backbencher, 17 per cent said he should retire at the next election and 26 per cent said he should retire immediately.

Given the larger number of conservative voters in 55 plus age group, it was interesting that a majority of them thought he should go - 51 per cent - of whom 35 per cent said he should retire immediately.

We released the results in March. A couple of days before Joe Hockey had gone public to declare that the issue of Peter Costello’s intentions remained “a weapon of mass distraction” for the federal Liberal Party.

Joe was spot on. While Peter Costello continues his marathon, 14 year “will I, won’t I” leadership musings, the Liberal Party will appear divided, the public will be confused and Malcolm Turnbull will have to deal with the constant reference to the leader-in-waiting in his midst.

My friend Brian must be tearing his hair out.

- Tim Gartrell is the CEO of Auspoll and a former National Secretary of the ALP.

Most commented

7 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • cornelius lenihan says:

      09:38am | 15/06/09

      I am a fanatic when it comes to politics.I watch the House of rep’s every time their on and I indulge most of my time in social debates on issues raised, let me tell you that I am also a fanatic Labor suporter, I have been a Labor member all my young and old life , I am now 74 years old and still indulge in political matters.

      As regards to this issue of Peter Costello being debated whether he should resign or go forward and declare what his intentions are before june 30th , I feel sorry for Peter, he is to me a young man with brilliant talent more so than any othes in the “Lib field”, He is a man of honest and decent character , a man better than any other of his colleagues in the front bench in the Chambers. It is rather sad that most of his colleagues think he should resign or shut up , a great pity that is. He would make a by far greater leader of the Lib’s than Mr Malcolm Turnbell will ever make , reason, why should the Australian people follow a man who has every thing he wants and Most are in the lower middle or lower classes , what has he got to offer them?

      The sad truth is Peter did not stand up to “Howard when he was treasurer”, the Howard years are over and hopefully never to return , the also sad truth is that the “Costello years are over”  and so are the majority of their colleagues. Malcolm is not the answer to the people of Australia , the people deserve more , they need young talent and that is what labour has got ,brilliant and intelluctial, Mr Rudd is also a brilliant man and far outshines any one apart from Ms julia Gillard, no matter what happens it will be many years before a Colation Party will come back to power in Australia . My advice to Peter is to retire and go into public service for a man with such economic talent he would susceed in many walks of public service life.

    • Andras says:

      09:49am | 15/06/09

      Could Kevin Rudd be slipping something to Peter Costello, under the table, to keep him in place?

      Maybe the Ruddster can promise Peter a groovy job - which ibviously he can’t get on his own - if only he would stay until the next election.

      Maybe early next year?

    • Arthur Conan Doyle says:

      11:03am | 15/06/09

      Sad isnt it. Howard was attacking Australias workers as never before and the organisational leader of “the Workers party’ enjoys a beer with the organisational leader of the bosses party.

    • Concerned Aussie says:

      12:51pm | 15/06/09

      So the discussion continues re the future of Peter Costello and yet, from reading through the above and other related material, there is destabilisation within the Liberal Party. It is up to Mr Costello and his own local branch/s and if there is a pre-selection battle, then it will be up to those delegates. I don’t have any problem with how the Federal Opposition is doing its job and we should also be focusing on the inability of the ALP to come up with policies that really work and deliver a fairer outcome. If we were to look at the performances of all ALP governments; what picture do we get. I know from 40 years of being interested in this country’s political system to - how bad the political game can be and one only has to look at what’s going on within the ALP State branch in Victoria and that too, is considerably worse to what’s being played out by some in Peter Costello’s State branch and federal parliamentary wing down there in Canberra. Perhaps there are many agendas in play within the ranks of the parliamentary wing of the L/P in Canberra.

    • Adam says:

      12:54pm | 15/06/09

      Way to overreact ACDoyle - Gartrell says they had a beer, not that they shared polling data or campaigning tactics. You’re sadly deluded if you think that nobody from either side of politics ever socialises with each other. And in the end, the results of that campaign speak for themselves, surely.

    • Mr Samuel Digiovanni says:

      05:12pm | 15/06/09

      Well Mr Costello finally tells us all he lacked the ticker to lead the liberal party in opposition and guess what peter the voting public wont mind it is another extreme right ideliogy driven man that the modern political should not have and i hope that Mr Turnbull shows the courage and strength to rid the liberal of all those others you have basically destroyed the liberal party due to their ideliogy of the right

    • orange says:

      08:47am | 24/10/09

      Well if Costello was opposition leader now, the polls would be miniscule for the opposition at least turnbull has PR. Costello and Keating, Howard and Hawke. Keating would never had won an election as opposition leader Costello the same.

 

Facebook Recommendations

Read all about it

Punch live

Up to the minute Twitter chatter

Daniel Piotrowski

@SquigglyRick likewise!

Daniel Piotrowski

Hurray racism is fixed no protesters at anti-Islam demonstration http://t.co/hRFbZq8u9h

ToryShepherd

OI TWITTER! Need your best misheard lyrics pronto for @891adelaide's #thebuzz! Hit me, please!

Daniel Piotrowski

@SquigglyRick I really meant without me writing any news

Recent posts

The latest and greatest

The Punch is moving house

The Punch is moving house

Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…

Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?

Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?

I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…

Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”

Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”

In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…

Nosebleed Section

choice ringside rantings

From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go

Tim says:

They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]

From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go

Kel says:

If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]

Gentle jabs to the ribs

Superman needs saving

Superman needs saving

Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more

28 comments

Newsletter

Read all about it

Sign up to the free News.com.au newsletter