We know where Peter Costello stands, alright.

He stands in the middle of flatland, holding a songsheet from a bygone neoliberal songbook. Still smirking, after all these years.

Maybe he could apprentice himself to his brother and be useful to someone besides the corporate giants.

Hang on, why did I say apprentice himself? He should be doing community service!

Dr Hubbard,

Probably, the Lurking Smirker will wait until enough voters blame the Rudd government for the approaching depression and then make his move.

He's simply unelectable.

For goodness sake, can't we just forget the smirking lurker!

He hasn't got the slightest good thing going for him.

He hasn't shown aptitude for any subject other than treasury, and even then he's been more of a freeloader than a competent administrator. Every one of 'his' eleven budgets was far more attributable to the beaurocrats in his department than to him.

In the last couple of days, ex Liberal leader John Hewson has come out and basically condemned Costello as being just plain lazy, amongst other things. I can't help but agree.

And then of course there is the fundamental problem of him being stuck in the dinosaur era of continuous growth, super-high immigration and the profoundly stupid baby bonus.

I'd like to think that there is at least some chance of this hopeless future-destroying stategy changing or being moderated under Turnbull. There'd be none under Costalotello!

The comparison with Paul Keating is just silly. Keating took himself off to ready himself for a challenge to Hawke and also spent his time getting to know every last detail of John Hewson's proposed consumption tax better than Hewson himself did, and then used that knowledge to obliterate Hewson. So he was on the backbench for a reason, and he did something useful for his party while he was there. Peter Costello hasn't done anything useful during his back bench holiday, unless you call destabilsing his own party for the benefit of Rudd and Co a good thing. Perhaps he is a closet Labor man.

Would Peter Costello sign this petition: http:/www.listentous.org.au ?

Hewson was right, Costello is nothing without the Treasury mandarins behind him to tell him what to do.

Maybe Costello could benefit from some advice from the US State Department like his previous boss, the late (sic) John Howard. Come to think of it, if John Howard was still around he would be in the policy doldrums too without George Dubya and the State Department to brief him. Gee, we came close to being the nuclear dump of the world didn't we?

The problems of the Liberal Party are much more fundamental than who is leader. For decades the Liberals have been able to get away with pretending that 'style of government' could do in lieu of actual policies. Now it is very clear to all that in terms of policies the cupboard is completely bare and worse, in place of a coherent, defensible philosophy there is only smoke and mirrors - a legacy of being run by vested interests from outside the Party and not feeling the need to engage with grassroots supporters, let alone take any notice of them.

Voters don't know what the Liberal Party stands for, apart from every man (and woman of course) for himself and screw the unions, students and pensioners. It is obvious that as long as the old guard remain as shadow ministers the 'same old, same old' policy vacuum will continue. If the Liberal Party cannot re-engineer itself after months in opposition it is probably past its use-by date.

Costello has become a spoiler in the best peacock/howard tradition.
Lets hope the tories are as much fun to watch as they were back then.

Polls don't mean much at this point , the fair go idea .
If Costello was leader and LeGrande Gesture called an election , Costello would streak it in ......People would consider carefully and decide living dangerously with Rudd is not so good as they'd hoped .

ShazBaz001,

We lived dangerously during the term of the last government, the Howard-Costello legacy is a huge foreign debt, perhaps we shouldn't worry,after all it's private debt, nothing can possibly go wrong with private debt.

Mac,
I kept getting these sneaking suspicions that private debt (foreign and domestic) can get foisted on the mugs who can't afford tax accountants, by those who can afford the best.

You've calmed me immensely. Thank you.

'Interesting times' ahead?'

You betcha! I don't think the list of casualties
is quite finished yet in the Liberal Party.
Turnbull is determined to lead the party to a
successful finish. He's gambled everything he has
on opposing the government's bail-out package.
According to Joe Hockey - he compared Peter Costello's
future, "with Prince Charles' waiting to become king
of England."

Liberal Party 'elder' has told Costello to move on.
The polls have shown Costello to be 'unelectable.'

Senator Minchin says Costello has the right to serve as
a bachbencher and "people ought to leave him alone."

Most Liberals now expect Costello will re-nominate for
another term in his HIggins seat.

Backbencher Wilson Tuckey says Costello, "...has a right to
chart his own course."

And the band plays on.

My favourite summary was the one done by Dennis Pryor in his
booklet, "Political Pryorities," where he summed up a backbencher
as: "A member of Parliament with a brilliant future behind him,
a trudger through the lobbies, a party man, a spender of
electoral allowances, a consumer of free air tickets, a
collector of living-away-from-home expenses, a commonwealth car
passenger, a jet-set junketeer, a cultivator of his electorate,
a survivor of pre-selection.

There are three types -
The disgruntled failed frontbencher, the seatwarmer who
will never make it and the still hopeful, hyperactive
aspirant to a portfolio."

The disgruntled failed frontbencher - sounds like
Costello to me.

Interesting times' ahead? Yes, definitely.

Foxy

"Interesting times ahead? Yes, definitely."

Nah! Interesting times past.

Here is my scenario;

Some evidence that throws considerable doubt on the CO2 global warming
will surface. The evidence will be of such nature that it will be hard
to ignore.

The Liberal party will erupt into a row about GW.
The Government will in no way consider a climbdown from their adament
position on GW.

Malcolm Turnbull likewise will not climb down.

Peter Costello will step in and change the Liberal party policy
on GW. They will oppose all CO2 legislation. Peter Costello will lead
the coalition to the election or if the government is resolute will
force either a double dissolution or even a dismissal !

Hows that ?

Bazz:

"Peter Costello will lead the coalition to the election or if the government is resolute will
force either a double dissolution or even a dismissal ! Hows that ?" he shouts.

NOT OUT, replies the umpire!

Or if you prefer, there's a hat trick of reasons why your dream victory will never occur.

(a) He refused the captaincy when it was on offer when the team desperately needed him.

(b) He took his bat and sulked all the way home after the drubbing.

(c) He has no-balled too many times and has no further appeal.

Not deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances. But may his ashes rest in peace.