I'm just waiting for him to release a book like Mark Latham's. He'll never be leader, he didn't have the balls to go after Howard, and everybody knows he's weak and gullible now.

I remember him as a little dog barking from behind a big fence.

Well, it seems there are a lot of people who think that Peter Costello has not the courage and grit of John Howard.

Will he always be remembered as the pretender to the throne who spat the dummy and couldn't rise the the occasion?

Costello is also one who made a big show of attending (and speaking at) the Hillsong conference. The last thing I want in a coalition leader is more of the christain right.

My feeling is that it's convenient for Turnbull not to be leader during Kevin07's early period. It's still relatively easy for Kevin and Wayne (where is Julia these days?) to blame the coalition for everything, whoever is coalition leader during this period has a tough balancing act to do. Mud flung now may stick long term. Once Kevin and Wayne have trully stuffed things up a new opposition leader may look like to be a fresh alternative.

R0bert

Peter Costello was once described to me by one of his fellow ministers, as the funniest man in Parliament. Trouble is that he does not show much of this side to the public who, by all accounts, perceive him as smug,self-righteous and out of touch with the electorate.

The trouble with any of the contenders to the leadership is that they are all of the same Conservative 'growth at all costs' mold. The ALP is also thus tainted but hopefully will place more emphasis on social justice issues like homelessness (jury is still out on that one given the recent failure towards pensioners/carers).

Brendan Nelson is a 'nice' person but comes across as weak, but I wonder if he really is? It would not be surprising to see him come into his own in the future once he is used to wearing the leadership suit.

Maybe Peter Costello has some lucrative offers festering in the private sector. Who knows, he may not wish to pursue leadership again and follow in Downer's footsteps out of political life.

Pelican, Costalotello IS the funniest man in parliament. I mean, the joke that he would make a good PM, in line with what Australia really needs, is extremely entertaining!

Even though he and just-as-smug-faced Turnbull are way ahead of Nelson as preferred Libs leader, I don’t think either of them would dare take it on at this point in time, with the Libs being so far behind in the polls. So hopefully Nelson, who is clearly the best choice of the three IMO, will have a fair bit more time to develop his leadership style and appeal to the membership and the wider community.

I'm with you Ludwig. :)