Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey called John Howard the “Don Bradman of Australian politics” this week because his magnificent record of victories will be forever tarnished by an embarrassing defeat in his final contest. "I was originally trying to pay tribute to the PM's resiliance by evoking the image of the Don batting on and on forever, immovably," Hockey said. "But as a Costello supporter, the other implication doesn't exactly bother me."

Howard has announced he will retire during the next term if he wins, effectively anointing Peter Costello as Leader, in this case of the Opposition. "I have every confidence that when I retire, Peter will do a magnificent job," he said. "He will lead the Liberal Party with great ability and integrity until it dumps him for someone electable."

But Howard has rubbished the now widespread suggestion that he should have retired last year. "I have often said that I would stay for as long as my party wanted me to," he said. "And I've proved again this week that there is no better way of getting the Liberal Party to demand I stay on than floating the prospect of a handover to Costello."

{sidebar id=1}Given the polls, the Prime Minister is now pinning his hopes on a gaffe from Kevin Rudd. But most insiders view the chances of an embarrassing mistake that humiliates him on national television as unlikely. After receiving a boost from his speech to Chinese leader Hu Jintao, the Opposition Leader is determined to deliver every public statement until the election in Mandarin.

Despite his insistence that Howard is Australian politics' Bradmanesque figure, Hockey has privately admitted that Rudd’s chance of winning the election is now a record 99.94%.

< Prev		Next >