Four Corners airs Libs’ dirty laundry

Four Corners is back with a bang tonight, featuring former senior Liberal ministers shedding light on the death throes of the Howard government.

Alexander Downer and Nick Minchin contend that Costello blew his best chance of becoming prime minister. Had the leadership not blown up in July 2006 Mr Howard would have retired at the end of that year and handed over to his deputy, they say.

Mr Costello, rejects this, saying Mr Howard never seriously contemplated retiring. “I don’t think he was ever going to stand down,” he said.

Costello also says that when Mr Howard anointed him as his successor on the night of the Coalition government’s election loss Mr Howard already knew Mr Costello was not interested in taking over a defeated party.

Former minister Joe Hockey also says he rang Mr Howard around the time of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in September and told him to go because the people had stopped listening to him. Cabinet wanted him gone because he did not think he could win the election.

But, he says, Mr Howard changed the rules after saying for years he would go when his party no longer wanted him.

The series returns at 8:30pm tonight on ABC.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald