Comments on: Time to stop hugging the Liberal corpse Dennis

By: Bernard Keane

Bernard Keane — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The suggestion that Costello leaked it is a very serious one and not lightly made. There is a legal requirement - and a tradition - that outgoing Government Ministers and staffers do not retain documents from their period in Government. Easy to suggest they carried a few out the door with them, but it would be illegal to have done so and a breach of the basic rules of governmental transition - sufficient for Labor to take the gloves off and start breaking a few rules of its own.

By: David

David — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Haha, delightful composition Bernard. I have wondered often how it is for one supposedly as intelligent as Mr Shanahan, he cannot grasp the obvious fact, Rudd and Gillard are 2 very clever, bright politicians. They are right up with the play and on hearing Ms Gillard interviewed on midday report about the document, she was having a ball, revelling in the Oppositions disappointment that what they had was nothing. A big fat nothing. When will they and Shanahan learn, they will need to be the brightest of the light bulbs to keep up with the PM and his deputy. Thus far there is not one in Coalition ranks who have turned the switch on, there is nothing there. There is more noise coming from the likes of Andrew Bolt, its not intelligable but its a noise. Bless his right wing whinging, someone has to stick up for the Liberal rabble, and his mate Shana isnt any help.

By: Tom#2

Tom#2 — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

By the by, it would be one good way to build interest in the Costello memoirs too. A leak here, a leak there. Could turn into quite a crescendo. Mark Latham set the bar quite high with his Diaries. Let er rip I say.

By: Tom#3

Tom#3 — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Here is the Laurie Oakes story reference surrounded by some of moi some micro news blog comment at the time: “Costello as former treasurer has apparently leaked a similar ‘reform’ previously considered by the Howard Govt to veteran Laurie Oakes writing Bulletin style stories out of place in the Daily Telegraph cartoon book:

[offline] Howard plotted to scuttle the states April 26 2008 p26

Maybe a leak so Costello can shore up his dormant leadership ambition? Or to sell his memoirs? Or even to distract from FoI expert Peter Timmins (SMH today) who implies that Costello’s Govt deliberately squibbed criminal sanctions for cartel behaviour (like big Liberal Party donors and a certain cardboard box king).”

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Call me stupid but my quick reading of Dennis is that the document was “obtained” but doesn’t say from whom. It is “subject ” of an FOI request but it doesn’t say that was the source. Last week Laurie Oakes wrote a story as per Sydney Daily Telegraph Saturday edition that was clearly based on on Howard regime cabinet or cabinet related document. ….What I’m saying is - how do you know Costello isn’t the source? And good luck to him too. Who could begrudge the guy some consolation prizes. I mean Dennis virtually gives away that he got it from Costello given the ABCTV were refused the document “last week”. Call it dumb intuition but methinks the old Peter Costello is getting a whiff of the old battle smoke in his nostrils.