Who else supports Costello for premier?

In the opinion pages of this morning’s Australian, former John Howard chief-of-staff Arthur Sinodinos offered up some deep musings on the future for the departing member for Higgins, Peter Costello.

Sinodinos, fresh from quashing speculation on his own pre-selection bid for Brendan Nelson’s seat of Bradfield, presented three options for the former-Treasurer turned Fairfax columnist.

First, the corporate sector with some philanthropy and board work thrown in; second, execute a Colin Barnett-style reverse ferrett by knifing preferred successor Kelly O’Dwyer at the eleventh-hour and returning triumphant to Higgins, and the federal leadership, to save the party from electoral oblivion. And the third, by far the most intriguing, proposal?

Costello moving to Spring Street to topple state leader Ted Baillieu, and then seizing the helm of the state regarded as the Liberal Party’s political heartland. Sinodinos said Costello was a potential “game-changing” force south of the border.

Eager to explore this possibility, Crikey conducted a quick phone poll of senior Victorian Liberals. Who would jump on the Costello bandwagon? we wondered.

Have a nice day,” said former state division president and long-term Costello fancier Michael Kroger.

IPA chief John Roskam (a former front-runner for Costello’s seat of Higgins) said he hadn’t read The Australian. “I’ll go and read it now”, he said, before hanging up.

Former state party director Julian Sheezel said he was “absolutely certain” Peter was going to retire from politics at the next federal election. “Peter’s comments have been very straight forward. Peter’s made his position very clear”, he added helpfully.

Former state opposition leader Denis Napthine dismissed the speculation as a Sinodinos “shower thought”.

Victorian Liberal Party president David Kemp offered a blunt “no comment” and said he was expecting another call so he couldn’t talk.

Jeff Kennett was in a board meeting and had his mobile switched off.

And Costello’s Parliament house office were aware of the Sinodinos article but refused to comment.

Sorry Peter, but there it is.

6 Comments

  1. Posted Thursday, 27 August 2009 at 3:23 pm | Permalink

    The thought of Peter Costello running on the Victorian Liberal ticket would be beyond humourous, if it wasn’t for it’s grotesqueness.
    What passes for Victoria’s opposition party has such an underwhelming appeal to the Victorian voter; the Liberal Party, rent by internecine bitchery, controlled by Michael Krüger-the thinking man’s poison-and led by an amiable but not overly bright member of the Melbourne establishment, individual conservatives are already conceding defeat for the 2010 election.

    The thought of the terminally irritant, terminally ambitious, terminally lazy and cordially loathed Peter Costello jumping into the pool would be enough to invite mass suicide in the conservative ranks.

  2. simmobc
    Posted Thursday, 27 August 2009 at 5:21 pm | Permalink

    it would never happen… although, Costello is popular in Victoria (even if he is an Essendon supporter!).

    I think it is quite refreshing, notwithstanding the the ALP is intimidated by Costello, that a politician is prepared to leave politics on his own terms, Nelson is another.

    We have seen for too long the likes of Beazley, Tuckey et al hang around politics for too long and becoming… basically, irrelevant to the electorate.

    Venise - “cordially loathed”…. a lot of ALP supporters hate Peter Costello with a passion, not sure why, perhaps because of the comparison with Keating? however, I know alot of ALP supporters that actually like Costello (not often that happens!).

  3. Posted Thursday, 27 August 2009 at 6:47 pm | Permalink

    SIMMOBC: It’s okay, I’m not hassled by your opinion, just thought it fair to give you one of the reasons I can’t stand the man. I live in the electorate of Higgins. Peter Costello is, therefore, my local member and apart from putting out some expensive literature from time to time, the man appears to have done bugger all for the electorate.
    Whenever one of the locals does a rant about the value of PC I ask but what has he ever done for the electorate? Thus far I have yet to get an answer.

  4. simmobc
    Posted Thursday, 27 August 2009 at 8:24 pm | Permalink

    lol yeah I do understand, Armadale here…..

  5. Bullmore's Ghost
    Posted Thursday, 27 August 2009 at 9:54 pm | Permalink

    It’s often said that Costello personifies the saying “No guts, no glory” but the truth is that Costello was fated to be always the bridesmaid. Liberal party polling supported the public polling which said, time and again, that he was unelectable as a Prime Minister. In fact, if I recall correctly, his brother was deemed more electable.

    With that reality staring him in the face, there was no way he could get the numbers to become leader.

    I can’t see him wanting anything more to do with politics other than to lob the occasional grenade from the sidelines. Nope, an overseas posting to a cushy government job is right up his alley.

  6. lloydhdavid@gmail.com
    Posted Wednesday, 16 September 2009 at 10:14 pm | Permalink

    REALY
    Trade Politicians greasing up with shirt sleeves rolled up, taking care of their Manor, you must be kidding or your blind spot must be red,most of the frigging infrastructure around the place in the Eastern Suburbs is at least 50-80yrs old — I personally — with thousands of others — - still drive on roads that were put in just after the war - not Veitnam - the 1914 war. The sewers the waterpipes all there and already paid for, Schools of 80yrs old still there right in the middle of now busy dangerouse roads, and what infrastucture improvement do we get for our taxes — a bloody sign with fines attachached telling us to slow down to 40k with a million dollar marketing TELEVISION spin campaign to boot, Targeting Costello with your red eye SPIN, is decieving Your mob has been in control most of the majority throughout the last many years, so Venise get your balance right to the left, and give them the serving they deserve, do something of political value, Victoria is waiting for your contribution Good Luck THE WORLDS GONE MAD
    David Lloyd