What the Canberra Commentators think …

Peter Hartcher, Sydney Morning Herald: It was one of the main topics of Australia's national conversation for almost half the post-Cold War era: would John Howard hand the prime ministership to Peter Costello? Or would Costello challenge him for it?

From September 1999, when Costello said he had only "another budget or two in me", to November 2007, when the Liberals lost power, the Howard-Costello leadership tension was a staple of political discussion.

In those eight years, or 44 per cent of the post-Cold War era, newspapers, radio and TV carried thousands of stories on it. We learnt through experience that Howard decided not to hand over. And now, with the publication of Costello's memoir, we discover Costello never seriously contemplated challenging either.

Alan Ramsay, Sydney Morning Herald: And if the former treasurer was as diligent a backbench MP as he is a salesman for his memoirs, nobody could possibly call him the parliamentary parasite he's become since the voters got rid of John Howard and his government almost 10 months ago.

While Alexander Downer, Mark Vaile and Peter McGauran gave up bludging off taxpayers in recent months and left Parliament, Costello has remained in his subsidised hammock, contributing nothing to Parliament, his party or the community. His only interest has been self-interest.

Despite all the brave nonsense Nelson keeps spouting, his leadership will end the moment somebody with spine stands in his party room and "calls it on". You'd think the Liberals couldn't be so thick as to prolong the inevitable, however much they might not "like" Malcolm Turnbull.

If they don't understand they have no choice but to replace Nelson the Brief with Malcolm the Money, then they deserve everything they get the longer they dither.

Dennis Shanahan, Political Editor, The Australian: LIiberal backers of Malcolm Turnbull are planning a challenge to Brendan Nelson in the middle of next month as confusion continues about Peter Costello's future. A hard core of supporters of the Coalition's Treasury spokesman and Liberal leadership aspirant are taking advantage of the chaos created by the former treasurer's public statements and are aiming for a leadership change when parliament resumes in October.

All sides of the Liberal Party are determined to put off any leadership ballot for at least the next four weeks as the drama and uncertainty over Mr Costello's plans "wash through" the party and public attention. Parliament resumes on Monday, and the Liberal Party has its scheduled meeting on Tuesday where a call for a leadership spill is possible but unlikely.

Mr Costello yesterday denied the publication of his memoirs and the contradictory interviews he was giving under contract to the Fairfax organisation were destabilising the Liberal Party, despite the possibility he will remain in parliament until the next election and his refusal to rule out becoming Liberal leader.

Paul Kelly, Editor-at-large , The Australian: It is the politics of the absurd: when Peter Costello wanted the leadership, he found the Liberal Party denied him. But when the party was keen to anoint him, Costello chose his own form of denial.

The Liberal Party declined Costello and now Costello has declined the Liberal Party. This saga is a bizarre end to the leadership ambitions of the man widely hailed from the time of his 1990 entry into national politics as a certain future Liberal prime minister.

Costello fooled everybody and, perhaps in the end, he fooled himself. He was the perfect candidate for the highest office, possessing stature, brains, wit and projection. Yet Costello's political character fell short of the requirements for the prime ministership in a conundrum that will be debated for many years.

George Megalogenis, The Australian: Peter Costello reminds me of Pauline Hanson. Not the person, but the vacuum that created the soap opera. Both were third party figures who hijacked the national conversation early in the life of a new government. Costello did it by saying nothing; Hanson did it by saying things that had never been said before by federal politicians. Both became self-fulfilling sagas at around the same point in the cycle - after the new government had delivered its first budget.

Janet Albrechtsen, The Australian: Costello may well leave parliament soon and take a job outside politics. Alternatively, the addiction to politics that has driven him to the heights of federal politics, implementing policies as Treasurer for more than a decade and assailing his Labor opponents for 18 years may yet prevail.

For as long as Costello remains on the backbench, it pays to heed history. And history records plenty of future leaders who prematurely write their political obituaries, only to return to lead their parties. And in some cases win.

Lenore Taylor, National Correspondent, The Australian: It’s getting to the stage where I don't give a toss who leads the Liberal Party. I just wish someone would. But the truth is, there's really only one contender left standing and that's Malcolm Turnbull.

Peter Costello has finally confirmed he is not available, just in time to maximise the publicity for his new book, Memoirs of a Couldabeen. Brendan Nelson's performance and polling has already proven he is a Nevergunnabe, and everyone knows it.

So why all this pussyfooting around? We're not talking about the chairmanship of the local glee club here. We need an Opposition with a leader. We need a group of politicians with resources and experience scrutinising what the Government does, rather than spending all their time talking about themselves. We need 37 Coalition votes in a Senate where that Government does not hold a majority to be cast according to some rational set of policy principles

Editorial, The Age, Melbourne: During Pauline Hanson's sojourn in the political limelight, it was noted that her popularity rarely diminished when she made the sort of gaffe in media interviews that would embarrass most other politicians, or even destroy their credibility.

On the contrary, those "Please explain" moments seemed to evoke empathy from people who perhaps themselves struggled to explain the meanings of some words, and felt intimidated or patronised by interviewers and commentators who used those words.

It is probable that something similar will be happening in the United States, as American voters watch the interviews with Republican nominee John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, that are being broadcast on network television.

When Charlie Gibson, the anchorman for ABC's World News, asked Mrs Palin about the Bush doctrine, it was evident that she did not know what he meant. The alarming thing is that this may be no electoral liability for Mrs Palin, who, if Senator McCain wins the election to become the oldest person ever to take office as president, will be only the proverbial heartbeat away from becoming her nation's commander-in-chief.

Laurie Oakes in the Sydney Daily Telegraph: It turns out that Kevin Rudd does have things in common with Sarah Palin, the Annie Oakley figure chosen by the US Republicans as their vice-presidential candidate.

Rudd may not be a moose-shooter, but I have discovered that - like the Alaskan governor - he has a fondness for guns. The prime minister is patron of a shooters club in Brisbane. And he is a keen clay pigeon shooter. He tells colleagues that the secret is to aim slightly below and a little ahead of the target.

Rudd is also an enthusiastic horseman, and hopes to find time to sneak away from Canberra for some weekend riding in the Snowy Mountains. But he is careful not to be caught on camera when he goes ridin' or shootin'. He seems to regard these as activities for consenting adults in private. Which is a pity. Television footage of the Prime Minister astride a mountain pony, rifle over his shoulder, rounding up wild bush horses would do wonders for his geeky image.

Instead, for the moment, we have to be satisfied with watching him use Brendan Nelson for target practice. And Nelson is not so much clay pigeon as sitting duck.

Links to the newspapers:
Newspaper links
Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au/
The Australian http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/
The Age http://www.theage.com.au/
Sydney Daily Telegraph: http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/