John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Here we see the Leader of the Opposition’s back again. Of course, I am referring to the description given by my immediate predecessor in the office I now hold, former Labor Prime Minister Mr Paul Keating, when he spoke of those who advise the Leader of the Opposition. He had a lot of things to say about them, but the best of all is this:

The Labor Party is not going to profit from having these proven unsuccessful people around who are frightened of their own shadow and won’t get out of bed in the morning unless they’ve had a focus group report to tell them which side of bed to get out.

If ever that description fitted anyone, it fits the shadow Treasurer, the honourable member for Lilley. They do not eat a morsel of food without getting a focus group report first. They are the most poll-driven group. They talk about Crosby Textor; Hawker Britton would leave them for dead.

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