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

It is very clear. When I cease to be the leader of the Liberal Party it would be my expectation, and my belief, that I should be succeeded by the deputy leader and Treasurer, Peter Costello. But I have also acknowledged that that is not my gift; it is the gift of the federal parliamentary Liberal Party—as, indeed, the position I hold was not the gift of my predecessor; it was the gift of the federal parliamentary Liberal Party. I will add one thing. I remind those who sit opposite: we will not live the lie of 1990. Let it always be remembered that my two predecessors entered into a secret conclave and they lived a lie to the Australian people through the entirety of the 1990 election campaign. And it will ever be to the shame of the Australian Labor Party that they were part of that miserable deception and that miserable conspiracy.

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.

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