Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that he has endorsed, without qualification, the Treasurer to replace him as leader of the Liberal Party if and when he retires after the next election?

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

What I have said is that when I do, well into the next term if we are re-elected—and can I make the observation that we have had five questions about one job, not five questions about millions of jobs, and quite honestly I think that the Australian people are more interested in jobs for their children than they are in whether Kevin Rudd or John Howard occupies the Prime Ministership; it behoves everybody in this parliament to understand that we are here to serve the Australian people, not to serve our own personal egos, and there is a complete obsession—

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

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

Here’s the humble member for Lilley.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

a point of order on relevance: I ask the Prime Minister—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Lilley will resume his seat. The answer is entirely in order.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to 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.