How long will Howard remain now that Peter can see his princely reward slipping into the timelessness of the never never to join the dreamtime of ambition thwarted.

Australia has just re-elected Howard, his parliamentary opponents retiring to the games of opposition until the next grand final, his opponents in the community rebuilding their morale and continuing to campaign.

A former colleague, John Hewson, is of the view that Howard will only leave Ming’s furniture in a box. I would be happy to see it boxed up and sent anywhere else, returned to the old Parliament House as a museum piece upon Howard’s final elevation.

Of course, like the monarchies of old, some princes’ ambitions can only be held in check for so long and as this prince cannot be sent to head an army of conquest his ambitions have escaped into the court and taken life among other members of the Liberal Party.

Others, being more recently elevated to the Cabinet are also behaving like princes of the blood, their ambitions poking out of their knapsacks as they campaign strongly for a return to the past.

Abbot’s run on reducing a woman’s right to choose showed where he comes from and cost him the support of many women in the parliamentary Liberal party as well as in the community. He will now have to stick with his special brand of Pelian morality and continue to support the faithful Ron Boswell [National Party, file marked: loose cannon, should never be a Minister].

And of course that dashing young fellow Nelson. Holder of a medical degree, former wearer of an earring and father of the nation. A great flag waver, prepared to level all fields so that the chess club has to compete with the athletic for student support. Methinks the drinking club will tie with Selfish in attempt at killing cooperation at Uni and so make a wonderful new world of dangerous dogs, the image of the conservatives’ political club, eating each other in a mindless climb to the top.

One should not forget the newbie, the contender from equality, the believer in a fairer tax system where all should pay up, honestly. Turnbull, Malcolm, a true prince among the paupers, his $100 million proof of his capacity to do deals and succeed. Of course he is a little dangerous having hugged a tree once and must pass many barriers, drying out any tendency to wetness along his way.

A lion among members

And from the far right of the court Kevin Andrews, a lion among members. The support of his christian conservatives flowing to the PM as long as the PM stays where he is ideologically. [Family First will be an interesting problem for them and I would think end speculation about electoral change to first past the post]

And how did this kerfuffle arise at what should be another victory, the Budget that will be presented to the new Senate, where the Coalition majority is most likely to rubber stamp every reading [can Barnaby Joyce do a Bob Katter, will he remain true to the Joh for Canberra now the beast has shuffled off its mortal coil and entered the home of the gods to be lionised in the legends of those who only understand democracy as a toll for getting their own way. Otherwise it ain’t democratic].

Here is the time when all those hidden agenda items, the fine print from Howard’s past, can come out and everything be attacked. Unions, welfare recipients [pensioners excepted for the moment, too many of them and they may vote Labor at the drop of a pension], medicare recipients, Telstra in government hands, wages and conditions, the public service, the tax regime. The difficulty will be the choice of which will fall and how far to keep Liberal in and the middle class in genteel poverty.

Howard, taking his own early advice about laxity and comfort and forgetting his most sagacious mention of hubris, slipped up in the home of democracy and opined on his future, the Athens declaration, staring a ball that already had momentum on a steeper slope to its end.

Now it is time to go gracefully, to retire to the summer palace. Yes Janet will have to leave the curtains at Kirribilli House and you may have to leave His desk and chair in your Canberra office, unless they can go to your new retired PM’s office, and join the ranks of Cough, Mal, Bob and Paul, the club of hadbeens, to comment on government policy in later years.

Otherwise, the knives will get sharper, the corridors grow darker and longer, and the court’s attention will be focused in, leaving the country to drift from decision to decision, each made with a view over the shoulder, the potential contenders likely to strike out on all sorts of paths seeking the limelight in the hope of the spotlight.

is amused by the conundrum of the Treasurer encouraging all of us to work longer whilst hoping the PM will go at 65 or at the latest 66. Mind you his super and perks will make that a much easier financial choice than those faced with the pension option or working on for a reward at age 70 or 75. 

The Australian: Costello fails to win over voters