In a sign of solidarity Mr Howard appeared with Mr Costello in a television interview for the first time in 11 years and insisted to channel Seven's Today Tonight the Treasurer will be elected unopposed to eventually replace him.So Costello has finally been properly endorsed by Howard (no more of this "Party will decide" crap). But that's only because they are now so desperate to end the in-fighting and speculation that Turnbull's camp is generating.
And that's supposed to encourage voters?
Meanwhile, just so you all know how dangerously rightwing Malcolm Turnbull is, here's a new scandal to rock your socks.
One of Rupert Murdoch's nephews is closely involved in a company called Australian Rain Corporation (ARC), which is a big donor to Turnbull's fundraising group. And Turnbull has just given them a $10 million grant, ostensibly for further research into their unproven technology.
The technology involves sending electrical charges into the atmosphere to make clouds, and ultimately rain...At no great expense to whom, that's the question! The shareholders in Switzerland will be happy!
A report on the technology prepared for the government, and delivered in August, found the ARC had provided "no convincing data" to support the technology.
The report, prepared by the former head of the CSIRO Office of Space Science, Ken McCracken, and University of New England Emeritus Professor of Physics Neville Fletcher, recommended a trial only go ahead after more scientific work on the proposal and if it could be done "at no great expense".
The big question today is why on earth environmental scientist Dr Tim Flannery has endorsed Turnbull - is he getting some funding approved too?
PS:Here's how Howard explained Costello's appeal to voters:
"He's not me."And after refusing the opportunity to face Rove McManus's "who would you turn gay for?" question, Howard told Today Tonight it would not be Cossie:
The pair agreed that their relationship was like a marriage, apart from the "certain other attractions" of a real marriage.Just so you know.
"It's a pretty good marriage, it's lasted a long time," Mr Howard said, adding the pair were "very much" mates.
"I like Peter as a bloke," he said.
Seriously, today was the day when Howard had to DO SOMETHING. And this is it, this is all he's got. He's finished, surely. And Turnbull is busy preparing his post-election coup while Cossie sits grinning at the bright lights.
The latest Newspoll is just out and guess what? Nothing has changed: Australians locked in their answers six months ago.
But here's a scary thought to keep you awake:
PETER Costello might find himself prime minister much earlier than anticipated.OTOH Turnbull might somehow win his own seat and then be poised to grab the Lodge! Who are YOU voting for? Do you even know?
It would be an Australian political first - if the current strong swing in NSW saw John Howard lose the seat of Bennelong, but because of uneven swings between the states, Labor didn't make it across the line.
