Fed: Biographer says Howard should step aside

AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-2007
Fed: Biographer says Howard should step aside

CANBERRA, Aug 6 AAP - In a fresh blow for Prime Minister John Howard, his official
biographer and one of his staunchest supporters says he should step aside for the good
of the country.

Mr Howard has been under pressure from a resurgent Labor since Kevin Rudd became federal
opposition leader late last year.

A leaked Liberal dossier today showed that voters saw Mr Howard as old and dishonest,
while Mr Rudd was seen as genuine and a chance for generational change.

David Barnett, the husband of NSW Liberal MP Pru Goward, said Mr Howard should consider
his political future before his colleagues made up his mind for him.

"It's a great tragedy. He's the best prime minister we have ever had, but the great
financial and economic programs that have transformed Australia have all been put in place,"

Mr Barnett wrote in a column in The Canberra Times.

"The challenge now is to protect them from being dismantled by a resurgent ALP under
the glib leadership of Kevin Rudd.

"The polls are telling the coalition parties that Howard is not the man to do this."

Mr Barnett said that hope was fading for a turnaround in the polls and the coalition
now had to focus on retaining office.

"Australia owes him a lot, but it doesn't owe him the privilege of going down with
the ship, of retiring to the shadows asserting that, in the end, the country wasn't worthy
of him," he said.

"As Howard himself has said, to serve as prime minister is a great honour and privilege.

He would serve it best now by stepping aside."

AAP mfh/sb/jt/sp

KEYWORD: HOWARD POLL BARNETT

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