Former PM John Howard blasts Nick Xenophon, predicts vote will fade

EXCLUSIVE: The popularity of Senator Nick Xenophon will wane and his party won’t win lower house seats, former Prime Minister John Howard says.

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THE popularity of Senator Nick Xenophon will wane and his party won’t win lower house seats, former Prime Minister John Howard says.

Speaking exclusively ahead of almost two days of campaigning in South Australia, Mr Howard yesterday declared himself confused at Senator Xenophon’s beliefs and attacked his refusal to declare which major party he would back in a lineball result at the July 2 poll.

“This idea that he’s going to avoid expressing any favouritism for one or other side is a bit rich, because in the end if he achieves his objective of getting seats in both houses then he could have influence, certainly in the Senate,” he said.

Mr Howard, 76, scoffed at comparisons between Senator Xenophon and late Tasmanian independent senator Brian Harradine, who extracted many millions of dollars by being a tough negotiator for his state. Mr Howard branded any attempt to compare Senator Xenophon and Mr Harradine as “historically false”.

“People knew where Harradine stood and, as somebody who dealt with him for almost 20 years, often with him holding a balance of power in the Senate, I knew exactly where Harradine stood,” he said.

“We know where the Greens stand on issues, they are far to the Left of the Labor Party ... but we don’t know about Mr Xenophon. I’m confused as to what he believes in.”

Former Prime Minister John Howard says Nick Xenophon needs to declare which major party he would back in a lineball result. Picture: Ray Strange.

He predicted the Coalition would win a lower house majority in its own right at the election and said the Nick Xenophon Team’s 20 per cent-plus opinion poll support in SA would shrink. “I’m not sure that’s going to hold up on polling day because those sort of votes do tend to shrink closer to decision day,” he said.

“... I would be surprised if he (Senator Xenophon) wins lower house seats,” Mr Howard said. “I don’t expect him to, I really don’t.’’

“... the major parties get an unfair rap when people are disgruntled with living standards because they are seen as being in some way responsible, because they actually are in office or have been in office. Whereas the other parties like Nick Xenophon’s mob, they’ve never been in office and they’re not likely to be in office and therefore they don’t attract the same opprobrium.”

In an interview with The Advertiser, Mr Howard also backed calls for a high-level nuclear waste repository in SA and described as “sensible and practical” the royal commission that proposed it.

Mr Howard will campaign today for his former staffer and Mayo MP Jamie Briggs, who an opinion poll published just days ago, showed was at risk of losing his once-safe Liberal seat to NXT candidate Rebekha Sharkie.

Former Prime Minister John Howard has blasted Senator Nick Xenophon. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

Bookmakers’ odds back Mr Howard’s contention that Senator Xenophon’s bid for lower house seats will fail, despite a Newspoll last week showing his party had 22 per cent primary support in SA.

“The more votes he (Senator Xenophon) attracts in opinion polls, the greater should be his accountability,” Mr Howard said. “You can’t have it both ways. You can’t have the purity of independence and yet exercise in the Upper House the balance-of-power position, or potentially the balance of power position.”  Senator Xenophon has labelled as a million-to-one his chances of securing the balance of power in the Lower House but said in that case, his party’s MPs would need to consult their electorates to decide who to back as PM.

Mr Howard did not expect Mr Briggs to be punished at the ballot box over an incident with a female government official in Hong Kong, which forced him to quit the ministry.

“I have the sense that he’s dealt with it and worked hard to consolidate his position,” he said.

Mr Howard’s SA visit also will include campaigning for Hindmarsh MP Matt Williams and addressing the state Liberal Party leadership.

Howard gives his opinion on:

Nuclear: I support both of them (low-level national and high-level international waste repositories proposed for SA).

Submarines: The government made a decision, which I support, to have an enduring shipbuilding industry in SA (which has) suffered very much.

Whyalla’s Arrium steelworks: It’s always important in situations that involve people’s livelihoods and jobs, the stability and the impact on a regional area ... to be measured and practical and that’s what the government is endeavouring to do.

Donald Trump: The decline in the purchasing power of the middle class is making a lot of people a bit disgruntled with mainstream ... parties.

Rise of independents: For a long time now, really since the end of the Cold War, the ideological divide between the major political parties has become less intense and there are fewer rusted-on supporters of the two sides of politics.