Ex-Prime Minister John Howard tips against repeat of 2007 election

Former prime minister John Howard has declared Anthony Albanese is no Kevin Rudd, tipping against a repeat of the 2007 election while on the hustings with Katherine Deves.

James Morrow

@pwafork

less than 2 min read

May 18, 2022 - 6:07PM

Federal Election

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Former Prime Minister John Howard has said that he does not feel that Saturday’s federal poll will be a replay of the 2007 election that saw him ousted by Kevin Rudd.

“I don’t find in this election the same interest in Mr Albanese as an alternative prime minister that I saw in the interest of Mr Rudd as an alternative prime minister,” Mr Howard said on Wednesday, campaigning with Liberal Warringah candidate Katherine Deves.

“I didn’t like that interest, of course, but people were thinking about a change in 2007.”

“And they had a look at Mr Rudd and through a combination of reasons they went for him.”

“They’re not looking at Mr Albanese in the same way … I find a marked lack of interest in Mr Albanese as alternative prime minister, there is a growing feeling in the community that he’s not quite up to the job,” Mr Howard said.

Warringah candidate Katherine Deves was out on the hustings in Manly with former Liberal PM John Howard. Picture: Daily Telegraph / Monique Harmer

Asked about Ms Deves’s chances, Mr Howard said, “she’s got a real shot, but it won’t be easy.”

“It’s never easy taking your seat back once it has been won by an independent.”

Ms Deves denied she was a single issue candidate. Picture: Daily Telegraph / Monique Harmer

Ms Deves, asked again about the controversy surrounding her past comments about transgender athletes, denied that she was a single issue candidate.

“I’ve been talking about many other things,” she said.

“I’ve been out on hustings every single day talking to the people of Warringah, and top of mind for them is cost of living pressures, health services, small businesses.”

“The polling shows I have a real shot at this. This is Liberal heartland, and we have an incumbent who has not achieved anything of note in the last three years.”