Julia Gillard, John Howard are no ‘miserable ghosts’: they are gold standard of former PMs

In the wake of the “miserable ghosts’’ barney, a Liberal MP praises Julia Gillard and John Howard for their “gold standard’’ post-prime ministerial conduct.

Liberal backbencher Michael Sukkar has praised Julia Gillard for her conduct after losing the prime ministership, erroneously claiming that Malcolm Turnbull was not talking about Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott when he called the pair “miserable ghosts”.

Mr Turnbull was recorded telling a group of young leaders in New York that it was important “not to be driven by hate” after losing the top job.

“There is no way I would be hanging around embittered — Kevin Rudd or Tony Abbott — well seriously, these people are like, sort of miserable, miserable ghosts,” Mr Turnbull said in the recording, obtained by the Nine Network.

Mr Rudd, who is also based in New York, has since invited Mr Turnbull “over for a cuppa”, telling him in a tweet to take a “reality check”, given his frequent public commentary on domestic politics since losing the prime ministership on August 24.

Asked whether he believed Mr Abbott and Mr Rudd were “miserable ghosts”, Mr Sukkar told Sky News: “I’m sure that wasn’t who Malcolm Turnbull was referring to.”

Told that Mr Turnbull had named both men, Mr Sukkar backtracked.

“Oh was he? I haven’t read the transcript,” he said.

“Well, sadly in this day and age of everybody having a recording device in their pockets with their iPhones, off the cuff comments can be broadcast around the world.

“Look, the reality is, I agree with, I’m never going to be someone that trashes former Liberal leaders, let alone Liberal prime ministers.”

Former prime ministers of Australia (L-R), Malcolm Fraser, Julia Gillard, Bob Hawke, Tony Abbott, John Howard, Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating at the memorial service for Gough Whitlam in 2014.

Challenged over the fact that he backed Peter Dutton to topple Mr Turnbull in last month’s leadership spill, Mr Sukkar said he believed John Howard was the “gold standard” for how former leaders should operate.

“In the end, anybody that has led their party was there with the support of that party, and I think post-politics should do everything they can to support that party, and I’m confident that they will,” he said.

Asked whether he was saying that Tony Abbott should depart politics, the conservative Victorian MP said he was making a point about people who had left parliament.

“I think when you’re in parliament it’s an environment where people expect you to make a contribution, expect you to be fearless and frank in the way that you speak about our country, but for those who have left politics, my view has always been that John Howard is basically the exemplary figure,” Mr Sukkar said.

“To give her credit, Julia Gillard, I think since leaving the prime ministership has shown a lot of class as well, and found a great contribution post-politics.

“I didn’t agree with virtually anything she did in politics, but post-politics, she’s been a class act, and I don’t see her trashing the Labor Party, and I think that’s the standard that most people would like to see from all former leaders, and I’m not suggesting for a minute that that’s what Malcolm Turnbull’s engaged in, but I’m just making the broader point that I don’t put too much weight in off the cuff comments that are sort of secretly recorded.

.@MichaelSukkarMP on ‘miserable ghosts’: @JuliaGillard, I think, since leading the priministership has shown a lot of class.

MORE: https://t.co/ykweMeNddk #amagenda pic.twitter.com/G5vX1az6mh

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) October 1, 2018

“I think we will judge all former leaders in the fullness of time, and I’m confident that Malcolm Turnbull will show the same love for the party that he did when he was prime minister as a former prime minister.”

Labor frontbencher Brendan O’Connor said it was obvious Mr Turnbull was “suffering”.

“He’s been torn down by his party, and what we’re seeing now is symptoms of that pain that I guess he’s experiencing,” Mr O’Connor said.

“I mean it was a terrible thing for him, as to what happened, and there’s still no explanation to the Australian people as to why it happened, so I’m not surprised that he’s thinking out loud and reflecting on what’s happened and that’s all we’re seeing there.”

Mr O’Connor said Mr Sukkar had been “very magnanimous” about Ms Gillard.