John Howard reveals his election prediction for Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton

Former prime minister John Howard has predicted who will win the upcoming federal election and why, compared to Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, Anthony Albanese is “out of his depth”.

Former prime minister John Howard has predicted the upcoming federal election will be “hard to pick” with polling indicating the outcome could be a hung parliament.

Mr Howard predicted losses for the Greens and the Teals, but forewarned that the Liberal Party faced “history against it” in striving to get Peter Dutton elected.

No first term government has lost an election and failed to return to power for close to 100 years.

Commentators have suggested Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is modelling himself off John Howard. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Speaking on Sky News Australia, Mr Howard stated that Mr Dutton could win the election, but that he would face an uphill battle.

“I can’t say, ‘Oh, of course we’re going to win’. History is still against it,” Australia’s second-longest serving leader said.

Mr Howard said, however, that Anthony Albanese was “out of his depth” comparing the PM unfavourably to former Labor leaders including Paul Keating and the late Bob Hawke.

“I disagreed with Bob Hawke but I never thought Hawke was out of his depth, I just thought he was wrong,” he said.

Anthony Albanese did not bite back in response to John Howard’s criticism. Picture: NewsWire/ Alex Ellinghausen

“I disagreed even more with Paul Keating, who I thought was inferior to Hawke as a prime minister. But you could never say he was out of his depth, whereas I don’t think Anthony Albanese quite knows what’s happening around him.”

Mr Dutton is modelling himself off John Howard, such as adopting the same strategy on petrol excise that Mr Howard used in 2001.

Under Mr Howard’s petrol excise cuts, the recovery of the Coalition commenced and served as a springboard for the later election victory.

“The choice is clear at the next election,” Mr Dutton said in his speech.

“I will be a strong leader and a steady hand – just as John Howard was.”

Mr Albanese did not bite back in response, saying on 3AW radio: “Well, John Howard’s a Liberal Party loyalist. I respect that.”

“I often find it very amusing that there’ll be a front page and I predict this in the national newspaper, there will be a front-page story saying, ‘Howard endorses Dutton’, as if that’s a surprise.

“Well, guess what? Julia Gillard and Paul Keating and Kevin Rudd, although Kevin’s out of it now, as an ambassador, will be voting Labor as well Steve Bracks and John Brumby and others.”

Originally published as John Howard reveals his election prediction for Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton